A man will face court today following an attempted armed robbery in the State’s Southern Tablelands.

About 4pm yesterday (Friday 1 July 2016), a 37-year-old man entered a business on Laidlaw Street, Yass.

Police have been told the man approached a female employee and demanded drugs.

The man produced a modified razor and threatened the store manager.

At this point, two police officers attached to The Hume Local Area Command, entered the business and witnessed the attempted robbery.

The officers secured the weapon and arrested the man.

He was taken to Yass Police Station where he was charged with attempted armed robbery.

The 37-year-old man was refused bail and will appear in Goulburn Local Court today (Saturday 2 July 2016).

Police have arrested two people following investigations into two building fires in Goulburn yesterday.

About 8pm (Monday 27 June 2016), emergency services were called to a commercial building on Auburn Street where a fire had broken out on the second floor.

NSW Fire & Rescue officers worked to extinguish the blaze which had engulfed the building.

The property sustained extensive damage.

Officers on scene were alerted to a second fire, about 200 meters away, which had broken out in a vacant building on Verner Street. This fire was quickly brought under control by fire crews with the building sustaining minimal damage.

Both fires were deemed to be suspicious.

Following investigations, two teenagers aged 17 and 19 were arrested and taken to Goulburn Police Station.

They were each charged with destroy property by fire in company x 2, aggravated break and enter to commit serious indictable offence and aggravated enter dwelling with intent.

The 19-year-old man was refused bail to appear at Goulburn Local Court today (Tuesday 28 June 2016), while the teenage boy was refused bail to appear at a Children’s Court.

Police are appealing for information after a kangaroo was allegedly attached to the back of a vehicle and driven through Goulburn last night.

Officers from The Hume Local Area Command located the animal at the intersection of Auburn and Montague streets at about 11.40pm last night (26 June 2016).

Police have been told that the kangaroo was attached to the back of a green Nissan Pulsar and driven through the township of Goulburn before two occupants of the car cut the animal free and the car fled.

Police from The Hume Local Area Command are currently working alongside a number of people to determine whether the kangaroo was alive before being attached to the vehicle, and are urging anyone with information to come forward.

A week into the ‘Dob in a Dealer’ campaign in The Hume Local Area Command (LAC), police and Crime Stoppers are urging residents to show their support in stamping out the spread of illicit drugs.

The Commonwealth-funded campaign is currently taking place within States and Territories across Australia.

In NSW, the campaign is being held in 21 metropolitan and regional LACs over a six-month period between March and September 2016.

It will run in each LAC for two weeks, during which local residents will be urged to help police shut down drug-manufacturing syndicates and arrest drug suppliers by reporting relevant information to Crime Stoppers.

Since the launch of The Hume LAC campaign last Monday (20 June 2016), local officers have been out in the community distributing information and educating the public on how they can support the campaign.

The Hume Local Area Commander, Acting Superintendent Andrew Koutsoufis, urged the community to get behind ‘Dob in a Dealer’ as the campaign continues this week.

“Our officers will continue their work this week in sharing information with members of the community about how they can support this important campaign,” A/Supt Koutsoufis said.

“They’ll be spending time at transport hubs, speaking with commuters and local residents and educating people on how they can report information to Crime Stoppers.

“I’d like to remind everyone not to underestimate the positive contribution you can make through a simple call to Crime Stoppers – if we know what’s happening in your neighbourhood we can take action,” A/Supt Koutsoufis said.

“Prohibited drugs – including ‘ice’ – continue to have a devastating impact on our community. Regular use of these substances can lead to the disruption of careers, family breakdown and it can isolate users from their family and friends.

“These drugs do not discriminate; they can affect people from both disadvantaged and affluent social and economic backgrounds,” A/Supt Koutsoufis said.

“There is simply no place for these substances in our community. But if we work together, we can detect those who seek to manufacture and supply these drugs, and in doing so make our neighbourhoods a safer place.”

Crime Stoppers NSW CEO, Peter Price, said drugs can have devastating consequences for the whole community, and putting a stop to the flow of drugs requires a whole-of-community response.

“Local residents often hold the key to information that can help reduce crime, and we are asking people who live within The Hume LAC to play an active role and report those people that are bringing harmful drugs into the area,” Mr Price said.

“If you have already reported something to Crime Stoppers, we thank you; if you have not and know something, we ask that you let us know immediately.

“By making that one anonymous phone call or online report, you could save not only your community from drugs, but also someone’s life,” Mr Price said.

Police from Albury Local Area Command have released details of a man they are seeking in relation to outstanding warrants.

Eric Williams, 31, is wanted by virtue of three outstanding warrants.

