Ten people charged with 30 offences in Operation Soteria

Ten people have been charged with 30 offences under Operation Soteria.

Operation Soteria is a strategic initiative focusing on aggravated break, enter and steal offences, stealing motor vehicles, and ‘post and boast’ offences where social media is used to gain notoriety.

Operation Soteria coordinates the response to this form of offending and takes overall command and control of criminal investigations into crimes of this nature across Northern and Western NSW Police regions.

Surge operations are also run in conjunction with officers from the Youth Command as part of a coordinated program of engagement with at-risk youth by facilitating participation in programs and activities aimed at deterring and redirecting youth from criminal activity.

A three-day Surge operation ran between Thursday, July 3 and Saturday, July 5 in the New England Police District, focusing on crime hot spots and maintaining a high-visibility public presence aimed at reassuring the communities of the North and Western Regions. Officers conducted twenty-six bail compliance checks, fifteen person searches, and ten apprehended domestic violence order compliance checks.

Additionally, Traffic and Highway Patrol officers issued forty-five Infringement notices, conducted 823 random breath tests, and charged three people for drink driving-related offences; 18 people returned positive roadside drug tests; and officers from the Youth Command conducted twenty-six engagement visits of known youth, with over a hundred youth participating in Youth Command’s PCYC U-Nite program.

Of particular interest, an 18-year-old man was charged with 17 offences. Eleven of these charges relate to an incident on Sunday, June 22 in Moree where a police vehicle was allegedly rammed at 3:30am in Jones Avenue, Moree.

These charges consist of take and drive conveyance, never licensed, use offensive weapon prevent lawful apprehension, use offensive weapon in company to commit indictable offence, intimidate police officer in execution of duty, drive recklessly/furiously, fail to stop and assist after impact cause injury, police pursuit (two counts), and hinder or resist police officer in the execution of duty.

The same 18-year-old was charged in relation to an incident on Friday, February 14, 2024 where the 18-year-old allegedly tried to ram a police vehicle in Greenbah Road, Moree at about 2am. He was charged with take and drive conveyance (two counts), drive recklessly, furiously or speed in a manner dangerous, use offensive weapon to prevent lawful apprehension, drive recklessly/furiously, use offensive weapon in company with intent to commit indictable offence, and intimidate police officer in execution of duty.

He was refused bail and appeared before Moree Local Court on Monday, July 7.

A 14-year-old boy was charged with two offences for an incident on Monday, May 19, where he was a passenger in a vehicle that was allegedly stolen and involved in a pursuit with police. He was charged with aggravated break enter and steal, and be carried in conveyance. He was granted conditional before to appear before a children’s court on Monday, August 11.

Inquiries under Operation Soteria continue.