Wide Bay police charge 249 people in Operation Whiskey Unison

With youth crime leading directly to multiple deaths in parts of the region, and breaking car theft records in others, Operation Whiskey Unison targeted local criminal hotspots in a sweeping campaign.

Wide Bay Police charged 249 people with around 308 offences through Operation Whiskey Unison.

A police operation targeting youth crime has netted nearly 250 alleged offenders across the Wide Bay in the past year.

Operation Whiskey Unison, a high visibility policing operation running since March 2023, focussed on preventing, disrupting, and investigating youth crime through community engagement and patrols at intelligence-driven hotspot locations.

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News on the success of the operation comes amid a concerning start to 2024 in the Wide Bay and Burnett, with car thefts exceeding record levels in Bundaberg and break-ins increasing in most parts of the region.

In Hervey Bay, a 17-year-old was charged over the break-in of popular venue Cafe Balaena and a 15-year-old will be dealt with under a restorative justice process.

A 13-year-old is expected to be sentenced in Children’s Court in Brisbane for causing a horrific car crash in Maryborough in April 2023, that killed Michale Chandler, Kelsie Davies and Sheree Robertson.

In Bundaberg, truck rental business owner, Warren West, said escalating crime was becoming “ridiculous” after thieves did $600,000 worth of damage to his business by stealing a Toyota Prado and torching four other vehicles in February this year.

No charges have been laid yet.

A Queensland Police Service spokesperson said 249 people across the Wide Bay police district had been charged with about 308 offences.

A 13-year-old is expected to be sentenced in Children’s Court in Brisbane for causing a horrific car crash in Maryborough in April 2023, that killed Kelsie Davies, 17, Michale Chandler, 29, and Sheree Robertson, 52.

Statewide, Operation Whiskey Unison resulted in 11,023 people being arrested on 17,791 charges including drug, weapons, traffic, property crime and bail offences.

Of the people arrested, 4149 of them were juveniles on 7551 charges.

There have been 3246 proactive activities in the Wide Bay district and 160,406 proactive activities completed by police and police liaison officers across the state including hotspot patrols, shopping centre and business walkthroughs, bail compliance checks, community engagements and service station drop-ins.

Targeted youth crime locations can vary across the state but include shopping centres, business, retail and restaurant precincts, service stations and other public spaces, as well as residential areas.

The boots-on-the-ground style of the operation also allows more opportunities to conduct bail checks and engage with young people.

Patrols involve a dedicated police presence using marked vehicles, mobile police beats and foot patrols in known hotspot areas, with assets such as mounted unit and highway patrols also used.

Wide Bay Police charged 249 people with around 308 offences through Operation Whiskey Unison.

Youth crime acting assistant commissioner Andrew Massingham said the extra boots on the ground were integral to supporting officers across the state over the past year.

“Our officers work tirelessly to deter youth crime and we are taking steps in the right direction, but we know this is just the beginning of what will be a long road of persistent efforts,” he said.

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“Everyone from our police liaison officers who engage our multicultural and First Nations’ communities, to general duties patrolling shopping centres and known crime hotspots, and our district crime prevention teams working hard to assist victims of crime – our frontline does a wonderful job and the result we’ve seen from Whiskey Unison is testament to this.

“We know high visibility is an important deterrent and it all counts towards ensuring the community feels safe.”