MELTON Police will be out in force this Easter weekend in a bid to keep the roads safe.
Senior Sergeant Ross Burbidge says Operation Crossroads, a national road policing operation, will be conducted throughout Victoria during this Easter Holiday period and Melton Police will be on the lookout for motorists trying to flout the law.
Sen Sgt Burbidge said the highway patrol units would be actively involved in targeting the main arterial roads focusing on drink and drug driving, speeding, seatbelts, mobile phones, disobeying traffic signs and signals, fatigue and hoon driver behaviour.
“Motorists can expect to see an increase in visible police patrols in both marked and unmarked vehicles,” he warned.
Booze buses and speed cameras will also be deployed to reduce road trauma levels.
The operation will be conducted from Thursday 28 March though to Monday 1 April.
Meanwhile another operation was conducted last week which ensured no illicit substances made their way into the Metropolitan Remand Centre in Ravenhall.
Melton Highway Patrol assisted the Melton CIU Corrections Unit last Wednesday with the aim of “preventing, detecting and deterring the introduction of contraband into the prison”.
Leading Senior Constable Allan Edwards said all drivers visiting the remand centre were checked for alcohol, drugs and outstanding warrants. Licence and registration checks were also conducted.
Of the 47 vehicles to enter the centre during the operation, two were found to be unregistered and another was being driven by an unlicensed driver. Infringement notices were issued for these offences.
One driver was found to have 180 outstanding sheriff’s warrants, with in excess of $50,000 being owed, while another was issued with a sheriff’s office notice relating to 13 outstanding warrants.
A 31-year-old male was arrested when found to be in possession of amphetamines. He will be charged on summons with possessing a drug of dependence and other charges relating to introducing contraband to a prison.
Leading Sen Const Edwards said the final vehicle of the day to enter the prison was driven by a 37-year-old male who was found to have three outstanding arrest warrants, and when searched a substantial quantity of ecstasy, amphetamine and GHB was located on him. He was remanded in custody to Sunshine Magistrates Court to face charges of possessing and trafficking a drug of dependence.
