IT’S time for your weekly police and crime update.

Missing Persons

The NSW Police have been utilising geo-targeting to help locate vulnerable missing persons, sending emergency alerts to mobiles in the area where the person went missing.

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Phone us – (02) 4981 8882.
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These messages will always be sent from +61 444 444 444 and is not a scam.

The message will also include a bitly link to an image of the missing person.

If you receive a message from this number and have any information: call 000 or CrimeStoppers at 1800 333 000 or report online via https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.

Double Demerits

Double demerits have been scrapped for the October long weekend in NSW with police claiming they “want to give the people of NSW a break”.

Police Minister David Elliot said that although the penalties are relaxed, the public should continue to follow road rules and public health orders.

“This is in no way a green light for drivers to break the rules – and traffic and highway patrol officers will be out in force as usual – but this weekend we won’t be doubling-up the demerits,” Mr Elliot said.

Rural Road Safety

The NSW Government is working on upgrading the safety of rural roads across the state to minimise accidents and deaths.

Works being implemented include flexible barriers, wide centre lines, rumble strips, motorcycle underrun and sealed shoulder widening at curves and on straights as part of the Road Safety Plan 2021.

In the 2020-21 period, 143 people lost their lives on country roads across NSW, over double that of metropolitan areas.

Slow down, take a break when you’re tired, stick to the speed limit and remember to always buckle up.

Assistant Commissioner Farewell

The NSW Police Force has farewelled Assistant Commissioner Geoff McKechnie APM who marked his final day of the operational service on 23 September after 33 years of service.

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said Assistant Commissioner Geoff McKechnie retires after dedicating his career to serving the community in many ways.

“Geoff has been a journeyman in protecting the people of NSW, particularly our rural areas.

“He will be dearly missed; however, we wish him, his wife Jan, and the family a happy retirement,” Commissioner Fuller said.

Assistant Commissioner McKechnie was instrumental in the expansion of rural crime investigation capabilities and the formation of the Rural Crime Prevention Team within the NSW Police Force, which now operates across all of regional and remote NSW dedicated to preventing, disrupting and responding to rural crime.

By Tara CAMPBELL