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NSW: Police officer injured by
thrown rock SYDNEY, July 15 AAP - A police dog squad officer has been struck on the head by a rock thrown when investigating reports of a large crowd gathering in bushland in Sydney's north. Police said officers went to Foxglove Oval in Mount Colah about 8pm (AEST) yesterday after receiving reports of a large gathering, but the crowd dispersed when police arrived. Called back half an hour later, the officers found the crowd had returned and increased, and a bonfire had been lit. A large number of people fled into nearby bushland and the fire was extinguished by Fire Brigades officers. As police were patrolling nearby bushland, a number of people threw rocks at a dog squad officer, wounding him on the forehead. Officers from the Public Order Riot Squad, the Dog Squad and Highway Patrol then arrived at the scene and dispersed the crowd. The wounded officer was treated at the scene by ambulance officers. Police are asking anyone with information about the attack to contact Kuring-Gai Local Area Command on 9476 9799 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. |
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NSW: Security operation underway
for WYD SYDNEY, July 14 AAP - The nerve centre which will coordinate the response to any disaster during World Youth Day (WYD) is up and running. Several hundred personnel will staff the State Emergency Operations Centre in central Sydney throughout the July 15-20 Catholic celebration. NSW Emergency Services Minister Nathan Rees said the centre would coordinate agencies such as the NSW Fire Brigades, police, health services and transport in the event of any major attack or disaster. The centre would also coordinate the response to any major issue that could arise elsewhere in the state during the event, he said. "This set-up has been tried and tested through events such as the Olympics and through APEC and the equine influenza outbreak," he told reporters. "For those pilgrims that have come to Sydney ... you're in the safest of hands." NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Dave Owens said the centre would monitor thousands of sites across Sydney using a network of closed circuit television cameras. "We have the ability, basically, if it's not a fixed camera we can see it from above (using) the helicopter or we can put our own cameras in to cover the whole of Sydney," he said. He said leave had been cancelled for all police throughout the event, which meant all officers were on deck. |
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NSW: Two armed service station
robbers charged after police chase
SYDNEY, July 13 AAP - Two men have been arrested and charged
after a police car chase following an armed robbery at a Sydney
service station, police say.The pair used a gun to hold up the service station in Unwins Bridge Road, St Peters, about 1.30am (AEST) today, escaping with cash and cigarettes in a stolen silver Peugeot sedan, police say. Police spotted the car in Redfern and gave chase, following it into the Newtown area where the car was abandoned in George Street by the two, who fled on foot. One of the men allegedly pointed a firearm at the police prompting the officers to fire two rounds, but nobody was hurt in the exchange. The pair were arrested shortly afterwards at a park in George Street. A 24-year-old man faces five charges including using an offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention, carrying a firearm in a manner likely to injure a person and robbery while armed with a dangerous weapon. A 23-year-old man faces six charges including possessing an unauthorised firearm, robbery while armed with a dangerous weapon and driving while disqualified. Both men have been refused bail to appear at Newtown Local Court tomorrow. |
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FED: Police officer to bury mother,
kids in Cowra tomorrow By Julian Drape CANBERRA, July 10 AAP - A NSW police officer will bury her mother and two young children in Cowra tomorrow, nearly a fortnight after the three were allegedly murdered by her father. Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione will join hundreds of other mourners at St Raphael's Church in the state's central west to farewell the 31-year-old's mother, 52, son, seven, and daughter, five. The officer, who can't be named for legal reasons, discovered the bodies of her family at her parents' weatherboard home on June 30. She was herself allegedly attacked by her axe-wielding father, 69, who then fled Cowra before being arrested in Hay, 400km away, later that night. The 31-year-old required surgery on her fractured skull. Her father is being held at Junee Correctional Centre on three murder charges and one of attempted murder. The funeral service will be conducted by the Reverend Father Owen Gibbons at 1pm (AEST) with the three to be buried at Cowra cemetery. The two children both attended St Raphael's Central School, which sits on the same block as the Catholic Church. School principal Michael Gallagher has described them as delightful country kids. "They were delightful children who were just lovely, country kids, enjoying life," Mr Gallagher said the day after they were killed. Although the autopsy results haven't been made public, it has been reported the children weren't attacked with an axe as was initially thought. Cowra mayor Bruce Miller says it won't just be family and friends at the church tomorrow. He said the wider Cowra community had been "greatly affected" and would turn up to support the officer. "There was a sense of disbelief and then deep sadness and that's still there," Mr Miller said. "I expect a large turnout from the Cowra community and of course (the mother's) police colleagues." The healing process had already begun in the 10,000 strong town but tomorrow's burials would be another step on that long journey, the mayor said. A support fund for the family set up by the NSW Police Association has so far raised $28,000 in donations. |
