Pesky Canberrans were being blamed for summer crime at Batemans Bay, The Canberra Times reported on this day 35 years ago.
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Holidaymakers from the ACT were responsible for more than three times the number of charges being laid against people in Batemans Bay compared to the same period last year, a police officer told the newspaper.
Sergeant Adrian Godschaix said 69 charges had been laid, compared to 18 at the same point the previous year, and most of those charged were from Canberra.
Most of the charges related to drink driving and marijuana, with others charged for malicious damage to shire council property, offensive behaviour, bending road signs, stealing motor-vehicle parts and swearing in public.
The bad behaviour, coupled with holiday period policing efforts, made for a weighty court list. Although the court would not sit for another five days, it already had 200 charges listed for mention.
Some, sergeant Godschaix conceded, would be Canberrans sprung by a lower blood-alcohol limit for driving in NSW than in the ACT. In NSW, it was already 0.05 in 1985, but it was still 0.08 in the ACT.
People were probably drinking no more over the festive season, but more were being caught, the sergeant said.
Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
