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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Day one of the five-day operation kept local police busy as they attended five incidents in Torquay.<\/p>\n
Lorne Station Commander, Sergeant Jon Parish, said \u201cdisappointingly, in separate incidents connected to the Torquay establishment, police processed five men in relation to alcohol related offending\u201d.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019 Court at a later date.<\/p>\n
Further arrests included several youths detected using fake identification on a licensed premises.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cOperation Seahawk tasking led police members to check on a group of young people in the licensed premises last night at around 9pm,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The long weekend concluded with an arrest made in relation to a fight which broke out at 12.35am.<\/p>\n
Sgt Peter Christo said units were called to the scene in response to the brawl.<\/p>\n
\u201cPolice members assisted crowd controllers in arresting the instigator which was a 22-year-old male from South Yarra,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe male has been charged with riotous behaviour and being drunk in a public place.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cDisappointingly, too many people were unable to celebrate responsibly and brought themselves under police notice,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n