Hamburgers, hash browns and meat pies – what police see you doing behind the wheel

Summer is here and for the Gold Coast that means tourists and traffic – lots of traffic. Police allowed the Bulletin behind the scenes of the plan for everyone to “arrive alive” this Christmas. This is what we saw.

A man sits on the side of a garden bed with ripped pants, his mate standing close by near a silver Commodore.

Watching them closely are two police officers kitted out in high vis.

An officer begins removing plates from the Commodore while another two complete paperwork at the back of the police car.

It’s 8am on Tuesday, at Jabiru Island in Paradise Point.

Most of the city is just getting up to go to work but these officers from the Gold Coast Highway Patrol have been conducting checks for almost two hours now.

Police conducting traffic stops as a part of ‘Operation Oculus’ on Oxley Drive, Paradise Point. An alleged Finks bikie walks away after receiving a fine. Picture Glenn Hampson

These two men were originally pulled over when one was spotted not wearing a seatbelt.

What was allegedly found was some bikie gang related t-shirts and the driver tested positive for drugs.

The police finish the paperwork, place some police stickers on the car, and send the man sitting down on his way.

His friend, the driver, is placed in the back of one of the police cars before it leaves.

Without missing a beat the officers return to their traffic work.

They decide to move, their current position on the road does not give them enough visibility of oncoming traffic so the officers move further south.

They find a spot on Oxley Drive with plenty of space for drivers to pull over, allowing officers to see the vehicles and for drivers to see police.

The set-up for the three officers is simple.

Police conducting traffic stops as a part of ‘Operation Oculus’ on Oxley Drive, Paradise Point. Picture Glenn Hampson

The red police car and bike park close together and then a bag of fresh breathalyser tubes is placed on the ground.

Next to it is a small black bin where officers will dump a used tube.

The Bulletin was granted permission to observe officers doing traffic stops, to get a behind the scenes look at what officers see drivers doing every day.

This portion of Operation Oculus happened to fall less than 24 hours after two officers were gunned down during the horrific firefight in Wieambilla, near Chinchilla.

It is on everyone’s mind, including the general public, but officers continue their work.

They are doing breath tests, looking for drivers not wearing seat belts or distracted by mobile phones or eating.

It is a part of their regular operations, but also something they try and do each December.

With tourists flocking to the Gold Coast, the roads are busier than normal and police want to make sure everyone makes it to Christmas safely.

Senior Constable Brock Shayler said: “All we ask is that they pay attention and have a bit of respect for their fellow drivers.

“Arrive alive.

“Because we no longer have Covid restrictions we are going to have a greater influx (of tourists) than in the last three years.

“So patience, respect and consideration is requested.”

Police just want people to arrive at their destinations safely. Picture Glenn Hampson

On Tuesday morning, the three officers work together, one directing three cars at a time to pull over and then each officer will take a car and speak to the driver.

They are also working with a spotter, parked a bit further north, who radios through about people he sees not wearing a seatbelt, using their mobile phones or breaking any other driving rules.

The officers are confident most drivers do not see the spotter.

They work quickly, not trying to take up too much of people’s time.

A tradie in his ute is stopped with a traveller’s meat pie in his hand.

He does not put it down during the entire interaction, not spilling a single bit of the meat.

Another older man is seen eating a hash brown, making him unable to use his indicator as he pulls over.

Senior Constable Brock Shayler points out a woman they were unable to pull over who was eating a hamburger and driving with her knees.

“There’s no consideration for any other road user,” Sen Const Shayler said.

“If I had stepped out, she would have crashed.

“I don’t need to step out … we are well and truly off the road and I nearly got run over anyway because people are too busy focusing on us instead of watching the road in front.”

Moments later, a woman is pulled over without a seatbelt and scrubs her face with both hands, in what appears to be embarrassment, as she talks to police.

Police soon stop a gold sedan – the driver was spotted on his mobile phone while the back seat passenger was not wearing a seatbelt. Both get tickets.

A pedestrian walking past remarks to officers that it is a “bit early to be getting people for Christmas parties”.

“You would be surprised,” Senior Constable Scott Griffin responds.

Police conducting traffic stop on Oxley Drive. Picture Glenn Hampson

After about an hour, a few drivers remark they are getting notification about police on their GPS apps.

“That doesn’t worry us,” Sen Con Shayler said.

“With a bit of luck it deters a lot people from doing the wrong thing.”

It is not just drivers the officers are paying attention to.

They spot a juvenile on an electric scooter, weaving in and out between the cars parked beside traffic.

The officers stop him, concerned someone will not see him and open their door, pushing him into traffic.

Their concerns are explained and the teen is on his way with a warning to stay safe.

“At least he was wearing a helmet,” one of the officers remarks.

The final car they decide to pull up for the day is a woman with children in the back.

She was on her phone, but a registration check reveals her registration was days overdue.

Officers give her the opportunity to pay her registration online while they do the paper work for being on her phone.

Throughout the morning most drivers have been doing the right thing and speak with police briefly, take a breath test and go on their way.

Police conducting traffic stops as a part of ’Operation Oculus’ on Oxley Drive, Paradise Point. Picture Glenn Hampson

Between breaks in cars Senior Constables Shayler and Griffin told the Bulletin they are not the only ones thinking of their fallen colleagues.

They say some of the drivers are apologising and expressing their condolences to them.

“You don’t get time off because you lose a fellow officer,” Sen Const Shayler said later.

“A majority of the public are supportive of what we do.

“Most of the public are apologetic when they are caught doing something.”

Sen Const Shayler said after the operation most were following the rules, something he hoped would continue to happen.

He said police would be continuing traffic operations during the school holidays, in the hope it slowed people down and made sure they did the right thing.

He asked drivers to remember one thing: “We all have somewhere to be and we all want to get there alive.”

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