Partners on Covid-19 patrol as ADF allies with police

NSW police and ADF personnel have begun joint quarantine compliance checks across Greater Sydney, with only two breaches detected over the past week.

An ADF-police compliance check in Edensor Park, Sydney. Picture: Liam Mendes

NSW police and Australian Defence Force personnel have begun joint quarantine compliance checks across Greater Sydney, with only two breaches detected out of more than 4000 checks undertaken over the past week.

Up to 300 ADF members are expected to be taking part in the joint operation by the end of the week, with more than 1000 extra shifts worked by police.

On Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said the door-knocking strategy was an integral part of the police strategy for dealing with the pandemic.

“It sends a clear message that if people go outside the public health orders, if they don’t stay home when they’re directed to stay home, at some point police will come to your premises, will seek to make sure you’re home and if not, we will take action,” Commissioner Worboys said.

Some 4272 compliance checks have been conducted since July 28.

Commissioner Worboys said the joint pat­rols had not been met by any animosity as they conducted com­pliance and welfare checks in Sydney’s western and southwestern suburbs.

The partnership began on Monday with police and ADF members conducting welfare checks and food drops and assisting at vaccination stations.

Australian Defence Force 2nd Division Deputy Commander Mick Garraway said: “I want to say up front that we’re not a law enforcement agency and that’s not what we’ll be doing.

“The tasks we’ve got under way today, for example, are delivering food, assisting people with setting up vaccination stations and those sorts of tasks.

“I also expect we’ll be engaging once again with the Department of Health contact tracing.”

The Australian was present on Tuesday as a corporal from the Royal Australian Air Force and senior constable from the Highway Patrol division of NSW police conducted compliance and welfare checks in Sydney’s west.

Although police refused to give details of the operation, it seemed the procedure was for the pair to arrive at a house where residents were isolating and contact them by phone rather than walk to the front door.

One house visited in Edensor Park was occupied by a family of four who had been in quarantine since Friday after recording a positive test.

The police officer spoke with the residents over the phone, checking whether they needed any grocery supplies and whether they had been in contact with NSW Health. The officer also inquired how the household was coping in the early stages of its mandatory two-week stint in at home quarantine.