150 apprehensions for Operation TORIC

A 48-year-old Lyneham man arrested on Tuesday (22 November 2022) is the 150th apprehension made by ACT Policing’s Operation TORIC. 

The man was arrested on an outstanding warrant for previous offences.  

Senior Investigating Officer for Operation TORIC, Detective Inspector Shane Scott said the intelligence-led operation was having a marked effect on crime rates across the ACT. 

“Operation TORIC shows the impact proactive policing has. Since it started, 150 apprehensions, nearly ten a week, have been effected,” Detective Inspector Scott said.  

“Not only are we directly stopping recidivist behaviour by apprehending people, hopefully other people are reconsidering criminal behaviour.  

“Last week, the number of reported residential burglaries, commercial burglaries and stolen motor vehicles were all in the single-digit range. Putting it simply, fewer people are now committing these types of crime.” 

ACT Policing established Operation TORIC targeting recidivist offenders to address an increase in motor vehicle thefts and associated dangerous driving and other crimes in the ACT.  

The operation commenced on 1 August 2022, and the 150 apprehensions include 139 arrests. The other offenders were issued court attendance notices, fresh charged for previous offences, or summonsed to appear in court. 

A total of 355 charges have been laid, with three offence categories generating 133, or more than one-third. Drug driving offences accounted for 59, being where the driver returned a positive oral fluid analysis (OFA) result or refused to undertake an OFA; 32 charges arose from instances of driving while disqualified or suspended, and 42 from stealing a vehicle, riding in, or driving a stolen motor vehicle. 

Importantly, noting that Operation TORIC was established to target offenders already known to police, 44 people were on bail when they were apprehended, 19 were subject to good behaviour orders, a further three were on intensive correction orders, 24 were the subject of warrants for previous offences, and nine were on parole. 

Detective Inspector Scott said some have become familiar faces to his team. 

“Altogether, we’ve arrested 134 people, and many of those people are now off the streets, but unfortunately some of these repeat offenders have not changed their behaviour. 

“Of the people apprehended more than once, one man has been arrested four times by Operation TORIC officers. He is now in custody, awaiting trial. Fifteen others have been apprehended twice.” 

Operation TORIC is now an ongoing capability within ACT Policing. The team is now working more closely with our Proactive Intervention and Disruption Team and professional experts to develop strategies to break the cycle of recidivist behaviour and reoffending.  

Recent weekly statistics: 

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Media enquiries 

Police Media — (02) 5126 9070, act-police-media@afp.gov.au