North Yorkshire Police are to launch a Christmas safety advent calendar on their social media channels.
Every day in the run-up to Christmas, a new window will ‘open’, revealing advice on a range of topics including drink and drug driving, personal safety, domestic abuse and keeping your home and property safe if you are going away.
Using the #TisTheSeason hashtag members of public can follow the advent calendar, which runs from Saturday 1 December 2019 to New Year’s Day 2019, which will also cover how to plan in case an emergency disrupts your Christmas plans, online shopping and safety, and protecting yourself from fraudsters.
Some of the key messages that you can expect to see are:
- Domestic Abuse and what you can do if you have concerns about your partner.
- Child Sexual Exploitation and advice about what to do if your child gets a new smart phone or device for Christmas.
- Hate Crime, stalking and harassment and what you can do to report them.
- County Lines, ANPR and counter-terrorism and how you can play your part in helping to tackle these.
- Local policing and what the force’s Neighbourhood Policing Teams are doing to protect our communities and local businesses during the festive period.
- Road safety and the devastating impact drink and drug driving can have.
- Demand in the Force Control Room and what you can do to help reduce it.
- Emergency planning and how you can prepare in case something disrupts your Christmas plans.
- Fraud and how you can protect yourself against fraudsters eager to get their hands on your money, identity or both.
Chief Constable Lisa Winward said:
“Our #TisTheSeason advent calendar is a fun way for North Yorkshire Police to get across some very important messages to help protect our loved ones and keep our communities safe and secure at Christmas time.
“Our dedicated team of officers and volunteers will be working throughout the festive period to provide assistance and support to those who need it.
“No matter what time of day, if you need us, you can call our Force Control Room on 101 for non-emergency incidents or issues. If you require an emergency response always dial 999.
“On behalf of everyone at North Yorkshire Police, we hope that you have a very enjoyable and safe Christmas.”
Julia Mulligan, elected Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire:
“For most of us, Christmas is a welcome opportunity to slow down and spend time with our loved ones. But for others it is not so simple, and we often take it for granted, but the police are there 24/7, 365 days a year, protecting us from harm and offering a helping hand.
“#TisTheSeason provides a timely reminder to all of us as what we can do to look our for ourselves, our families and our neighbours. And a heartfelt thank you goes to our dedicated and professional police officers and staff who will be working hard throughout the Christmas period, providing help and support as and when we need it.”
To view the #TisTheSeason advent calendar follow the #TisTheSeason hashtag on the force’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.