23 November 2010

Police Wrap - 23 November 2010

| johnboy
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1. Seeking Applause:

ACT Policing is seeking witnesses to aggravated robbery at a fitness centre in Greenway in which a member of staff was assaulted and a small sum of cash was stolen from the till.

Police were called to the premises in Scollay St, Greenway around 12.18am today (Tuesday, November 23) where a 56-year-old woman was found distressed after having been confronted by two men inside the building.

The woman had heard a disturbance from one area of the premises shortly after midnight and after investigating was confronted by two men, one carrying a knife. One of the men attempted to physically restrain the woman but she escaped to the front door, where she raised the alarm.

A firefighter on duty in the nearby fire station heard the woman’s calls and when he went to investigate, the two offenders fled in a green Daihatsu Applause or similarly sized vehicle, with what appears to be a small lip-type spoiler on the rear and with NSW registration plates.

The first male offender is described as around 20 years old, with a skinny build, and wearing a dark-coloured top and dark pants.

The second offender is described as Caucasian, about 183cm (6’) tall, with a medium build, and was wearing a light-coloured top with short sleeves, and jeans or dark pants.

Police believe that the green-coloured vehicle may have been in the immediate area in the days before the incident and would encourage members of the community to report any such sightings.

Police are seeking witnesses who may have seen any suspicious persons or behaviour around Scollay Street just before midnight or in the early hours of this morning, or may have seen the green vehicle, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers website on www.act.crimestoppers.com.au.

2. Blatant disregard for the law:

Over the past week (15 – 21 November) ACT Policing has apprehended 51 motorists across the ACT for drink driving offences, several of which are repeat drink drivers who continue to show blatant disregard for the law.

Of 51 motorists apprehended last week, seventeen motorists were identified by ACT Policing as repeat drink driving offenders. Of these, one driver has four previous drink-driving convictions. ACT Policing also apprehended drink drivers at all times during the day including a 31 year old male at 8.50 am last Thursday morning and another 31 year old male at 1.47 pm on Friday afternoon.

A 23-year-old Braddon man was apprehended by police for drink driving on 19 November. The man, who is a learner driver, was taken to the City Police Station where he recorded a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.153. The man was unaccompanied at the time he was apprehended. This was the highest reading for a 0.02 limit driver for the week.

In the first three weeks of November, ACT Policing has apprehended 149 drink drivers, compared to 98 in September and 113 in October. This is a ratio in November of one positive for every 37 RBTs.

In addition, police have also contended with a number of speeding motorists throughout Canberra.

The highest speed recorded during the week was 140 km/h in an 80km/h zone. The driver, a 20-year-old provisional license holder, gave her reason for speeding as ‘I’m in a bad mood’.

An 18-year-old Dunlop man caught speeding on Ginninderra Drive told police he was in a hurry to get home. He was detected travelling at 130km/h in an 80km/h zone.

Both these motorists were fined over $1,800 and lost six points off their licence.

ACT Policing’s Traffic Operations Superintendent Mark Colbran said the latest drink driving results clearly indicate that despite ACT Policing stating we will be actively targeting this offence in the months of November and December, ACT drivers are not getting the message and are continuing to ignore the law.

“It’s quite frightening to think there are people within our community who are willing to gamble with the lives of other road users when they get behind the wheel. If you drink and drive on our roads you will be caught and you will be prosecuted”, Superintendent Colbran said.

ACT Policing will continue targeting drink drivers across the ACT during November and December.

3. Schools in peril:

ACT Policing is urging the community to remain vigilant around schools after another burglary at a Tuggeranong school overnight.

About 2.15am today (Tuesday, November 23), Tuggeranong patrol members were called to the Wanniassa Hills Primary School in response to an alarm at that location. While searching the school, police observed a male wearing a black hooded jumper and black tracksuit pants run away from them. Police chased the male on foot, however lost sight of him on Holden Crescent.

Police observed a second unidentified person near the school, and after a short pursuit, apprehended a 15-year-old male on Langdon Avenue. A third person, a 17-year-old male, was also taken into police custody. Both males are currently assisting police with their enquiries.

