POLICE will hit the streets in five custom built Hummers as part of a new assault on alcohol-fuelled violence.
The vehicles will be loaned to Victorian police by Hummer and could be on the streets within five weeks.
It follows another fatal weekend of late-night violence at city night spots, in which a 24-year-old man was killed in a brawl outside the Queensbridge Hotel and another man had his jugular slashed with a glass, the Herald Sun reports.
Asst Commissioner Gary Jamieson said the Hummers would be used to try to increase the visible impact of police on the streets.
"The idea of going to the Hummers is that it`s about trying to measure visible impact so we`ve got to try to introduce something which might look different to our current fleet of vehicles," Mr Jamieson said.
"We want to be visibly seen and we want to make sure the police out on the streets are recognisable and that we do reassure the public that we`re there.
"They are five (at) limited cost to Victoria Police ... it`s the cost of fitting them out, decors and lights. The vehicles are being loaned to Victoria Police."
Victoria Police is also considering establishing a CBD `drunk tank` that would provide care and treatment to drunken youths who would otherwise be locked up in cells for the night.
Insanity - with petrol prices the way they are and all this environmental stuff going on, a slowing down economy etc. - and the police force gets hummers? Regardless of who is paying for it - thats insanity. As someone already mentioned, RSA is the key - simple. Cops in big tank-like cars wont help anything.
Posted by: dee pee of sydney 3:16pm today
How exactly is this going to curb "alocohol-fuelled violence"That's ridiculous
Posted by: Bill of Melbourne 3:15pm today
More police on foot is the answer, and i don't mean the small 5'2 cops who for some reason think they can handle a rowdy mob, bring out the old school 6'4 rough as guts coppers, baton in hand and a license to dispense appropriate justice quickly before moving on to the next situation.... Drop the PC approach to policing and this soft benefit-of-the-doubt treatment towards blatant anti-social idiots, and we will fix the problem.. Oh wait that would actually take time, money and a plan, it's easier just to roll out a few hummers and pretend it will achieve something....
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