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NSW: Teens
arrested after police target underage dance party SYDNEY, July 10 AAP - Several teenagers have been arrested at a dance party at Sydney's Darling Harbour after two attacked a police officer and others were caught taking drugs and drinking while under the legal age, police say. The overnight police operation targeted an dance party at Cockle Bay being held during school holidays, as well as the Hay and George Street areas in Sydney's CBD. Two boys, aged 16 and 17, have been charged with assaulting a police officer after an unprovoked attack on a plain clothes officer who was taking part in a drug dog operation. They have been released on conditional bail. A 15-year-old boy has been charged with possessing a prohibited drug and a 17-year-old boy with deemed supply of a prohibited drug after the pair were apprehended during the operation at the dance party. All four youths are expected to appear in Bidura Children's Court on July 29. Two girls aged 14 and 15 were taken by ambulance to Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick after being found highly intoxicated by police, and a 15-year-old had to be taken home by police after he was deemed to be drunk. A 17-year-old girl was taken to St Vincent's Hospital after a suspected overdose of the drug Gamma hydroxybutrate, also known as GHB. All eight youths were stopped by police prior to entering the dance party. In a separate incident, a 17-year-old boy will appear in court after being charged with five offences, including custody of a knife, assault, resisting arrest and offensive behaviour. |
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NSW: Eleven to
face 124 charges over drugs racket SYDNEY, July 9 AAP - Eleven people will face 124 charges over a multi-million dollar drug distribution ring north of Sydney, police say. Police from Strike Force Nellinda raided seven premises in the Cessnock area and one in the Lake Macquarie area at 7am (AEST) today over the drugs racket, police said. A small amount of drugs was seized and police arrested six men and five women aged between 20 and 62, who are all currently assisting police with inquiries. They are expected to face multiple charges, including supplying a prohibited drug, ongoing supply of a prohibited drug, possessing a prohibited drug and participating in a criminal group. They were expected to face Cessnock and Belmont Local Courts later today, a police statement said. In May, police said, Strike Force Nellinda smashed a drug syndicate operating in Sydney and Lake Macquarie, seizing a $2 million haul of ecstasy, ice, cocaine, heroin and cannabis. Six people were charged over the raids which also uncovered explosives, jewellery and precious stones worth many thousands of dollars, plus almost $50,000 in cash. |
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NSW: Police bust Sydney-wide
cocaine distribution racket SYDNEY, July 9 AAP - Five men have been charged and more than $250,000 worth of drugs have been seized after police busted a cocaine supply racket operating across Sydney, police say. Officers raided a hotel room in Pyrmont yesterday and arrested two men before seizing a large amount of cocaine and cash. A 43-year-old Georges Hall man and a 30-year-old Bass Hill man were charged with the large commercial supply of a prohibited drug. They have been refused bail to appear in Central Local Court today. Seven simultaneous search warrants were also executed at Randwick, Georges Hall, Bass Hill, Punchbowl and West Hoxton Park where large amounts of cash, cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy were seized. A 36-year-old Georges Hall man charged with large commercial supply of a prohibited drug has been bail refused to appear at Bankstown Local Court today. A 40-year-old West Hoxton Park man was charged with supply and possess prohibited drug and will face court at a later date. A 39-year-old man arrested at Randwick was issued a court attendance notice for drug offences and goods in custody. Strike Force Thew, which executed the raids, was established in April to investigate the alleged high-level supply of cocaine and methylamphetamine in the Sydney, Bankstown and Newtown areas. In addition to a further 350 grams seized earlier in investigations, a total of about a quarter of a million dollars in drugs have been seized, police said. Acting Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch applauded the cocaine haul as a significant warning to other drug distributors that police were hot on their tail. "My congratulations go out to the officers involved in Strike Force Thew for disrupting an active drug distribution racket," he said in a statement. "This is yet another great example of the NSW Police Force's tough stance on drugs and goes a long way to strengthen our warning to those dealing in illegal drugs that we will detect you." |
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NSW: New police boat to lead
