Police enjoy uneventful Christmas
A quieter than usual Christmas Day this year was a “pleasant relief’’ for Bunbury police officers, owing in part to a drop in alcohol-related incidents.
The lower number of call-outs was a welcome change to last year when a 25-year-old man was charged with unlawful wounding and common assault following a stabbing on Christmas day in Usher.
Bunbury Police Sgt Phil Nation said there had been no serious reports of domestic disputes on Christmas Day, which was usually prone to outbreaks of family tension.
“Christmas is a strange day, you just about always get some kind of domestic on Christmas Day after lunch but this year was good, there was nothing terribly serious,’’ Sgt Nation said.
Sen. Sgt Peter Jenal said police did not attend any alcohol-related incidents on Christmas Day.
“Our advantage is that the licensed premises are closed so there’s no issue with alcohol unless it’s purchased the day before,’’ Sen. Sgt Jenal said.
Christmas Eve has also been described by police as “fairly quiet’’, with four move on notices issued.
“Last year we had lots of drama, but Christmas Eve fell on a Saturday night,’’ Sgt Nation said.
“We want Christmas to fall midweek every year.’’
The period in the lead-up to Christmas was described as “steady’’ in terms of crime by Sgt Nation, following a spate of burglaries and ram raids using stolen cars.
With Christmas over for another year, police are continuing to remind people to keep up the good behaviour and take precautions with their possessions.
Sen. Sgt Jenal said it was important people remained vigilant towards the security of their vehicles and homes, especially if they were leaving for an extended period.
“Make sure you secure your home before you leave and notify your trusted neighbours so they can keep an eye on your premises for you,’’ Sen. Sgt Jenal said.
Christmas Eve was less quiet on the roads, with two car crashes on Monday in the South West.
Three people received non-life threatening injuries in a crash in Myalup on Monday just before 9am.
The second crash occurred south of Pinjarra when a car drove through a fence into a paddock.
