Over the past two weeks, during the festive season Cook Islands Police have conducted a high number of vehicle and driver checks.

And with the success of these festive operations, Police Service media and strategic advisor Trevor Pitt was asked if they are looking to have more weekend operations, especially checkpoints in the night?

Pitt said they would need to configure the checkpoints going forward with each of the teams. 

He also said that a police recruitment process is in place, and they are awaiting directives on its start-up

Yesterday, Pitt said that in the last two nights (weekend), more than 700 drivers/vehicles were checked during traffic enforcement stops around the island.

He said 27 fines were issued to drivers, two people were forbidden from driving, one driver failed to stop for Police and abandoned his motorbike, and two complaints were called in about people driving dangerously.

One was a black pickup with youngsters on the back in Upper Tupapa, and the other reported in was a white van at Panama.

On January 1, 11 drivers were ordered fines for various failures in vehicle documentation.

On January 2, police checked over 400 vehicles, following the 1336 vehicles checked post-New Year’s Eve celebrations.

And on January 3, 18 fines were issued to drivers for minor traffic offenses and more than 100 vehicles were checked.

Pitt also added that there were no arrests for drunk driving in the festive season.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Pitt said that while the road environment demands a high degree of resources, police investigators were also involved in more serious crimes during the festive season.

Two arrests were made for alleged crimes of an indecent nature, of which the sensitivity and court proceedings preclude any detailed reporting by Police.

• LL/Police Media