Players to help carry international message

Six of the Vodafone Warriors will assist Auckland City Police to hand out white ribbons and anti-violence messages to members of the public at three different locations between 3.15 and 5pm tomorrow, international White Ribbon Day.

Michael Luck and Jerome Ropati will assist Western Area Family Violence Co-ordinator Sergeant Garry Ball at Westfield St Lukes shopping centre.

Aaron Heremaia and Steve Price will assist Auckland City District Family Violence Co-ordinator Senior Sergeant Vaughn Graham and Constable Tony Tatupu in Vulcan Lane.

The district's Onehunga-based Family Safety Team will be accompanied by players Manu Vatuvei and Sam Rapira at the Onehunga Community Centre.

Police staff throughout the district will wear the white ribbon brooches all week and will participate in several planned events to mark the occasion and to acknowledge the work Police and other agencies carry out every day in an effort to curb the incidence of family violence.

Wednesday, November 25 also provides a small opportunity for Police staff to distribute positive anti-violence messages and to invite the community to embrace the message - that violence against women should not be tolerated.

Of the 73,000 family violence occurrences reported to Police annually, about 5,000 of them occur in the Auckland City District.

ENDS