NAVAL police combined forces with a Victoria Police highway patrol to carry out a road safety operation at HMAS Cerberus, Crib Point.
Operation Adiona — named for the Roman goddess of travel and safe return — saw military police and civilian police conduct roadside breath testing and mobile drug testing of both defence members and civilians entering the base as well as registration and roadworthiness checks.
Warrant Officer Darren Lonergan said the operation strengthened the relationship between the military and civilian police “in many practical ways and will be followed by more joint operations”.
“Working alongside our colleagues from the local civilian police gives our naval police coxswain’s valuable exposure to state policing duties and allows both sides to share knowledge and skills,” he said.
“Operation Adiona allowed us to exercise our respective responsibilities for alcohol and drug testing of military and non-military motorists, and helped us assess how we might be able to use the same mobile vehicle registration units as Victoria Police to enhance capabilities within Cerberus.
“Just as civilian police maintain an active and familiar presence in a community; our military police will continue a program of community focussed proactive policing geared towards boosting road safety on the Mornington Peninsula which so many defence [force] members call home.”
Warrant Officer Lonergan said the only offences detected were “several expired vehicle registrations along with one non-environmental noise compliant motorcycle”.
Similar joint operations are planned at Hastings, Mornington and Frankston.
Commanding Officer of HMAS Cerberus Captain Tim Standen, said it was “crucial that our naval police coxswain’s, military police and Victoria Police can work together, know each other’s remits and pool their resources to keep military members, defence civilians and the wider community safe as we live and work together across the Mornington Peninsula”.
First published in the Western Port News – 20 March 2018
