The Times is partnering with our local police to give them a platform to share important messages with our readers around crime-prevention and community safety. Below is the latest column from Sergeant Brett Meale of Howick Police.

Over the Matariki holiday weekend last month, police across the country staffed operations targeting anti-social road users.

These drivers are commonly referred to as “boy racers”.

This was in response to the people who choose to use the roads as their playgrounds.

As a result, almost 60 vehicles were impounded or seized, hundreds of infringement notices were issued and more than 30 people arrested or summonsed.

Disturbingly, this included 17 people for drink-driving offences.

Unfortunately our local community is not immune to these behaviours from boy racers, and I’m regularly advised by observant residents who witness such dangerous driving in residential areas and public places.

The ability to obtain cell phone footage, along with the CCTV coverage in many public areas, has allowed my team to impound several vehicles over the last few months and put the drivers before the court.

Our road policing and prevention teams in Counties Manukau continue to target the larger gatherings in our community, including impounding dirt bikes, whose riders also choose to engage in this anti-social behaviour on the roads.

Should you happen to be unlucky enough to witness any vehicle being driven dangerously or doing burnouts, please keep yourself safe.

If possible, obtain the registration number of the vehicle involved and report the actions to police as soon as possible.

Should the chance arise to take a photo of the vehicle, or even a video on your cell phone, please do so and supply these to police.

Like the community, police are sick of this activity and the disruption it causes to residents and businesses alike.

It not only endangers those who attend boy racer events, but causes costly damage to the roads, and above all else places innocent road users at risk of injury or death.