The NSW Police Force launched Operation Stay-At-Home from August 16.
The operation will utilise resources from all Police Districts and Police Area Commands under Metropolitan and Regional NSW Field Operations alongside officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, Police Transport Command, Dog and Mounted Unit, and a number of other specialist commands as required.
1400 officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command will be dedicated to both static and mobile Covid-19 compliance operations on the state’s roads.
A further 500 Australian Defence Force troops will assist with compliance checks and patrols.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said the NSW Government was supporting the Commissioner’s call for assistance in the most practical way.
“The Commissioner asked for tighter Public Health Orders and the government agreed, the Commissioner asked for higher fines and the Government agreed, and the Commissioner asked for more ADF personnel, and we have an additional 500 highly-trained ADF personnel arriving to assist,” he said.
“We’ve had to tighten the current public health orders because of the minority who exploited them.”
Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon, Metropolitan Field Operations, said the level of non-compliance by some members of the community is unacceptable.
“It only takes one person to do the wrong thing to facilitate considerable spread of the virus,” he said.
“We will be issuing $5000 fines to people and closing any businesses which continue to breach the health orders and will not apologise for these increased enforcement efforts going forward.”
Deputy Commissioner Mick Willing, Regional NSW Field Operations, said preventing movement to regional areas from Sydney, and between regional areas, would be a key focus of the operation.
“There will be more roadblocks on main arterial roads and backroads, and these operations will continue to expand throughout this week in order to enforce the permit system announced by the NSW Government this morning, he said.
“There will be nowhere to hide if you are doing the wrong thing.
“If you travel anywhere beyond your LGA at the moment, you are putting everyone else in NSW at considerable risk.”
Additional police welcomed to North Coast
Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis said 24 new probationary constables will reinforce experienced North Coast colleagues from August 16 and will be thrown in at the deep end, joining Operation Stay-At-Home to enforce stay at home orders now in force across the region.
“The best way to welcome the new police officers is, ironically, to avoid them,” Mr Gulaptis said.
“We need to give them space to keep us safe, so please stay at home while the stay-at-home orders are in place unless you absolutely have to go out.”