Have a safe and peaceful Christmas

Christmas is just around the corner. It is a time of anticipation, of joy and for children, excitement.

For criminals, it can present an opportunity. We are working to ensure that these opportunities are minimised. It is our aim to ensure we all have a safe and peaceful Christmas.

We are playing our part, through our seasonal policing plan - Operation Seasons Greetings, through planned, targeted operations aimed at disrupting criminal activity, through highly visible policing patrols, working to increase confidence and through focused, targeted roads policing operations.

Crime prevention officers are available in every area in Northern Ireland to advise on protecting your property, our Get Home Safe partnership and night time economy operations work to ensure everyone can enjoy the nightlife our towns and cities have to offer.

We will have an increased policing presence on our roads across the Christmas period. All of this work is designed to help keep us all safe. We are asking for your help. Simply, we need people to look after themselves, their property and each other. Small steps can make a big difference.

Remember to close, lock and check all doors and windows in your home, keep your gifts and valuables from view both in your home and your car, if you are going out to socialise, plan how you will get home. By remembering these simple steps you can help ensure we don't make Christmas a gift for the criminal.

And stay safe on the roads. Leave plenty of time for your journey, pay attention to the road conditions and never ever drink and drive. It is better to be a little late arriving at your destination than not to arrive at all.

I want all of us to have a happy and peaceful Christmas.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog over the past weeks.

Seasons Greetings and Best Wishes for the New Year.