Operation Claymore in Moree leads to arrests, move on notices

Operation Claymore follows a spate of anti-social behaviour and malicious damage - almost 180 houses have been burned in Moree in the last five years. Also in the last two weeks $1.2m in road equipment was torched and a female pensioner was bashed and robbed in a home invasion. Trucks continue to be pelted by rock-throwing youths on the Moree bypass.

Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall vowed to crack down on “thugs” destroying Moree and asked NSW Police to target street crime.

Barwon LAC started Operation Claymore 2 on the weekend with strong results.

Barwon Local Area Commander, Superintendent Paul McDonald said “Officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol from across Western Region, Detectives, Target Action Group, General Duties and the Domestic Violence High Risk Offender Unit were involved in the high visibility operation that saturated the township of Moree over the past few days”.

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Officers have been involved in numerous strategies utilising both overt and covert means as well as resources outside of the Command in order to arrest and remove property offenders from the Command.

Mr McDonald said that good results have been recorded with:

“Police have been highly driven to identify and arrest offenders however it has not been without the assistance of the local community, both in terms of coming forward with information and implementing tougher security measures”.

Police said about 100 people were dispersed from a party in Sullivan Place, with officers also responding to a suspected rock throwing incident on the Newell Highway and a number of traffic complaints involving motorbikes. Police also located 13 children in the street after midnight without parental supervision – these children were taken home and mandatory notifications were made, according to one report.

Mr Marshall expressed his outrage at the crime in Moree in NSW parliament.

“There also needs to be greater support from other agencies such as community services and I have questioned the current FaCS staffing and resource levels in Moree,” he said. 

“In collaboration with Moree Plains Shire Council (MPSC) and the Department of Justice, I am also working to implement the Family Investment Model (FIM) in Moree.

“This program enhances family relationships, working with families that may be experiencing difficulty to ensure their children respect the law, and are themselves respected in turn.

“Believe me, Moree is up for a fight and the losers will be the thugs who think they can rule the roost – they will soon realise they picked the wrong fight.”

Anyone with information regarding suspected criminal activity should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://www1.police.nsw.gov.au/.