3 December 2010

Police Wrap - 3 December 2010

| johnboy
Join the conversation
17

[First filed: Dec 3, 2010 @ 9:27]

1. The ever astonished Mark Colbran:

During November ACT Policing detected 185 drivers with an excessive blood-alcohol reading, the highest number of positive readings for any month this calendar year (2010).

The highest result of the month was returned by a 48-year-old man in Chisholm on November 13. His reading was 0.269.

Young people are still making up a large percentage of all drivers exceeding the prescribed concentration of alcohol. Of the 1296 drivers detected so far this year for drink-driving, 42 per cent are aged 25 or under.

ACT Policing’s Traffic Operations Superintendent Mark Colbran said he is astonished motorists continue to drink and drive despite the targeted police operations and regular media warnings.

“Police warned motorists that from November 1 we would be aggressively targeting drink-drivers but unfortunately that message has been ignored. This operation will continue right through the Christmas holiday period,” Superintendent Colbran said.

ACT Policing is urging Canberrans who are attending parties, gatherings or celebrations this Christmas period to plan ahead and arrange alternate transport home.

“We would like to remind people that we can all take an active role in keeping the roads safe, especially with more of us attending parties this time of year. If you have a friend who you suspect is over the limit and is planning to drive, organise alternative transport for them to get home and encourage them to pick their car up the next day,” Superintendent Colbran said.

2. There’s a lot of weed looking for owners lately:

ACT Policing is seeking witnesses to the dumping of a large quantity of cannabis plants in a dirt carpark on Mulligans Flat Road in Bonner.

Around 8.50pm last night (Thursday, December 2), police attended the carpark after receiving a report of what was suspected to be cannabis plants at the location. Police estimated 30 full-sized plants and several smaller plants, with an approximate total weight of 158kg, which appeared to be dumped on the ground in the dirt carpark.

This is the second significant cannabis-related seizure this week in the ACT.

Police would urge anyone who may have seen a commercial type vehicle (utility or van), suspicious persons or activity in the area to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers website on www.act.crimestoppers.com.au. Information may be provided anonymously.

3. 1am on East Row:

facefit

ACT Policing has released a forensic facefit image of the alleged offender from a sexual assault which occurred in Civic in the early hours of Sunday morning on November 21.

Around 1am, a 20-year-old female was approached by the alleged offender at the ICBM night club on Northbourne Avenue. Later the man has taken the victim by the hand and led her away from the club, heading towards East Row along Alinga Street.

ACT Policing is appealing for the public’s help in identifying the man who is alleged to have sexually assaulted the woman in a public toilet near East Row.

The offender is described as of Mediterranean appearance with olive skin and dark brown eyes and hair, aged in his 20’s, approximately 190cm tall (6’3”), with a thin to medium build and clean shaven. He was wearing a dark T-shirt with blue jeans.

Anyone who may be able to assist police with the investigation are asked to contact Crime Stoppers.

4. Wanniassa Road Rage:

ACT Policing is seeking witnesses to an assault and aggravated property damage on Athllon Drive, Wanniassa last Tuesday (30 November).

About 8.55pm a woman was driving her car along Athllon Drive, Phillip and made a lane change before the roundabout at Sulwood Drive. A short time later, a car began following close behind her flashing its lights.

The car rammed the back of her car three times, before overtaking her and slamming on its brakes, causing her to collide with the back of the car. The car is described as a silver Commodore with ACT registration.

The driver of the car got out and approached the woman while verbally abusing her. He hit the driver door window twice, smashing the window and punched the quarter window.

The male passenger of the victim’s car got out and was pursued by the female passenger of the offending vehicle. She attempted to assault him but was unable to make any contact.

A driver from a third vehicle stopped to assist the victim and her passenger when the offending woman attempted to assault him. It is unknown whether any contact was made. The offenders left the scene, heading in a southerly direction from Mawson.

Police are urging the driver of the third car to contact Crime Stoppers.

