News

Still probing reason for blaze in unit

MORE than 20 firefighters battled a unit fire which broke out shortly before 8am last Thursday on Railway Street, Granville.

Firies saw large amounts of smoke while en route and when they arrived, found smoke and flames issuing from a unit on the second level of the three-level unit block.
They quickly extinguished the fire, containing it to the one unit.
No one was injured and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Covid positive man fined $1000
A MAN from Granville who was issued with a $1000 PIN and directed to return home was allegedly not home when police conducted a compliance check.
On Saturday, July 24, as part of a proactive operation targeting people attending a protest in Sydney, police stopped the 35-year-old man at Central Station, who was allegedly breaching stay at home orders, and fined him $1000 and directed him to return home.
The following morning, the man tested positive to Covid-19 and was directed by NSW Health to self-isolate.
Last Friday morning, police went to his home to conduct a compliance check, where they were told he was at a work site in Parramatta. Subsequent inquiries revealed the man was not at work but was located at a home at Constitution Hill.

Crackdown on check-in orders
POLICE are conducting a compliance crackdown on the use of QR check-in and face masks in and around supermarkets and large retail premises.
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller says there is no reasonable excuse that members of the wider community are not adhering to current health orders and using the QR check in and wearing face masks.
NSW police will have a zero-tolerance approach to members of the public and businesses breaching these orders.
Recent heath advice has shown that supermarkets and large retail stores are a known source of concern when it comes to spreading Covid-19.
Businesses not complying with the QR checking system will receive a $5000 fine. Members of the public who fail to check in using the QR code will be fined a total of $1000. Not wearing a face mask carries a fine of $500.

SMS alert to find missing faster
A TARGETED SMS text system adapted to help the NSW Police Force find vulnerable missing people, has been welcomed by Minister for Police and Emergency Services, David Elliott, in National Missing Persons Week 2021.
Mr Elliott said it was yet another tool now available to the Force, with the NSW Government backing detectives with increased rewards which can be offered when other traditional options have been exhausted, or to complement investigative strategies.
The geo-specific messaging system sends an SMS alert to mobile phones within a specific geographic area describing the missing person and including a link to their image.
It enables people within the key area to help police by being their eyes and ears in the community, and they know it works; since the system began in March this year, many have been found within hours, sometimes minutes, of an SMS being sent.
The system operates within specific guidelines and is designed to be utilised for vulnerable high-risk missing persons, such as children, those with disabilities including dementia, or those who have difficulty communicating.
State Crime Command Director, Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett, said the geo-targeting system was an invaluable tool for locating missing people in real-time.
“We thank the community for their assistance in these matters and want to take the opportunity to let the public know that these messages are legitimate and will always come from the same mobile number, +61 444 444 444,” Det Ch Supt Bennett.
“While the vast majority of people reported missing are found by police within the first 24 hours, there are long-term cases that remain open and under investigation.”