'Inside word' from Lower Hutt's Police boss

Hutt Valley's latest crime statistics for the 12 months to June 2011 are due out in two weeks and Hutt Valley Police area commander Mike Hill says we're in for more good news.

How are we doing in Lower Hutt?

They've cancelled leave and it's all hands on deck for Police as we celebrate the Rugby World Cup, so how are we doing here in Lower Hutt?"I've worked in a number of cities and towns around the North Island and I'm pleased with what I'm seeing with total incidents of crime continuing to drop over several years in Lower Hutt," says Mike Hill.

"Actual crime is down, but fear of crime is up."

"We may see something on TV but it's not necessarily happening here in the Hutt Valley."

"With 70% of police calls for service stemming from alcohol we've been focussing on minimising alcohol harm, burglaries and disrupting drug trading."

But ultimately Mike believes it's the small things like cops saying hello on the street that really make a difference.

More people feeling safe with a bigger street presence

"We know the impact on business if people feel unsafe about a certain area."

"The partnerships we have made are really visible. Right across Lower Hutt people can see us alongside others like Neighourhood Support, Walkwise, Community Patrols, our CCTV volunteers."

"It's great to see the Maori Warden's out at public transport sites for the Rugby World Cup, " he says.

Plus there's many more agencies doing there bit to keep our community safe.Hutt City Council's safe city officer Adrian Peoples leads the Safe Hutt Valley group made up of representatives from the Police, Hutt City Council, Upper Hutt City Council, ACC, Regional Public Health and the District Health Board.

Helping keep your business safe

Mike encourages businesses to safeguard themselves by taking a look at their business from a thiefs point of view and by having emergency plans in place.

"One simple tip we suggest is a role-play with your staff to see how vulnerable you are - where do you keep keys and valuable items?"

More great tips on how to protect your business and staff from crime are on the Police website.

Police a dream jobMike grew up in Silverstream and knew when he was just eight that he was going to be in the Police, where he now has "the ability every day to make a difference for one person, many people or the wider valley."

"A while ago a rubbish truck driver suddenly stopped his truck, came up to me, exclaimed "you're Mike Hill!" taking me by surprise. I had dealt with him for a burglary in Masterton over 10 years earlier. He'd been away for a while and couldn't tell me enough how much I'd changed his life, he'd been straight ever since."