Twenty-eight charges have been laid during a high-visibility road safety enforcement campaign conducted across the south west over the weekend.
Operation Chrome was enforced across the South West Metropolitan Region and regional areas between Friday (27 November 2020) and Saturday (28 November 2020), targeting criminal activity and poor driver behaviour on roads.
Utilising the South West Traffic and Highway Patrol Command and local police, the operation focused on anti-social behaviour, as well as speeding, drink and drug-driving, not wearing seatbelts, using a mobile phone behind the wheel and fatigue.
During the operation, police conducted 551 random breath tests and charged six people with drink driving.
Police conducted 144 random drug tests, with 12 people returning a positive indication for the presence of a prohibited drug. Eight people were charged after allegedly being found in possession of prohibited drugs.
28 charges were laid in total, and an additional 232 Traffic Infringement Notices issued for a range of offences including burnouts, distraction devices and seatbelts.
Acting Superintendent Robert Toynton from the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command said Operation Chrome continues to strengthen police visibility and road safety awareness
"We are making state-wide preparations to be on the road in numbers over the Summer months, and Operation Chrome is one of many traffic enforcement operations being conducted," A/Supt Toynton said.
"People continue to ignore our warnings and get behind the wheel when affected by alcohol and drugs, or engage in criminal behaviour, and police will not tolerate it. These types of high-visibility strategies will continue to prevent and disrupt criminal behaviour before it happens."
Of note;
Just before 12.30am on Saturday (28 November 2020), officers from Liverpool Traffic and Highway Patrol were patrolling the Badgerys Creek area when they stopped a Holden Calais on Elizabeth Drive. The driver, a 67-year-old man, returned negative results for roadside breath tests and positive results for roadside drug tests. During a subsequent search, officers allegedly located the drug 'ice' in the man's sock and a box concealed under the driver's seat allegedly containing 12.53g of 'ice'. The driver was arrested and taken to Liverpool Police Station where he was charged with supply prohibited drug. The Wellington man is due to appear at Liverpool Local Court on Wednesday 13 January 2021. Police are awaiting the results of a secondary drug test.
Just before 7pm on Saturday (28 November 2020), officers from Riverina Traffic and Highway Patrol stopped a Holden Commodore on Byrnes Road, between Wagga Wagga and Junee. The driver, a 17-year-old man, was spoken to and during a subsequent search, officers allegedly located the drug 'MDMA' in his wallet and 5.42g MDMA in the vehicle. The driver was arrested and taken to Wagga Wagga Police Station where he was charged supply prohibited drug -indictable and possess prohibited drug. He is due to appear at a children's court on Tuesday 2 February 2021.