Anyone else who was in the Wanniassa area of Athllon Drive around the time of the incident who may be able to assist police with the investigation are asked to contact Crime Stoppers.

5. Fresh Meat:

Twenty new ACT Policing officers were officially sworn in as Constables of Police at the Australian Federal Police (AFP) College in Barton today (Friday, December 3).

AFP Commissioner Tony Negus joined the Chief Police Officer for the ACT, Roman Quaedvlieg, in welcoming the new officers into ACT Policing.

“Over the past 24 weeks, these newly graduated constables faced many challenges – mental, emotional and physical – during the course and it is a testament to their commitment and determination to become police officers that they have successfully completed the rigorous recruit training course,” CPO Quaedvlieg said.

Constable Nicole Linden was awarded the Commissioner’s Award for Excellence in Recruit Training for her demonstrated excellence in all elements of the program, including teamwork, leadership, communication, academic achievement, health and safety, and commitment to the values of the AFP.

The ACT’s newest officers comprise of 10 men and 10 women, with a range in age from 22 to 48.

The new officers will be deployed to stations within ACT Policing after completing a two-week rotation with Traffic Operations.

Join the conversation

17
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

I’m guessing the mixing of chemicals (bug spray) with pot may be a bit of an urban myth or idiots that read it somewhere like RA.

Nah, theres substance to it, there was some tainted pot (sprayed) going around civic a week or 2 ago and it cropped up here and there over the last few years (and probably longer, but ive only been around drugs and the like for the last few years, im still young)

its pretty distinctive when somethings tainted, the only thing it can be confused with is hydro bud thats been harvested but not washed of its chemicals, similar thing, though neither are common.

Users are pretty good at blaming themselves. If you know the above groups contribute to adverse health outcomes in “drug users”, can you just forget it happens because its happening to “free choice drug users”. Should any of the above groups address these outcomes if people are dying? The “heroin overdose drug” and the needles in jails are both attempts to address issues that exist for users, their families and the wider community.

Responsibility does rest with the user to manage their use. Most do it.

What is the governments responsibility? To pretend these things are not happening, or there happening to people that don’t matter? To continue a system that encourages negative impacts on the community whilst blocking any attempt to deal with the real issues. Is that the kind of thing the government should take responsibility for?

Police “org’s” still support the present drug policy even though it has led to constant corruption within its own organisation’s and created miss trust within the society. Just like a junkie its hard to know when to say “no”, when your addicted.

I’m guessing the mixing of chemicals (bug spray) with pot may be a bit of an urban myth or idiots that read it somewhere like RA.

oh and no (forgot to include this) most people that end up buying tainted weed don’t realise at the time (naivety, usually they just don’t check or know how), but once a few people do the word gets around and most avoid that dealer until he/she finds a new supply with better quality product so he doesn’t flyspray anymore, then the customers find out that he’s stopped and his customers come back (providing they havn’t found someone better) and the cycle continues with the dealer hopefully learning his lesson.

usually the flysprayed weed will be an attempt to make some quick money in the transition period between supplies

most of the time its not a conscious decision to smoke tainted weed

Special G – Im not saying that the cops shouldnt bust drug dealers or that its there fault people smoke more dangerous product when theres nothing else around (or they dont realise until afterwards), its just that maybe it would be more beneficial for the community to spend more time tracking down and busting methlabs/harder drug manufacture or organised crime related drug production instead of just making a token bust here and there coincidentally JUST before its ready to be harvested (the more pot they find the better the press release).

I just reckon that would be more beneficial for the ‘community’ because it could actually make a difference somewhere up the line.

fgzk said :

Special G said :

And yet users know the product may be tainted and use anyway.

Whats your point. Known fact about drug use. No mystery here. Whats this state the bloody obvious day.

The point is people want to blame everyone else for the sh*t they put into their bodies. Blame the cops for busting the dealers, blame the govt for legislation against it’s use, blame the dealers for mixing chemicals with their dope.