This follows four additional incidents overnight at Calwell High School, Stromlo High School, Garran Primary School and St Judes Primary School in Holder, where police attended after reports of burglaries and property damage at the schools.

In a separate incident, police also attended the Orana High School in Weston on Sunday morning (November 21), where rubbish bins were set alight and several windows broken. No items were stolen.

South District Superintendent Lesa Gale said the recent burglaries and property damage should remind the community of the importance of remaining vigilant about suspicious people or behaviour around school properties, especially during the upcoming holiday break.

“Schools are vulnerable to damage and burglary over weekends and during holiday periods, and we encourage anyone who lives near or around schools to be proactive in protecting this property,” Superintendent Gale said.

“While police and private security will be patrolling these locations, we need community assistance in protecting these properties. Anyone who witnesses an offence being committed at a school is urged to contact Police Operations immediately on 131 444.”

Anyone who witnessed suspicious behaviour at any of the listed schools overnight is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

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fgzk wrote:

“lswchp your wrong in so many places. You should be warned that pot and amphetamines will also be included in your repeat offenders hatred. I suspect your a user of one. How else would you explain the excessive paranoia. If your not “on drugs” you should be.

I thought “simple facts” where “opinions” presented as fact for “simpletons”. Facts are never simple. The paper work alone makes them difficult.

The simple fact is that you are a troll lswchp.”

I wasn’t going to respond to these comments, but I have few minutes to spare, so here goes.

The WA government has a very clear and readable website on this topic at http://www.ors.wa.gov.au so I’ll use it as an example.

It states that with a BAC of 0.15 a driver is 25 times more likely to be involved in an accident than a sober driver. The figures that back this up show that one third of fatal road accidents in WA in 2009 involved a driver with a BC over 0.05. Of these fatalities, 52% involved a driver with a BAC over 0.15.

So, drunk drivers really are out there regularly killing themselves (thankfully) and lots of other men, women and children (sadly) on the roads. I think it’s reasonable to conclude from this and other readily available evidence that repeat drunk drivers are not my friends. They are my enemies, and they are a great threat to my safety.

Based on the available evidence, I also conclude that that my hostility towards drunk drivers in general and repeat offenders in particular is not paranoid, but is actually quite rational. I really, really, don’t like people who are making a concerted (if drunkenly unintentional) effort to kill me.

The website also mentions that WA is heading towards implementing such things as vehicle immobilizers, vehicle impoundment and mandatory rehab programs for repeat or high range first offenders. This is what I was referring to when I mentioned social, legal and technological changes being required to combat drunk driving. I’m obviously not the only person thinking along these lines.

The weird and unfounded speculation about my use of drugs is…ummm…weird and unfounded. Doesn’t happen.

And the suggestion that I’m a troll has produced nothing more than a very wry smile at this end of the wire.

Over the past week (15 – 21 November) ACT Policing has apprehended 51 motorists across the ACT for drink driving offences, several of which are repeat drink drivers who continue to show blatant disregard for the law.

Without starting a mass internet debate, and clarifying that I do not excuse or condone drink driving – it has been discussed several times before that part of the reason the ACT has so many drink drivers is because Canberra is a town where you really must own a car. It is near impossible to get anywhere in Canberra (unless you live right in the City) without a car if you want to get there without waiting ages for buses that don’t end up coming or catching ridiculously expensive cab rides. Especially after nights out or after work drinks.

Obviously these drink drivers and repetitive drink driving offenders should think before they have their first drink on how they will get home, that is what the rest of us do, but something really needs to be done about public transport in this city because it is, by far, the worst I think I have ever had to deal with in a city I’ve lived in.

Erg0 said :

Obviously they were a bit stealthier at the other schools – I live right next to one of them and was up pretty late last night, but I didn’t hear or see anything, or indeed notice anythign amiss when I walked past this morning. Maybe I’m just a lousy witness…

No, you probably have double glazing! My kids had their windows closed and slept through the whole thing. Hubby and I had ours open and had a rude awakening at 2.26am!

