Tasmania Police deployed 88 officers throughout the State last night to participate in Operation Unite: A Blitz Against Drunken Violence. Unite is being run over the Friday and Saturday nights in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie (Friday only) and Devonport (Saturday only).

The State Coordinator of Operation Unite, Commander Geoffrey Smith, stated that it was a busier evening for police than the Friday night.

There were 58 offenders detected last night. Twenty one of these were actually arrested with the remainder to be prosecuted either by summons or by the issuing of Liquor Infringement Notices.

There were eight arrests in Devonport, five in Hobart and eight in Launceston. All five arrests in Hobart were for public annoyance offences. In Launceston, six of the arrests were for drink driving within the Operation Unite area and the other two, for public annoyance offences. Likewise in Devonport where six people were arrested for drink driving offences and the other two, for public annoyance offences. Other offences detected state-wide were largely confined to consuming liquor in public.

Police undertook 98 checks of licensed establishments during the evening and pleasingly no licensing breaches were detected. There were no arrests for assault.

55 Move-On Orders were issued last night around the State.

“The entertainment areas of the three regions of the State were busier for police last night than Friday night. However, the number of arrests and impending prosecutions from last night is unremarkable when compared to most Saturday nights and people were generally well behaved. Police received significant support from patrons for their presence on the streets last night and the use of Move-On Orders continues to provide an early and effective intervention in preventing offending. ” Commander Smith said.

Geoffrey Smith
COMMANDER

Tasmania Police Media
(03) 6230 2867