Pope into Sydney Harbour SYDNEY, July 8 AAP - The largest police ship in the southern hemisphere has been launched with a splash ahead of its maiden voyage at World Youth Day in Sydney. The Nemesis' first official duty will be to lead Pope Benedict XVI's "boat-a-cade" procession on July 17 on Sydney Harbour, but will be on standby if needed until then. Two years in the building and costing $11 million, the Nemesis can operate in stormy conditions, reaching top speeds of 27.5 knots over 1,300 nautical miles. Police Minister David Campbell's wife, Edna, christened the 32-metre vessel in Sydney today, splashing it with champagne after the bottle failed to smash against its bow. Mr Campbell said the vessel was capable of patrolling the NSW coast for extended periods and was able to stay at sea for up to 10 days. "It is the Nemesis by name and it will be the nemesis by nature," he said. "With such a large coastline it is vital that the NSW Police Force remains vigilant to the threat of sea-based organised crime and terrorist threats. "Those that want to engage in this sort of criminal activity through smuggling illegal drugs, weapons and other contraband should think again." NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said Nemesis was a major boost to policing in NSW. "It's a vessel that we will be expecting to use heavily in terms of crime intervention, patrolling our coast, search and rescue, and assisting with joint operational engagements with a range of different agencies," he said. |
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NSW: Police survey no
surprise, minister says SYDNEY, July 7 AAP - Most employees don't like their boss and want more money, NSW Police Minister David Campbell says, defending himself against a survey that criticises his performance. An overwhelming 98 per cent of police officers polled said their jobs were fraught with red tape and 92 per cent believed there are too few officers to maintain proactive patrols. The survey, conducted by News Ltd, and scrutinised by polling company Galaxy Research, questioned nearly ten per cent of the 15,236 police officers working in NSW. Mr Campbell said today he was not surprised by the results, as they came just before the government was due to negotiate a new collective employment agreement with the union. "It's not surprising that we would see this type of survey and these type of results," he told reporters in Sydney. The survey also found 79 per cent of police officers are satisfied with their decision to join the police force, but 75 per cent would consider working as a police officer in another state if offered better pay and conditions. "Most employees would say, `I don't like my employer and yes, he should give me more money,'" Mr Campbell said. "So the results aren't particularly that surprising from that point of view." When asked about Mr Campbell's performance as police minister, 65 per cent gave him an average or below rating, and 21 per cent rated his performance as poor. Mr Campbell brushed aside the results and said he had no intention of stepping down if further surveys produced higher disapproval ratings. "The issue here is not about the police minister," he said. "I don't have any intention of stepping aside from this role." The current enterprise agreement was due to expire in June 2009 and 750 additional police officers would be added to the force over the next three years, Mr Campbell said. He also said NSW police would receive a two per cent pay increase this month, and another two per cent in January, making them the highest paid police officers in Australia. |
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NSW: Police
threaten to resign over pay, red tape SYDNEY, July 7 AAP - A poll has found that the NSW police force is in crisis, with many officers threatening to leave, blaming poor pay, red tape, mismanagement and an interfering state government. The poll of serving police by The Daily Telegraph newspaper has found that one in four officers expect to leave the force within the next five years. The paper says 77 per cent of almost 1,500 police polled say they will reconsider their positions as officers if the government caps wage increases at 2.5 per cent - well below the inflation rate. Three-quarters of the more than 15,000-strong force also say they would consider moving interstate to work if offered better pay and conditions. The paper says the poll has painted a devastating portrait of a force that believes it is no longer held in high public esteem and is being overwhelmed by paperwork and a lack of support from judges and the government. Many of the police surveyed said they could not afford to raise a family on an officer's wage and were considering applying for country postings or quitting to find higher-paying jobs. The poll also found that: * 65 per cent of police say Police Minister David Campbell has done an average to below average job, with just five per cent rating his efforts as above average. * An overwhelming 98 per cent say red tape is getting in the way of their efforts to protect the community. * 94 per cent say policing is more dangerous than at any previous time. * 92 per cent believe there are not enough operational police to maintain "proactive" policing patrols, including in the City of Sydney. The Telegraph says the poll results indicate the police union is on a collision course with the government, which has capped pay rises for public service workers at 2.5 per cent and insisted any increase above the cap be covered by employee-related savings. |
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This
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