Six held in police swoop on town

SIX people have been charged and 11 local burglaries solved in a police operation at New Norfolk.

A squad of 25 officers searched the town on Wednesday following the early-morning theft of firearms, Sergeant Chris Hey of New Norfolk Police told last night’s Derwent Valley Council meeting.

“There was a significant firearms burglary in George St where an elderly lady confronted a male perpetrator and that person got away with three firearms,” Sgt Hey said.

“The lady was very resilient and certainly wasn’t physically harmed in any way … she had a hand placed on her to keep her at arms length,” he said.

Sgt Hey said that person remained at large but police had good information and investigations were continuing.

Wednesday’s operation resulted in six people being charged in relation to a spate of 26 burglaries in the town, which Sgt Hey described as the worst in his two years in charge of the local station.

“There were 26 charges relating to those people that were charged and I’m told one person was remanded in custody this afternoon,” he said.

Sgt Hey said the majority of the recent burglaries were preventable, with power tools and outboard motors being stolen from unlocked sheds.

Sgt Hey said while burglaries were on the up in New Norfolk, assaults were down.

Work on a new police station in New Norfolk is expected to start in the new year and two additional police officers will be appointed by Christmas and a further two by 2022.