Queenstown police say they are braced for the winter increase in thefts, bogus claims and accidents and warn residents and visitors to take extra care on the mountains, roads and in bars as the 2013 snow sports season gets under way.
''This time of the year, right through the ski season in particular, we get an increase in minor thefts from bars and the like. Often, jackets are pinched,'' Senior Sergeant John Fookes, of Queenstown, said.
''We also get a substantial number of false complaints and typically, but not always, they are people who are on holiday and want to make a claim for small, high-value items on their travel insurance.''
Snr Sgt Fookes said police looked closely at the complaints lodged. There were three or four indicators of a false claim which an experienced eye would notice, he said.
''We've had situations where people have come in to make a complaint about items that have been stolen and we've accompanied them around the corner to the car park and found them in their camper van.
''A guy came in to report a jacket that had been pinched and, after describing it, the person taking the complaint said, 'So, like the one you're wearing'.
''It doesn't get much crazier than that, so some of them are glaringly obvious, others less so.''
Those thinking about lodging a false insurance claim should consider the problems they will have when dealing with insurance companies in the future, he said.
''What may be a somewhat silly action at the age of 18 to 20, or what have you, may cause some grief later on, when they go to insure a house, or something significant. It just isn't worth it.''
Snr Sgt Fookes said cases of expensive skis and snowboards stolen from racks on vehicles were comparatively rare, but theft could happen. Police urged people to leave valuable items locked inside the vehicles or indoors, instead of on vehicles overnight.
Smaller items, including passports, driver's licences, credit cards, wallets and handbags, often went missing. Applying for a replacement while on holiday could cause distress and cost money and time.
Police could file a lost property report and match the owner to an item if missing property was handed in, but they could not provide any form of replacement for lost identification.
''Take care of your items and don't leave them sitting on the bar or the table, because, sooner or later, somebody will be tempted ... keep them on your person, if you can,'' Snr Sgt Fookes said.
Some young travellers used passports as proof of age when buying alcohol. A New Zealand driver's licence and a HANZ (Hospitality Association of New Zealand) 18+ card were legal forms of identification accepted at licensed premises and they were easier to replace if lost.
Residents were caught out by winter driving conditions as much as visitors and police urged caution.
''If it looks like temperatures are low and the road might be slippery or unpredictable, knock the speed back a peg, take it easy when cornering and leave plenty of space between you and the person in front,'' Snr Sgt Fookes said.
''If there's a road that says chains must be fitted, fit the chains.
"It's a nuisance, but it saves a lot of aggravation afterwards and if you don't fit them when directed by an enforcement officer, you can wind up getting an infringement notice, and we don't want to go through that, if we don't have to.''
People driving down ski area access roads were advised to use their engine as the brake when possible, instead of riding and wearing out the brake pads on the way down.
Drink-driving is a year-round menace on Wakatipu roads, despite warnings by the authorities and tough penalties in the courts. Highway patrols and breath-alcohol testing units operate in the area.
''We don't want to be the fun police, but keep your wits about you if you are out on the town and drinking alcohol and look out for your mates,'' Snr Sgt Fookes said.
''We get plenty of people through the cells throughout the winter because they can't control themselves on the grog, and anything we can do to reduce that is a good thing.
''It starts with looking after the people who are around you, if you can.''
Police in Queenstown will continue their crackdown on motorists who speed past school buses stopped to pick up or set down pupils. Overseas drivers might not be aware of the law, but significant financial penalties go up incrementally, according to the speed, he said.
''It's 20kmh both ways past a school bus. Slow down - makes them safe and saves you a whole lot of money in tickets. We'd rather not be writing tickets and watching people comply.''
Lives have been lost when skiers and boarders choose to go beyond the barriers of designated ski areas into unpatrolled and unpredictable back country.
Snr Sergeant Fookes said enthusiasts on ski areas should observe safety signs on-piste.
''We've had fatalities, and accidents which could have easily been fatalities, where people have strayed off the commercial field and unwittingly into avalanche terrain,'' he said.
