Locals get a taste of jail
The Hamilton Police Station opened its doors to the public on October 18 as part of a Nationwide initiative.
Crowds flocked to Bridge St as the Hamilton Police Station opened its doors to the public.
As part of the Police National Open Day, the Hamilton precinct welcomed hundreds of people onto their premises and gave them a glimpse of what goes on at the station.
Hamilton city area commander John Kelly said the open day is all about trust and confidence.
“People can see how we do our business, see that we’re human, and understand that police smile,” Kelly said.
“It’s all about public confidence. It breaks a lot of barriers down.”
Among the attractions were walk-throughs of the cells, fingerprinting, learning about the police dogs, trying on the Armed Offenders Squad gear, and a mock crash and rescue scenario.
Hamilton man Shane Easton said it was really neat to bring his children down to see what goes on behind the scenes at a police station, though there was a difference of opinion on what was the best attraction.
“I like the old police cars, they like the dog and the old, beat up car out the front,” Easton said.
A damaged Toyota Land Cruiser was on display in front of the station. The vehicle was an example of how a momentary distraction can be costly, as an officer told passersby neither speed or alcohol were a factor in that particular crash.
The Land Cruiser was used for the mock resuce demonstration, in which fire fighters showed how they extract the driver in that situation by breaking the windows and taking off the roof.
This is the second year the police have held a National Open Day, with precincts around the country opening their doors to the public.
