WA Police get extra powers to immediately dispose of alcohol in Carnarvon to stamp out sly grogging

Police have been given extra powers to crack down on sly groggers in Carnarvon following the introduction of some of the country’s toughest liquor restrictions, which town leaders say have reduced crime significantly and turned the community around. Racing and Gaming Minister Reece Whitby on Monday announced new regulations giving police the power to dispose of alcohol immediately if a person is found to be exceeding carriage limits during a vehicle search. The crackdown on sly groggers comes as Carnarvon was slapped with the State’s strongest alcohol restrictions in May after a booze-fuelled crime wave prompted urgent calls for action. It targets people who sell large quantities of alcohol to vulnerable people in the community at inflated prices. Similar regulations were introduced in the Kimberley in 2021. The legal carriage limits are one carton of beer, cider or mixed spirits, or three bottles of wine, or 1L of spirits or fortified wine or a combination of two products, per adult in a vehicle per day. Cars that are transporting more than five passengers are only allowed to carry alcohol for five people. As well as having the alcohol confiscated, anyone found to be flouting the regulations can face a maximum fine of up to $10,000. Mr Whitby said the regulations would be a “deterrent for those who prey on the vulnerable by illegally selling alcohol at inflated prices”. “The new regulations will give police the power to crack down on sly groggers who trade in misery by supplying the alcohol that fuels family violence, crime and chaos,” he said. An analysis of publicly available crime statistics showed a 20 per cent increase in offences reported across Carnarvon suburbs between 2021-22 and the last financial year. Police Minister Paul Papalia on Monday said it was “early days” but anecdotally there had been some “very promising indications that crime is reducing significantly as a consequence of the restrictions”. Mid West-Gascoyne Superintendent Steve Post said early indications suggested liquor restrictions can be “directly linked to a significant reduction in crime within the local community”. Supt Post said an increase in crime rates in any town was concerning but he was confident his officers were equipped to respond to the needs of the community. “We will continue to work with various external stakeholders to determine what further changes can be made to reduce crime in Carnarvon and keep the community safe,” he said. Supt Post said police could not confirm whether the grog was coming from Geraldton or from towns closer to Carnarvon. “I can’t say with any certainty but we will be conducting operations that can determine that in the future,” he said. Al’s Liquor Bottlemart Carnarvon manager Nathan Condo said he knew of community members accessing large quantities of alcohol from out of town and online. “People are driving up from Geraldton with it, coming down from Karratha with it,” he said. “It’s coming in from everywhere, you can order it online, it comes through the post.” Shire of Carnarvon president Eddie Smith — who has previously been vocal about violence and anti-social behaviour plaguing the town, which he once described as looking “like a war zone” — said alcohol restrictions had an “immediate effect”. Mr Smith, who quit as the chair of the town’s liquor accord amid division in the group weeks after the restrictions were introduced, said there were “areas of Carnarvon which, historically, the streets were covered in glass which aren’t now and haven’t been for some time”. “The entire town looks and feels quieter,” he said “It’s a great place to live at the moment. “It has made a significant difference. Unfortunately, we’ve had to get vocal about it and it’s made a difference. “I actually had one guy ... he contacted me two weeks ago to tell me that for the first time in five years, he’d gone through a week ... a full seven days where he hadn’t had a rock thrown at his house ... hadn’t been verbally abused.”