New high-visibility policing unit targeting crime hot spots, drug supply

Disrupting and preventing crime and anti-social behaviour is the focus of a new specialist police unit based in the Illawarra region.

New high-visibility policing unit targeting crime hot spots, drug supply in the Southern Region.

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A new specialist police unit has already clocked some major successes in the Illawarra, after it launched earlier this year to disrupt and prevent crime and anti-social behaviour across the region.

In January 2019, the NSW Government announced 100 new high-visibility officers to be stationed across the state. As part of this commitment, the Southern High-Visibility Police (HVP) Unit was been formed to prevent, disrupt and respond to crime through high-visibility patrols of crime hot spots, roads, transport networks, local neighbourhoods and planned events.

The rollout commenced in January 2020, with six officers posted to the Illawarra to service the eight police districts including Lake Illawarra, Monaro, South Coast and the Hume.

The Southern HVP Unit proactively engages with individuals, groups and communities at risk of crime, in an effort to build intelligence-driven data and target anti-social behaviour.

So far the squad has been involved in major drug bust at Calderwood, where more than $7 million worth of cannabis was allegedly seized from several greenhouses.

Police from the Southern Region's High-Visibility Police Unit assisting with operations at Port Kembla while the Ruby Princess was docked at the location. Picture: NSW Police.

Southern Region Commander, Assistant Commissioner Joe Cassar APM said that while the unit is based within the Lake Illawarra area, they are available to be deployed across the region at short notice.

“The Southern HVP Unit has the ability to be deployed wherever the demand is,” he said.

Earlier this year, the unit was deployed to the South Coast as part of the police bushfire response, and more recently they have been tasked with dedicated patrols of the Port Kembla Harbour as part of the state’s COVID-19 response.

“These deployments are on top of the work the unit does in proactively engaging with the community and assisting with strike force activity targeting drug supply,” Assistant Commissioner Cassar said.

“In the past six months the unit has assisted with dismantling drug syndicates in Wagga Wagga, Queanbeyan, Cootamundra, Young and the Illawarra … and has dramatically improved our ability to respond to emerging crime threats.”