NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione was joined by NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Police, Troy Grant, to launch a unique safety campaign to help reduce the NSW road toll.
The video campaign was delivered through a number of children – together sharing 85 years of wisdom – with an important message to all road users.
To date, 200 people have lost their lives on NSW roads in 2016 – compared with 161 fatalities this time last year.
Commissioner Scipione said every life lost to road trauma is an unnecessary tragedy and as these figures demonstrate, the message simply isn’t getting through to NSW road users. “Today is about renewing our perception of road safety and remembering what real impact the road toll has on everyday Australians. People like you and me,” Commissioner Scipione said. “We’ve heard from the mouths of children what impact a fatal crash can have – for them it could be the loss of a parent – the breakdown of their family. “If they understand the risks, then surely we can too. There is no deadline, no phone call, no distraction that matters more than your safety or the safety of other road users,” Commissioner Scipione said. “The Traffic and Highway Patrol Command are a group of highly trained officers who conduct daily traffic enforcement duties and work hard to keep our roads safe. “They’re equipped with the latest technologies and cutting-edge resources to target drink and drug-driving, speeding offences, seat belt use and driver distraction,” Commissioner Scipione said. “Our hope is that every road user walks away and re-evaluates their attitude to road safety – because when it comes down to it – it’s as simple as child’s play.”
Deputy Premier and Minister for Police Troy Grant said this campaign follows a record budget aimed at targeting the increase in deaths on NSW roads. “The reality is as a community we’ve become complacent and we’ve come to accept people will die on our roads and that’s a tragedy in itself,” Mr. Grant said. “The NSW Government has continued our commitment to fund extra high-visibility police enforcement and police vehicles with a massive $25 million investment in 2016-17. “This will help deliver the NSW Government’s commitment to increase roadside drug testing and carry out 97,400 tests by 2017. “We want the community to remember that every road death is someone’s friend or family member – not just a number. “The NSW Government has also allocated an additional $5.2 million to focus on road safety education in early childhood centers and schools. “It’s crucial road safety is taught to children from a young age and this commitment alongside this campaign will continue to see these important education programs delivered to children across NSW,” Mr. Grant said.
NSWPF ‘freezin for a reason’ to raise funds for Law Enforcement Torch Run
NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione joined 56 fellow swimmers for a hair-raising plunge into Bondi Icebergs today to help raise money for the Law Enforcement Torch Run.
Each swimmer – including more than 50 senior NSW Police Officers – has been working hard to engage sponsors in recent weeks, with more than $80,146.00 raised for the charity, to date.
Participants began their icy dips from 1.45pm this afternoon (Saturday 25 June 2016), during which each swimmer was challenged to jump into Bondi Icebergs and swim the width of the iconic pool.
NSW Police have been active supporters of The Law Enforcement Torch Run since it was established in 2006. The charity supports intellectually disabled people living in NSW via their participation in the Special Olympics, which gives people opportunities to achieve personal goals through sports training and competitions across Australia.
Commissioner Scipione said he was proud to take part in the challenge with his fellow swimmers, including the Governor of NSW, his Excellency General the Honorable David Hurley AC DSC. “The icy temperatures certainly tested the courage of every swimmer this afternoon, and my fellow officers, but at the end of the day it was all for a great cause,” Commissioner Scipione said. “I’m very passionate about the Special Olympics and the wonderful work they do in granting intellectually disabled people the opportunity to set and achieve personal goals through sporting activities. Commissioner Scipione said. “The fundraising efforts have been absolutely fantastic and I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together in 2017.”
Learn more about the Law Enforcement Torch Run by visiting: https://www.facebook.com/letrnsw/?fref=ts
The Indian Telegraph Sydney Australia
