Operation Seahawk swoops on long weekend offending

OPERATION Seahawk has taken a zero tolerance approach towards alcohol-related crime making a spate of arrests over the long weekend believed to be connected to a Torquay establishment.

Officers from Surf Coast and Geelong Police service areas have tackled alcohol-related offences as the long weekend attracted a boozy crowd to the region. The operation was designed to crack down on licensing and public order during the influx to the township.

Day one of the five-day operation kept local police busy as they attended five incidents in Torquay.

Lorne Station Commander, Sergeant Jon Parish, said “disappointingly, in separate incidents connected to the Torquay establishment, police processed five men in relation to alcohol related offending”.

The crimes were committed by men in their early to mid-twenties for a series of offences including public drunkenness, assault and drink driving, with one man receiving a summons after his blood alcohol concentration was almost two-and-a-half times over the legal limit.

Police arrested an Anglesea man for an alleged assault with a bottle at a Torquay premises on January 23. The man has been summonsed to appear in a Magistrates’ Court at a later date.

Further arrests included several youths detected using fake identification on a licensed premises.

Sgt Parish said January 26 events saw three people arrested with possibly more to follow over the use of fake IDs in actions of deception.

“Operation Seahawk tasking led police members to check on a group of young people in the licensed premises last night at around 9pm,” he said.

Sgt Parish said the venue management was now working with police to identify how this happened with the IDs showing several flaws on close inspection.

The long weekend concluded with an arrest made in relation to a fight which broke out at 12.35am.

Sgt Peter Christo said units were called to the scene in response to the brawl.

“Police members assisted crowd controllers in arresting the instigator which was a 22-year-old male from South Yarra,” he said.

“The male has been charged with riotous behaviour and being drunk in a public place.”

A police spokesperson said extra resources were flooded to hotspots as police made 56 visits to licensed premises along the Surf Coast including Torquay, Winchelsea, Anglesea, Lorne, Apollo Bay and Colac.

“Disappointingly, too many people were unable to celebrate responsibly and brought themselves under police notice,” the spokesperson said.

Multiple arrests and fines were issued during the operation including:

Five arrests for public drunkenness and riotous behaviour

Four men aged in their 20s found urinating in car parks of licensed premises

One man arrested for assault with a weapon

One 23-year old man arrested on trafficking charges

Two drivers caught drink driving

12 driving infringements issued to motorists in and around venues for various offences.