NSW police have searched more than 100 buses at Sydney's eastern beaches
May 21, 2012
Sydney police inspected 110 buses at the weekend as part of an operation targeting ‘anti-social’ behaviour and fare evasion.
Eastern beaches police charged one person with assaulting police, and issued 164 infringement notices and 34 cautions during the searches conducted May 18-19 with State Transit Authority revenue protection officers.
The operation focused on bus interchanges at Maroubra Junction, Kingsford and Kensington, and follows a flood of arrests made on New South Wales buses last weekend.
According to police, plain clothes and uniformed officers saturated buses, trains and ferries, arresting 42 passengers during the Public Transport Command (PTC) operation conducted May 11-12.
Police involved in the ‘intelligence-based’ operation conducted random breath tests, searched 250 passengers, issued 143 move-on directions and gave official cautions to 78 people, including seven juveniles.
A drug dog was also used resulting in the search of 69 passengers, the alleged seizure of amphetamines and prescription medication, and the issuing of eight cannabis caution notices.
Police patrolled railway stations, bus interchanges and wharves, as well as hundreds of train, bus and ferry services across Sydney, the Blue Mountains, and Hunter and Illawarra regions.
PTC was launched on May 1 to target anti-social behaviour with an increased police presence on NSW public transport.
Police say similar operations are expected to be conducted at the eastern beaches in coming months.