THE dedicated officers and PCSOs from Wellington Policing Team work in the heart of your communities, and this helps us to support and keep people safe all year round.

This is particularly important at Christmas, which can be a difficult time of year for those who may have little or no family support.

We will be working hard to keep vulnerable people safe throughout the holiday season, and I know that the local communities of Wellington will come together and support them too.

I’d like to emphasise the importance of keeping your home and property secure at this time of year.

This may not be the jolliest of Christmas messages but it’s one that I would like everyone to follow: spend a few minutes now checking your home security to reduce your risk.

Being a victim of burglary can be devastating and have a life-long impact on individuals and whole families. The more people who take this advice on board, alongside our ongoing proactive policing operations to catch and disrupt offenders in our area, the safer we will become and actually feel in our own homes.

Our annual Christmas drink- and drug-driving operation got under way on Tuesday, December 1.

With the aim of reducing fatal and serious road traffic collisions and protecting other road users, Operation Tonic is a national campaign which carries a strong message that anyone who decides to get behind the wheel after a drink or two, or having taken drugs, faces the real prospect of ending up behind bars this festive season.

Wellington Police team understand that this year has been incredibly difficult for most of us and we want people to celebrate Christmas and enjoy themselves.

However, 2020 has been a year of personal responsibility and this must be extended to the festive season.

We need drivers to be aware that there is no excuse for getting behind the wheel while intoxicated.

We will be policing the roads and the chances of being caught, losing your licence – and potentially your job – and spending time over Christmas in one of our cells is high.

We’re asking people to instead look out for each other, encourage friends and family not to drive if they plan to drink and if you are travelling, arrange a designated driver who won’t drink and will take responsibility for getting everyone home safely.

If you know someone is habitually drinking or abusing drugs and driving this can be reported by calling 101 or visiting the Avon and Somerset Police website. If you believe someone is currently driving under the influence of drink or drugs, call 999.

On behalf of the whole team, I’d like to wish all members of the community a very happy and safe Christmas and New Year. We’ll be here for you, so call us if you need us, and stop for a chat if you see us!

Sgt 3258 Daniel Bishop

Neighbourhood Police Sergeant for Wellington