Great news that New Year's Eve has passed relatively well without too much trouble in the Bay.
Western Bay police area commander Inspector Clifford Paxton praised the majority of the tens of thousands of revellers who poured into Mount Maunganui and Tauranga.
That's good to hear given the Bay isa popular holiday spot and as we reported on Saturday, Tauranga is heading to be a world-class city.
Our reputation as a safe city is important and once again we have shown that the Bay is a family-friendly, community-focused place, where you can still party and have a great time whatever your age.
We have the police and emergency services and other agencies to thank for this. Effective policing, organisation and liquor bans no doubt contributed to the relatively trouble-free night. There were some who did try to spoil the fun, with about 43 reported arrests and a heavy night in Tauranga Hospital's Emergency Department.
I sometimes hear people complaining about police presence - moaning about alcohol checkpoints or extra security or extra police on the roads during the holiday period.
When I hear this moaning I think to myself, really?
The majority of us are grateful to the police and emergency teams who give up their own holidays to keep us safe, and I am grateful for those who stand in the heat or rain checking for drunk drivers and speeders who might turn a corner and kill us.
We are grateful too, to the hard-working emergency department staff at Tauranga Hospital who do amazing work in a high pressured environment. Thank you all for your invaluable work in our community and we hope you get time to enjoy the New Year with your families.
