The hot weather has brought with it a range of issues which we have responded to, some of which could have been avoided with a little bit of pre-planning, and a whole heap of commonsense.

I remember working out in the western region of NSW in my earlier years as a police officer, in areas where the temperature made 45 degrees or better for weeks at a time. It was hot, but everyone seemed to know how to deal with that.

We all know the dangers of leaving kids in hot cars for any length of time at all, and thankfully we don’t see too much of that now. But people still don’t seem to extend that sort of sensible thinking further.

Sadly, we have recently seen incidents in this area where animals are left in cars for long periods of time in the hot sun. Cracking the windows a bit to “let some fresh air in” just doesn’t cut it and we often see animals in enormous distress due to soaring temperatures in cars. Did you know that on a hot day, the temperature inside a vehicle can be sometimes 30 to 40 degrees hotter than the outside temperature?  Have a look at a recent study conducted by the RACV.

That means, when the temperature hit 40 last week, the temperature inside the car could have been 70 or 80 degrees. It is food for thought as we struggle through February in Albury, traditionally known for soaring temperatures. Thankfully, we are seeing some cooler days this week, but remember to think of your pets even on days where the temperature is much more comfortable.

I had the pleasure of hosting the Albury Local Area Command awards ceremony recently when we were visited by our deputy commissioner and assistant commissioner who presented awards to police for long and diligent service, as well as specific acts of bravery or dedication above the call of duty.

In my opening address, I commented that police step up to do jobs that the wider community don’t even want to think about.  They are ordinary people doing an extraordinary job, and sitting there listening to the awards being presented was a very humbling moment.  I congratulate all of the recipients.

Looking ahead, we have the ever-present threat of bushfire across the command to prepare for and have everything ready in case we need to respond to assist other emergency services. We are working hard to ensure that communication systems, evacuation plans and safety equipment are all up to scratch.

Sadly, a lot of fires are deliberately lit, and I ask that if anyone sees anything suspicious in the behaviour of others, please let us know. A simple phone call from a diligent and observant member of the public could eliminate a wide scale tragedy.

Call the local police or Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000 to help us help you.

I will finish this week by plugging the Albury LAC Facebook page.  It is a great source of information which we try to keep up to date with local content.  We will also be regularly putting up pictures of police activities from across the command, so that people can get a better understanding of the diversity of this area and get to know local police. It can’t be used to report crime though. If you need the police, use the Community Portal at police.nsw.gov.au/community_portal, phone Crimestoppers on 1800 33 000, contact 000 or your local police station.

Evan Quarmby is superintendent of Albury local command, NSW Police.