With minimal notice, checkpoints were identified and best efforts made out to staff them.
These checkpoints have now evolved from Howlong in the east to Koraleigh in the west.
While we could not get them all open initially, we certainly worked with key stakeholders (community, and government) to get them open and maintain a presence which stands today.
During this time, policing practice has remained constant - with the only significant change being all police (local and visiting) being consistently overwhelmed by the continued community support, from kind words, cards and innumerable coffees, cakes and cards.
This support has been unwavering, even in times of confusing and frustrating information overload propagated on social media (insert numerous conversations police had on the line ‘no sorry, Bob from Facebook is wrong – you need a permit to enter NSW’).
All police, local and visiting, have continued to stand on the line (rain, hail and shine) at the various checkpoints while attending numerous reported incidents.
These have included conducting COVID-19 compliance checks or attending reported COVID-19 suspicious parties/persons, all the while trying to keep themselves informed of the current developments, exemptions and technology this operation involves.
While most interactions have been good-natured, we have seized drugs, taking warrant offenders/wanted persons off the street and detected numerous unregistered vehicles to name a few.
Police will continue to ‘work the line’ for the duration of the operation, and we will continue to work with community to assist them to ‘find the correct permit’ and get across the border with minimal delay and hassle.
Inspector Paul Huggett
Murray River Police District western sectors
14°C