Bikies get 18 tickets - we get $100,000
bill ( GOOD JOB on the bill!!..the filf could always
FUCK OFF!!)
TAXPAYERS face a huge bill for police surveillance of Gypsy
Jokers bikies during their new year's motorcycle run.
An estimated $100,000 was spent by police on wages and
accommodation alone during the five days of the operation,
despite the bikies spending three of those days in Victoria.
SOMEONE has learned that about 40 officers were part of the
operation to escort 100 bikies from Adelaide to the Victorian
border and back again on their return.
It also has been revealed that most officers stayed in their own
hotel rooms, were entitled to a 60 per cent field allowance
during the trip and were paid a double-time-and-a-half penalty
rate for New Year's Day.
The operation resulted in 18 traffic offences, equivalent to
about $6000 spent on resources for each of these.
"It's an enormous cost that the taxpayer shouldn't have to
pay," Opposition police spokesman Robert Brokenshire said
yesterday.
"It's of significant concern that so many resources were
thrown at this cavalcade and police were taken off-line at a time
when we should be focused on keeping holidaymakers safe on our
roads.
"The motorcycle gangs should be made to bear the costs, not
the public."
Deputy Police Commissioner John White said the 30 police on the
road, with additional officers in reserve, were appropriate.
"This is the equivalent to resourcing a football game and
was not an excessive amount of police for the size and scope of
the event," he said.
A spokeswoman for acting Police Minister Patrick Conlon said the
office did not comment on operational matters.
"The Police Commissioner gets a certain budget for him to
spend as he feels necessary," the spokeswoman said.
While SA officers were taken off normal duties to join the
operation, Victorian police virtually ignored the bikies.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the force had not mounted any
specific operation to monitor the Jokers, who had stayed in the
regional cities of Portland and Warrnambool.
"We were aware they were here, but there were no
problems," she said.
SA police sent plain-clothed officers into Victoria a few hours
prior to the motorcycle convoy returning to South Australia.
Mr White said the uneventful nature of the run within SA was more
to do with the police operation than good bikie behaviour.
"Their uneventful behaviour on the run within South
Australia was a result of the action and preventative planning
taken against them," he said.
Police has also been involved in other traffic duties while
monitoring gang behaviour.
Gypsy Jokers leader Steve Williams said during the club's run
that the police operation was "over the top".
Yesterday, he said he would "love to know what it costs to
have them sitting around like that all day".
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