Obviously they were a bit stealthier at the other schools – I live right next to one of them and was up pretty late last night, but I didn’t hear or see anything, or indeed notice anythign amiss when I walked past this morning. Maybe I’m just a lousy witness…

James-T-Kirk9:32 am 24 Nov 10

The Disregard of the Law seems like a set of benchmark records for us to break!!

LSWCHP said :

“Of 51 motorists apprehended last week, seventeen motorists were identified by ACT Policing as repeat drink driving offenders. Of these, one driver has four previous drink-driving convictions.”

An old aphorism goes “Once is an accident. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action”. I’m prepared to make allowances (once) for someone who has screwed up, who regrets what they’ve done and who learns from has what happened and never does it again. But make no mistake, repeat drunk drivers are our enemies. They will kill us. They will kill our children. They will kill our friends and colleagues. They will kill us anywhere and anytime without warning.

The simple fact is that we, as a society, are currently prepared to accept this. When we are no longer prepared to accept being killed at random then this will stop. Until then, we need to be prepared for the fact that at any time a drunk driver can, without much consequence for themselves, leave us lying on the side of the road with blood in our mouths.

I think it will require a substantial change in social attitudes, substantial changes in the law, and some technology. I can’t wait.

lswchp your wrong in so many places. You should be warned that pot and amphetamines will also be included in your repeat offenders hatred. I suspect your a user of one. How else would you explain the excessive paranoia. If your not “on drugs” you should be.

I thought “simple facts” where “opinions” presented as fact for “simpletons”. Facts are never simple. The paper work alone makes them difficult.

The simple fact is that you are a troll lswchp.

Felix the Cat7:20 am 24 Nov 10

the two offenders fled in a green Daihatsu Applause

lol

“Of 51 motorists apprehended last week, seventeen motorists were identified by ACT Policing as repeat drink driving offenders. Of these, one driver has four previous drink-driving convictions.”

An old aphorism goes “Once is an accident. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action”. I’m prepared to make allowances (once) for someone who has screwed up, who regrets what they’ve done and who learns from has what happened and never does it again. But make no mistake, repeat drunk drivers are our enemies. They will kill us. They will kill our children. They will kill our friends and colleagues. They will kill us anywhere and anytime without warning.

The simple fact is that we, as a society, are currently prepared to accept this. When we are no longer prepared to accept being killed at random then this will stop. Until then, we need to be prepared for the fact that at any time a drunk driver can, without much consequence for themselves, leave us lying on the side of the road with blood in our mouths.

I think it will require a substantial change in social attitudes, substantial changes in the law, and some technology. I can’t wait.

bd84 said :

Kuku said :

So that’s what all the yelling was at 2.26am this morning. Why is it that when a dirtbag is arrested, they need to mouth off, loudly? I mean gee, how dare the police officer arrest them for ummm breaking into a school?

Cause they’re scumbags, I give kudos to the officers for refraining from using their batons to beat some sense into them.

They had given up when I happened past the event with just once officer guarding. The some 5 police cars in the vicinity may have been an additional deterrent.

+1. I also don’t know how they restrained themselves. As for a B & E on a school? Lowest form of life.

Kuku said :

So that’s what all the yelling was at 2.26am this morning. Why is it that when a dirtbag is arrested, they need to mouth off, loudly? I mean gee, how dare the police officer arrest them for ummm breaking into a school?

Cause they’re scumbags, I give kudos to the officers for refraining from using their batons to beat some sense into them.

They had given up when I happened past the event with just once officer guarding. The some 5 police cars in the vicinity may have been an additional deterrent.

So that’s what all the yelling was at 2.26am this morning. Why is it that when a dirtbag is arrested, they need to mouth off, loudly? I mean gee, how dare the police officer arrest them for ummm breaking into a school?

“ACT Policing also apprehended drink drivers at all times during the day including a 31 year old male at 8.50 am last Thursday morning and another 31 year old male at 1.47 pm on Friday afternoon.”

I attribute this to me.

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