The first warrant was issued in April 2016 relating to break and enter offences. The remaining two warrants were issued by the Albury Local Court in May 2016, for assault, and traffic offences.

Eric Williams is described as being Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance, about 165cm to 170cm tall with olive skin and a medium build. He has short black hair which could be shaved and may have black facial hair.

Mr Williams is known to frequent the areas of North Albury, Glenroy and Lavington.

A TRUCK driver has narrowly avoided serious injuries after running off the side of the Hume Highway.

The white Xtra Transport Services B-double had been travelling southbound on Thursday night.

The vehicle left the right side of the road about 10pm and collided with several trees before coming to a stop in the median strip.

The incident occurred several kilometres south of Holbrook and the 55-year-old driver was taken to Albury hospital.

The man had non-life threatening injuries.

The accident occurred in wet conditions and the truck became bogged down to its axles in dirt and mud.

Heavy haulage equipment was brought in for a lengthy removal process which required the southbound lanes of the road to be closed to traffic for a short period of time.

The towing job was made more difficult by the wet weather.

The driver from the Sydney-based company had narrowly avoided several large trees but the truck cabin was damaged by smaller trees and bushes.

Police attended the scene and helped with traffic control as the area was cleared.

The crash was one of several incidents emergency services have responded to in recent days as extensive rain and strong winds caused problems.

A man, charged with escaping a southern NSW correctional centre yesterday, called emergency services as he believed he was suffering from hypothermia.

It will be alleged an inmate escaped the centre at Tumbarumba some time between 3.15pm and 5pm yesterday (Friday 24 June 2016).

Police were contacted and a search for the missing inmate began.

About 9.50pm, police responded to a Trri[ple Zero call made from a phone booth at Jingellic.

A 30-year-old man was arrested without incident.

He was charged with escaping lawful custody and refused bail. The 30-year-old man will be appearing in Albury Local Court today. .

Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn, Specialist Operations, today urged the community in Cootamundra to share with police the responsibility of reducing road trauma.

“Don’t let the road take its toll, 16 people have died from your community since the beginning of 2015,” Deputy Commissioner Burn said.

“Take a moment to think about that. 16 fathers, mothers, sons and daughters lost.

“That is why we’re here today. We care and we have come here to show you we are together in this, we are united in your pain and we need you to share the responsibility of reducing road trauma.

“We are embarking on a journey through country NSW and starting here today to show our commitment to safer journeys and appeal for your help.

“Our officers will do all they can, and we want you, the driver, passenger, rider and pedestrian to do what you can to achieve that result,” Deputy Commissioner Burn said.

“Tight-knit communities such as this one feel the pain perhaps even more deeply when tragedy strikes. There might be someone here who has lost a loved one on the road and that loss leaves a mark on an entire community for a very long time.

“194 people have died on NSW roads this year. It’s not enough to hear us, we need you to act, to work with us to end this tragic, and often avoidable, loss of life on our roads.

“Let’s all slow down, not drink or take drugs and drive, ignore the mobile phone, buckle up, take frequent rests and watch out for each other.

“We understand that driving on country roads is different than driving on city roads.

• Drive to the conditions, not just the speed limit.
• It takes longer to stop on gravel roads and it’s easy to lose control.
• Expect the unexpected. Tractors or animals might be just around the corner.
• Don’t swerve for animals. Brake, flash lights and use the vehicle’s horn.
• Remember, country road conditions change rapidly.

“This is not about fines, demerit points, suspensions or infringements. This is about the difference between living and dying, life and incapacitation.

“This is a plea to every road user to do the right thing, to arrive safe to the family.

“It is a plea for patience, common sense, sound judgement and wise decisions.

“We are conducting more drug and alcohol tests utilizing more kits;

“We have dedicated officers working around the clock to reduce road trauma;

“We have safer cars and better roads;

“But they are all in vain if we don’t take personal responsibility on our roads,” Deputy Commissioner Burn said.

A HIGH-speed police chase ended on the Hume Highway with an empty tank of fuel and two people in custody.

A white Ford sedan with a 26-year-old Geelong driver and 19-year-old Albury passenger first came to police attention about 8am on Tuesday.

The car had been travelling at high speed on the Murchison-Violet Town Road and was not pursued due to the conditions.

It was later seen travelling north on the Hume Highway at 150km/h about 9am, then on the Midland Highway heading to Benalla.

Police engaged and terminated pursuits several times before spotting the car near the northbound Glenrowan service station about 9.20am.

The vehicle had run out of fuel at the bottom of a hill.

The Geelong woman and Albury man have been charged.

Senior Constable Stuart Pritchard said the car was in poor condition with damaged tyres and panels.

He said the driver had been inexperienced and was a danger to the community.