Take some responsibility – blame rest with the user. Comment was directed at the Darks mention of the end user losing out.

Special G said :

And yet users know the product may be tainted and use anyway.

Whats your point. Known fact about drug use. No mystery here. Whats this state the bloody obvious day.

And yet users know the product may be tainted and use anyway.

#4

Some of my more ‘involved’ friends have been talking since the Melba bust and as far as business/supply is concerned, it doesnt matter, the more growers the cops shut down in the ACT the more crop up elsewhere in the region or the more comes in from out of town. Most people know that the best stuff comes from elsewhere anyway, so growhouses around here are usually supplying more smalltime or flats run businesses so its not a real issue. As good as the police make it out to be for the community, sometimes it turns out worse, as alot of dodgier dealers, when they can’t get they’re normal supply resort to cheaper lower quality product and flyspray it to make it seem stronger, when all it really does is make it alot more harmful to the user, thus the general public that smoke lose out either way.

The victim was driving from Athllon Dve, Phillip, made a lane change just before Sulwood Dve, and the assault happened in Wanniassa. But the offenders left the scene in a southerly direction from Mawson???

There’s a lot of problems with the identikit images some of them are dead ringers whereas others aren’t. The CCTV at the night club wasn’t working that night (reminds me of Clea Rose incident) but the AFP’s CCTV cameras in Civic would have been so hopefully some footage has been found from those.

I’m not one for capital punishment however I’m all for “1970’s style” beat downs for this type of thing especially knowing how horrible and vicious this attack was.

There’s a lot of problems with the identikit images some of them are dead ringers whereas others aren’t. The CCTV at the night club wasn’t working that night (reminds me of Clea Rose incident) but the AFP’s CCTV cameras in Civic would have been so hopefully some footage has been found from those.

I’m not one for capital punishment however I’m all for “1970’s style” beat downs for this type of thing especially knowing how horrible and vicious this attack was.

The Traineediplomat6:53 pm 03 Dec 10

And finally (since this Police Wrap has lots of material)

The male passenger of the victim’s car got out and was pursued by the female passenger of the offending vehicle. She attempted to assault him but was unable to make any contact.

Without knowing the circumstances of either passenger and whether the female passenger of the offending vehicle was on PCP or some other special substance or had a blunt instrument of any kind, I would be very tempted to just tackle her (equal opportunity, so screw the ‘don’t hit a girl’ philosophy in this case).

Of course this response is limited to the above piece of info, without taking into account the other actions going on at the same time (ie Male driver threatening Female Driver and smashing windows).

The Traineediplomat6:50 pm 03 Dec 10

Now I know it’s probably against rules/regulations/privacy act, but couldn’t you run the identikit through a facial recognition biometric-like thing to see what sort of matches you might get. I know the Passport Office has such a system with everyone who has applied for passports in the last bizillion years.

Okay you can’t count on identikit picture to be 100% accurate, but at least it might give you some kind of lead? If it didn’t then you’d still be at the first square anyway.

In the end, bring back some special 1970s style ‘backroom enhanced interview’ techniques with such scumbags.

The Traineediplomat6:47 pm 03 Dec 10

Now we know why the Melba Cannabis bust was valued so high, supply seems to be being interrupted. Can any economically trained pot-heads out there let us know if market prices are shifting? Or if you have a ‘friend of a friend’ who knows.

Trunking symbols5:28 pm 03 Dec 10

Someone found a large amount of cannabis in a carpark and called the police rather than selling it, smoking it or passing it onto a pothead friend. Things are looking up . . .

That sexual assault was a particular nasty one. I work at ICBM and that is a friends friend that was raped. If anyone knows anything about that person or if anyone recognizes the bastard at all please call crime stoppers or the police.

I would have thought that, being a policeman, Mark Colbran would long ago have ceased to be astonished by the stupidity of human beings.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.