Reminders and new faces

First of all, I again have some reminders for the community. I’d like to remind everyone to secure your vehicles whenever you are not in them.

We continue to have an increased trend of cars being stolen or broken into, with items taken from them. Some of these were prime targets for opportunistic thieves, due to car doors being left unlocked or high value items being left in plain sight. Please protect your property and belongings. Crime prevention is a community responsibility.

Secondly, on a road policing note, speaking with young drivers of late, it is clear that not all are aware of the rules for those on their restricted driver’s licence.  In order to carry passengers, a restricted driver must have a full licenced driver – who has held that licence for at least 2 years – seated in the front passenger seat beside them. If they don’t, not only can they receive a fine and demerit points, but if their passengers know the driver is on a restricted licence, they are also liable to a fine.

And lastly this week, I’d like to highlight a couple of our newest constables to have joined the team in Cambridge.

Constable Rodrigo dos Santos Mino joined the team as a probationary constable early 2023.  He was born in Montevideo, Uruguay and moved to New Zealand with family in 2004. He settled in Hamilton and has remained in the Waikato ever since. Rodrigo joined the police because he liked the idea of not knowing what each day would bring. He also had friends who were already working in the police, who gave him a bit of an insight into the job and motivated him to follow the same path.  Like most of us, Rodrigo likes to stay fit and active outside of work. He plays soccer and goes to the gym. Rodrigo has settled in well. He is looking forward to getting know Cambridge and working within the community.

Constable Scott Harris joined the team as a probationary constable in mid-2022. He grew up in Te Aroha. Scott always regarded policing as a profession he could see himself in, even when serving in the New Zealand Army with the 1st Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment.  He says, “I looked around at the society that we live in now, which has changed a lot from my younger days growing up in Te Aroha. I wanted to join to the police to play my part in helping the people in the community so they too can work and play in a safe community.”

In his spare time Scott is a keen Chiefs supporter, enjoys running, the gym and listening to a wide range of music.

Have a good week and stay safe.

Senior Constable Deb Hann – On the Beat

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