Chisholm loser stung doing 158kmph

An 18-year-old Chisholm man was caught doing nearly double the speed limit during Operation Unite, a blitz by police, on the weekend.

About 11.45pm on Friday (December 13) police were conducting laser speed checks on Adelaide Avenue, near Curtin, when they recorded a car going 158km/h within the posted 80km/h speed limit. The 18-year-old male driver, who had two passengers in the car including a 15-year-old girl, will be summonsed to attend the ACT Magistrates Court at a later date.

Chief Police Officer for the ACT, Rudi Lammers, said that despite the heavy police presence over the weekend, some people still decided to break the law.

“Not only did this driver put his passenger and himself at risk, but also other road users were put at risk due to his driving behaviour. ACT Policing also caught 17 people for drink-driving and five drivers returned positive indications for drugs in their system, obviously unconcerned that their behaviour could have serious consequences,” said Chief Police Officer Lammers.

“While it was a relatively low weekend for incidents, 13 people were arrested for various offences and officers responded to nine reports of assault. Out of 138 inspections of licensed premises, 13 were found to have breaches.”

Members of ACT Policing were deployed through the different entertainment areas of Canberra, not just in the CBD.

“There were two incidents of concern for me on Friday night; one where a man was found to be carrying a knife. Police were quickly made aware of this concealed weapon by a member of the public and removed the knife.

“The second incident involved a man who appeared to be heavily intoxicated, behaving in an anti-social and disorderly manner towards members of the public near the Jolimont Centre. Police responded and when the man was taken into custody, he spat on the officers. This behaviour toward police is completely unacceptable.”

Police issued 15 Traffic Infringement Notices and four cautions for traffic offences during the weekend and three vehicles were issued with defect notices. Over 1500 drivers were breath-tested over the two nights.

“While this is an Australia-wide operation specifically targeting alcohol-related violence, Operation Unite is not just about one weekend in a year; this is about highlighting ongoing action undertaken by ACT Policing every weekend,” he said.

Last week ACT Policing launched its Safe Summer campaign, which encourages people to take a prudent approach to alcohol consumption, to avoid the possibility of committing a crime, or becoming a victim of crime. The Regional Targeting Team, in partnership with liquor licensing inspectors, will maintain its high visibility presence around Canberra’s entertainment precincts right through the summer months.

ANZPAA (Australia & New Zealand) Outcomes for Operation Unite 2013

Reported December 2013
Arrests/reports 2634
Assaults 266
Licensing breaches 947
Breathalyser Offences 810

[Courtesy ACT Policing]