Operation Unite sees decrease in drunken violence

There has been a drop in instances of drunken violence during the second ‘Operation Unite’ – a police crackdown on alcohol-related crime.

The state-wide initiative took place last weekend and saw a decrease in arrests from the same operation in September.

There were 723 arrests over the two-day period and 1314 charges laid for offences relating to alcohol-fuelled crime and anti-social behaviour as compared to 737 for September’s operation.

The decrease was mainly on the first day when police arrested 375 people for alcohol related crimes as opposed to 442 for day one of the September operation.

Over two-thousand additional police were rostered on across NSW for the weekend with general duties police being joined by officers from other units including the Public Order and Riot Squad, Dog Squad, Air Wing, and Mounted Police.

Police targeted by drunken hoons

Despite the decrease Deputy Commissioner Dave Owens said he was disgusted with the level of violence during the operation, particularly violence towards police.

Police charged 81 individuals with assault with 24 charges being laid for assault on police officers and 44 charges for resisting arrest.

One officer was left hospitalised with a torn bicep while others were thrown to the ground, kicked and grabbed around the throat in multiple incidents.

“Police officers put their lives on the line every day to protect the people of NSW yet drunken idiots think they can use them as their personal punching bags,” Mr Owens said.

“This is abhorrent behaviour and will not be tolerated in any form. Anyone who assaults or attempts to assault a police officer will be arrested and put before the courts.”

There were multiple incidents of glassings and police have charged a man for an assault on Bayswater Road in Kings Cross which has left a 33-year-old man in hospital in a serious condition after suffering head injuries.

Mr Owens said he was surprised at the high number of incidents and arrests especially given the advance warning given to the public about the operation.

“This is proof that we’re fighting a war against alcohol-related stupidity and it’s one police won’t be backing down from,” he said.

Reduction in alcohol-related injuries

Despite the incidents trauma surgeons nationwide reported a decrease in the number of patients with alcohol-related injuries during the operation.

Dr John Crozier, Deputy Chair of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Trauma Committee, said there has been a clear reduction in alcohol-related injuries across metropolitan and major regional areas nationwide.

By Simon Black