Thirteen people have been arrested following a high visibility police saturation operation across the Coast.
Operation Overwatch was set up by Tuggerah Lakes Police District to ensure community safety following incidents of serious crime at the northern end of the Coast.
The operation was aimed to prevent and disrupt serious violent crime through identifying and targeting recidivist offenders, while also conducting compliance checks for several police and court appointed orders including bail orders, AVO checks, firearms and weapons prohibition orders and intensive corrections orders.
Officers attached to Tuggerah Lakes Police District, with assistance from the Northern Region Domestic Violence High Risk Offender Team, Northern Region High Visibility Policing Unit, Northern Region Operational Support Group (Operation Utah) and Traffic and Highway Patrol, deployed across the north between 3pm and 9pm on Tuesday, December 15, to carry out the operation.
Officers conducted a high visibility injection into two sectors: The Entrance, Long Jetty, Bateau Bay and Killarney Vale; and Lake Haven, Gorokan, Charmhaven and Kanwal.
Mobile breath testing was conducted throughout each sector, while officers simultaneously conducted compliance checks at dozens of addresses across the two sectors.
In addition, mobile general duties officers conducted pushbike patrols of highly-populated areas.
As a result of Operation Overwatch: One Weapons and Firearms Prohibition Order was conducted in San Remo; 29 person searches were conducted; 13 ADVO compliance checks were conducted; 33 bail compliance checks were conducted; 13 people were arrested for offences including outstanding warrants, goods in custody, assault, custody of knife in public place and breach of AVO, with numerous other warrant enquiries made; 217 RBT’s were undertaken, with four positive roadside drug tests and three persons charged with PCA; 75 vehicle stops were conducted, resulting in six vehicle searches and two defects identified; Eight traffic infringement notices were issued; 14 licensed premises inspections were conducted; One person was issued with a move on direction; and one person was charged for possessing a prohibited drug.
Community engagements were also conducted in Lake Haven, San Remo, The Entrance and Bateau Bay, with police speaking to residents about their community concerns.
Officers also visited the Berkeley Vale Christmas Lights display, which was greatly appreciated by the children in the area.
Tuggerah Lakes Police District Commander, Superintendent John Gralton, said Operation Overwatch was a two-pronged strategy targeting offenders while helping to boost community confidence.
“Operation Overwatch was just as much about engaging recidivist offenders in our neighbourhoods as it was about engaging with members of the public in a highly visible way.
“We want to assure the community that their safety is our top concern in their homes, in their streets, in their workplaces, and in their shopping destinations.
“We want the residents of the Tuggerah Lakes area to see their police out on the streets in numbers, targeting those who want to break the law and disrupt the peace.
“We will not stand for it, we will arrest these offenders and we will bring them before the courts,” Spt Gralton said.
Tuggerah Lakes Police District will continue to roll out ongoing high visibility operations on a regular basis.
Dilon Luke