Eight people have been charged following a high-visibility operation across the Hunter this week.
Operation Northern Engage is a proactive operation aimed to target repeat offenders and increasing crime trends across the southern zone of the Northern Region.
The operation was conducted in Cessnock and Singleton on Wednesday 6 May between 3pm and 11pm, then across Lake Macquarie yesterday (Thursday 7 May 2020) between 3pm and 11pm.
Officers from the respective police districts (Hunter Valley and Lake Macquarie) were supported by 25 officers from the Northern Region – including the High-Risk Domestic Violence Offender Team, the High-Visibility Police Unit, the Police Dog Unit, the Hunter Region Enforcement Squad, Operation Utah officers and operational staff.
Some of the arrests as part of the two-night operation included:
- A 28-year-old unlicensed woman was subjected to a roadside drug test which returned a positive result. She was taken to Cessnock Police Station to conduct a secondary test.
- A 17-year-old girl and 20-year-old man were stopped by police in Speers Point where police allegedly located methylamphetamine inside their vehicle. It's further alleged the teenage girl was unlicensed. The man was issued an infringement notice for driving offences while the teenage girl was issued with a youth caution.
- A 33-year-old man was arrested in relation to contravene AVO, assault (DV) and drive vehicle whilst disqualified. He will face Cessnock Court next month.
- A 29-year-old man was charged with supply and possess prohibited drug. He will face Maitland Local Court in July
- A 17-year-old man was found in possession of an amount of cannabis, MDMA and a knife in Heddon Greta. He will be dealt with under the Young Offenders Act.
Northern Region Operations Manager, Detective Superintendent Wayne Humphrey APM, said high-visibility policing continues to remind the community we are on the streets to protect them.
"Policing has certainly looked different in the past few months, but officers across the Hunter have continued their daily duties – targeting repeat offenders and keeping crime rates down.
"This operation is just another example of how we can continue to utilise our resources in innovative and productive ways," Det Supt Humphrey said.
Similar operations will continue to be rolled out across the Northern region.
