Bayside Council and police target hooning and car burnouts at Foreshore Drive

A spike in hooning across the Botany region has prompted both council and police to crack down on the anti-social behaviour. Here’s the plan.

Hoons and burnout fanatics are on notice with NSW Police and Bayside Council cracking down on the anti-social behaviour.

Residents have long been fed up with the disruption and safety risks posed by people who engage in hooning and burnouts in Botany, particularly at the Foreshore Drive boat ramp.

This is also the number one issue that Commander of St George Police Area Command, Detective Superintendent Paul Dunstan, has heard from the community.

Commander of St George Police Area Command, Detective Superintendent Paul Dunstan. Picture: Facebook

Police are taking this issue seriously. Picture: NSW Police/Supplied

“Particularly around the Bayside suburbs (and) particularly around Brighton,” he told the Southern Courier.

“If it’s a big issue for the community, it has to be a big issue for the police. It’s a long standing issue and over the years, we have done a lot of work and continue to do a lot of work, but it’s an ongoing issue.”

It comes after Operation Engage was launched on June 22 involving officers from St George, Sutherland, South Sydney and Traffic and Highway Patrol.

For eight hours, police targeted those driving dangerously and anti-social behaviour across the Botany Bay area.

As a result, police arrested and charged 12 people for multiple offences such as driving while unlicensed, driving while suspended and driving while disqualified, and towed 16 vehicles.

The operation ran for 8 hours across June 22 and 23. Picture: NSW Police/Supplied

“We got some good feedback,” Det Supt Dunstan said.

“And daily I walk down Brighton and I’ve been told that (residents) have been grateful for the attendance but it’s one weekend out of fifty-two. There’s an expectation to do more and we will do more.

“The community will see more highly visible police vehicles, particularly around the Brighton area.”

Bayside Council are also taking steps to increase public safety and deter hoons, with a motion passed at a recent council meeting flagged by Labor councillors Scott Morrissey and Christina Curry.

Bayside Labor councillors Scott Morrissey (left) and Christina Curry (right) introduced a motion to increase security around the Foreshore Drive area. Picture: Facebook

This will include additional CCTV cameras in other areas of the Foreshore Drive boat ramp car park, more regular and random police patrols at night, mobile speed cameras and license plate recognition cameras.

“Our intent here is to raise awareness to the authorities who own and manage the area, along with the police, so that there are increased security and surveillance measures; firstly to address the anti-social behaviour and noise but more importantly to avoid a fatality,” Cr Morrissey said.

Police had towed 16 vehicles and charged over ten people for multiple offences. Picture: NSW Police/Supplied

“The issue has always been there with Foreshore Rd being used as a racetrack ever since it opened over 40 years ago. Over the past few years with an increase in the number of car meets throughout Sydney, the boat ramp has become a destination.”

Cr Morrissey said it wasn’t just residents’ safety that was a concern, but the drivers’ safety as well.

“Inexperienced drivers losing control of their vehicles will lead to a fatality,” he said.

“We’ve seen recent fatalities due to a speeding driver losing control along The Grand Parade in August last year, and I also remember personally hearing the noise of the crash at the end of Foreshore Rd where two teenagers tragically lost their lives in March 2017.

“Separately from that, from night to night the noise that travels throughout the area, which is impacting sleep. The community is calling for action.”