Hunter, Central Coast lockdown: Police issue 169 PINs for public health order breaches in two days
The northern region’s top cop has warned compliance will continue to be ramped up as 169 people were issued PINs in the first two days of lockdown across the Hunter and Central Coast
Newcastle
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Police have handed out an average of three fines an hour for breaching lockdown as they tightly enforce the public health orders across the Hunter and Central Coast.
The Newcastle City police district (38) saw the most infringements during the first two days of the Hunter lockdown, although Lake Macquarie (29), Hunter Valley (29) and Brisbane Water (29) were not far behind.
But Northern Region police commander Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna, who is also the region’s emergency operations controller, believes the vast majority of residents were complying with restrictions, which will continue in the Hunter until at least Thursday.
“Regardless of the rules, there are still people who will go out with ill-intent, such as the criminal element of society, and we are finding that with less people around they are more readily detected because we are very vigilant on who is out and about,’’ Assistant Commissioner McKenna said.
An example of large groups being hit with fines as well as criminal charges was the discovery of seven people allegedly trespassing on a “business” on George Booth Drive at Seahampton about 7.30pm on Saturday.
A lock had allegedly been cut and officers discovered the group on the private property.
“The vast majority of our local community are doing exactly what they should be – staying home and helping to stop this outbreak in its tracks,” Assistant Commissioner McKenna said.
“All of our police cars are Covid-compliance units, every officer will be ensuring the Public Health Orders are being followed, all police will be following up with businesses and individuals checking that QR codes are being used.
“We are not slowing down in any way, we are only going to continue ramping up our operations not just in our affected police districts, but across all of Northern NSW and the rest of the state.
“It only takes one person doing the wrong thing to spread the virus, and the Delta variant poses a significant risk to our most vulnerable communities.
“Continue letting us know if people are doing the wrong thing, we will follow up ever report from Crime Stoppers.”
Highway patrol officers patrolling testing sites at Morisset on Friday stopped a car that was allegedly being driven at high speed.
Police allege the male driver produced false documents saying he was from Victoria.
Checks allegedly found he was disqualified from driving in South Australia and had been in Sydney.
It was his third alleged breach of the Public Health Order in eight days.
The 29-year-old was arrested and charged with not comply with noticed direction, drive whilst disqualified, state false particulars, unlawfully possess Australian driver’s license and exceed speed. He was bail refused to face Newcastle Local Court today.
FRIDAY (until 12.01am Sat 7/8)
PORT STEPHENS-HUNTER – 2
HUNTER VALLEY – 20
NEWCASTLE CITY – 11
LAKE MACQUARIE – 3
TUGGERAH LAKES – 14
BRISBANE WATER – 14
SATURDAY (until 12.01am Sun 8/8)
PORT STEPHENS-HUNTER – 19
HUNTER VALLEY – 9
NEWCASTLE CITY – 27
LAKE MACQUARIE – 26
TUGGERAH LAKES – 9
BRISBANE WATER – 15
TOTAL
PORT STEPHENS-HUNTER – 21
HUNTER VALLEY – 29
NEWCASTLE CITY – 38
LAKE MACQUARIE – 29
TUGGERAH LAKES – 23
BRISBANE WATER – 29
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