The 2023 Thrifty Newcastle 500 has come to an end with police praising the good behaviour of race goers.
A high-visibility police operation – NEWCASTLE 500 2023 – commenced last Thursday (9 March 2023) to ensure competitors, officials, the tens of thousands of race enthusiasts and the wider community were able to safely enjoy the event.
A contingent of general duties officers from Newcastle City Police District and across Northern Region, assisted by specialist police, from the Public Order and Riot Squad (PORS), Operations Support Groups (OSG), Dog Unit, PolAir, Licensing Police, Bicycle Unit, Youth Command (PCYC), Police Transport Command and Traffic & Highway Patrol Command were involved in the operation.
Yesterday (Sunday 12 March 2023), marked the end of the three-day supercar event which saw more than 160,000 racegoers gather around the Newcastle city racetrack.
Operation NEWCASTLE 500 Commander, Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna APM, praised the overall behaviour of attendees and the greater community during the supercars event.
“We are pleased to say that the vast majority of Newcastle 500 racegoers were a pleasure to have in the city, with most people being respectful towards others at the event,” Assistant Commissioner McKenna said.
“With minor exceptions, those who attended were well-behaved and cooperated with the directions of police, which allowed for the race and surrounding events to run safely.”
Incidents of note include:
- About 7pm on Saturday (11 March 2023), operation police responded to an altercation involving three males. Officers separated three men before two men, aged 21 and 22, were arrested. The younger man, from Belmont, was issued a court attendance notice for behave in offensive manner in public place and hinder or resist police officer in the execution of duty. He is due to appear at Newcastle Local Court on Thursday 20 April 2023. The older man, from Lake Macquarie, was issued a criminal Infringement notice for behave in offensive manner in public place.
- An acquaintance of the men, aged 24, was escorted to the police compound and searched, revealing a knife concealed in his clothing. The man was issued a court attendance notice for custody of knife in public place. He is due to appear at Newcastle Local Court on Thursday 13 April 2023.
