Christmas was relatively peaceful and the Police want the same atmosphere to continue as Samoa gears up to welcome 2015.
Yesterday, Assistant Police Commissioner, Fauono Talalelei Tapu, reaffirmed that there were no fatalities during the celebration of Christmas this year.
Although there were a number of minor incidents – including vehicle crashes – Fauono said that overall, it was relatively safe.
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“There is a big difference these days,” he said in relation to Christmas periods of the past where fatalities were recorded.
One noted improvement is that partygoers these days are keener to use public transport as opposed to driving under the influence.
“The clubs were packed during Christmas but outside there were no vehicles,” he said. “We (Police) came to realize that this was because people were using taxi’s to travel to and from the nightclubs.”
Even the roadblocks staged throughout the country picked up this trend.
“I think people are getting smarter,” he said. “They have learnt that driving their vehicles under the influence of alcohol is not a wise thing to do so they left them at home instead.”
The Police, Fauono said, are still compiling the data from Christmas about the number of incidents reported to them – including crashes.
Meanwhile, he has urged members of the public to continue their good behaviour during the New Year celebrations.
Fauono reminded partygoers and everyone to enjoy responsibly and to please be mindful about the safety and convenience of other people.
He also warned that the Police would continue their Festive Season operation over the next few days where roadblocks and random police checks are the norm.
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