Fed-up locals use Crime Stoppers number to report Sydney lockdown escapees

Police said residents had not hesitated to report people from Greater Sydney who were meant to be in lockdown, but breached public health orders and went on holidays anyway.

Local residents have been using Crime Stoppers to dob in people flouting public health orders.

Police have vowed to crack down on Greater Sydney residents who flout public health orders and travel outside their area for the school holidays.

It comes as NSW recorded another 30 positive Covid cases in the past 24 hours.

At a press conference on Sunday, NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said people would be fined if they left the region during the two-week lockdown period.

“No matter how (much) people think they … need to go on holidays, the public health orders are quite clear,” he said.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys says people will be fined if they breach public health orders.

“Traffic and highway patrol, our police districts and police area commands are abundantly aware of where people gather at these times of year leading up to school holidays.

“They’ll be using the mobile technology to run checks on people, their vehicles and see where inquiries need to be made in caravan parks and places where people congregate.
“What is also noticeable is that over the last 24 hours is that people in those communities are quite willing to dob in those people that have turned up when they shouldn’t have.

“So that Crime Stoppers number, 1800 333 000, has already been used to alert police to make inquiries in relation to people who shouldn’t be in their communities.”

Local police are ramping up patrols at caravan parks and tourist areas.

Locally, Tweed-Byron Police Acting Inspector Christopher Neaves said their officers, along with highway patrol, were conducting high visibility patrols of the shire, particularly holiday parks, accommodation and tourists areas to ensure people were complying with public health orders.

“Police are checking with accommodation providers and checking vehicle registrations for persons from Sydney hotspot LGA locations,” he said.

“If detected in our region on holiday, those persons will be issued $1000 penalty infringement notices for breaching public health order direction.”