Tradies’ tool is cops’ new secret weapon

By Kelly Yates
CASEY traffic police are using a new weapon to catch speeding drivers.
Police are “surprising” drivers by patrolling the streets a new “tradie-style” Holden ute.
Acting Senior Sergeant Pat McGavigan said the ute was being used for Operation ANYONE, which involved plain clothes police officers being out and about in unmarked cars, at high trauma locations in the City of Casey in a bid to reduce road trauma.
“The ute was obtained specifically for this operation. But different cars will continue to be used,” Act Sen Sgt McGavigan said. “The reason for this is that “anyone” could be a police vehicle – not just marked cars or normal enforcement cars and not just police in uniform. Anyone around you could be a police vehicle waiting to detect offences in an attempt to reduce road trauma.”
Operation ANYONE, sponsored by the TAC, has run eight times in Casey.
Act Sen Sgt McGavigan said 142 drivers and passengers had been caught committing 41 speeding offences, 33 seatbelt offences, 60 mobile phone offences and 29 other offences.
“We are there to reduce road trauma. We do not apologise for enforcement if road trauma is reduced,” he said.
The unmarked police Ute was also used during the state’s largest road policing operation last weekend, Operation Aegis.
Acting Sergeant Allen Inderwisch from the Casey Traffic Management Unit (TMU) said the ute was an effective tool, enabling police to catch those doing the wrong thing.
“People need to be aware that police are driving around in all types of cars. We have the police motorcycle, marked and unmarked police sedans and now the new ute,” he said.
Act Sgt Inderwisch said police caught 10 drink drivers as part of Operation Aegis, which kicked off on Friday.
All up, in one of the busiest weekend blitzes run in the City of Casey, police detected 254 offences by drivers in the municipality.
A learner driver from Hampton Park received fines for doing 104km/h in an 80km/h zone, failing to have a qualified driver beside him and not displaying L-plates.
Act Sgt Inderwisch said a Berwick P-plater was charged with drink-driving, failing to have an interlock device fitted to his car and failing to display P-plates during the operation.
The 21-year-old was required to have an interlock device fitted to his car as a result of a previous drink-driving conviction.
Police caught a Narre Warren man doing 86km/h in a 60km/h zone on Clyde Road in Berwick, while a truck driver was nabbed doing 108km/h on the South Gippsland Highway in Lynbrook.
The Cranbourne truck driver was fined $642 for exceeding the speed limit more than 25km/h in a heavy vehicle. His licence was also suspended for a month.
Act Sgt Inderwisch said it was disappointing police caught a number of drivers who were driving at twice the legal alcohol limit.
There were no road fatalities in Casey during Operation Aegis.