Makos front community campaign to promote smarter public conduct

Take pride in how you dress when you go out, and look after your mates.

That is the main message of a new joint campaign run by the Tasman Makos and Nelson police. Dress Smart, Act Smarter, which is backed by the Nelson Mail, was formally launched yesterday.

Tasman Makos captain Andrew Goodman said research showed that people who dressed better for a night on the town, tended to behave better as well.

"The main message is that people that dress smarter tend to act more responsibly as well," Mr Goodman said.

Police and the Makos think that people now take less pride in how they dress when go out than in recent years, and this to some degree has contributed to an increase in bad behaviour at bars and clubs.

They want people to put the "smart" back into smart casual, and to behave appropriately.

Mr Goodman said the team had to stay "tidy" both in dress and behaviour, so as to meet its community obligations.

He said the idea of taking care in your appearance and looking out for your mates fitted well with his sense of teamwork and the pride necessary to make it as an elite rugby player.

"When we go out as a team after the game, we want to have a good time, but we also believe in looking smart and taking care of ourselves and each other."

Mr Goodman said he was keen to back the project after spending a Saturday night out on patrol with police in Nelson at their invitation. This had helped him see what went on around the Bridge St area with a different pair of eyes.

Behaviour deteriorated as the night wore on and he saw fights and people generally showing a lack of respect for police and other people around the Buxton Square area, especially around the time bars closed, he said.

The drunken and at-times violent behaviour of people on Bridge St, especially when bars close at 3am has been in the public eye in the last couple of years.

Police have also voiced concerns at a spike in violence in central Nelson, with a rise in the number of unprovoked attacks late at night, some resulting in serious injury.

Tasman Police District commander Superintendent Gary Knowles said the campaign was both appropriate and timely.

"With the Rugby World Cup about to come to our region in just a few weeks, we are delighted that our leading team, the Tasman Makos, have seen fit to support a call for greater social awareness and moderate behaviour when people are out to have a good time."

He said the campaign also dovetailed with the police's own community outreach programme, Safer Communities Together.

"In many ways the police have an ethos and principles in sync with rugby teams like the Tasman Makos. We both rely heavily on teamwork and have a local, community focus that relies on a wide measure of public support and confidence," Mr Knowles said.

Tasman Rugby Union chief executive Peter Barr said having the Tasman Makos front a campaign talking to the young and impressionable made perfect sense.

"We hope that more people will take the time to think about what they are wearing and how they interact with others when going out. And most of all, like a good rugby team, we want people to look after their mates and get them back into the fold when they might be about to do something silly that they will later regret."

The Nelson Branch of the Hospitality Association of New Zealand also supports the initiative. Nelson president Ron Taylor said it was in line with the Nelson Tasman Hospitality Protocol.

"We launched the Nelson Tasman Hospitality Protocol over three years ago with the support of the police and the other regulatory agencies. It has proven to be a great deterrent for potential problem patrons," Mr Taylor said.

"It involves a blanket trespass ban for three months minimum from over 50 licensed premises for patrons who do not behave appropriately."

The Dress Smart, Act Smarter project is also supported by Active Body Centre, McDonald's Nelson, Nelson Tasman Regional Alcohol Accord, Printhouse and The Edge 88.8 Nelson.

As part of the campaign, Nelson police will hold a police dog demonstration at the Tasman Makos v Auckland game at Trafalgar Park next Tuesday. The game kicks off at 7.35pm.

- The Nelson Mail