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General News

10 September, 2024

Police commandeer helicopter to track stolen cars in Mount Isa

Six vehicles were stolen in a 10-hour period in Mount Isa last week.

By Troy Rowling

Mount Isa police used the help of the LifeFlight helicopter to track this blue Holden Commodoore, which was being driven erratically throughout the city on Thursday morning after it was stolen by two people.
Mount Isa police used the help of the LifeFlight helicopter to track this blue Holden Commodoore, which was being driven erratically throughout the city on Thursday morning after it was stolen by two people.

Police have defended its use of a LifeFlight helicopter in the hunt for stolen vehicles across the Mount Isa CBD last week, claiming the aircraft improved police response capabilities without impacting aeromedical needs or risking public safety.

Responding to social media criticism of the police’s decision to commandeer the LifeFlight helicopter to observe a stolen vehicle, Mount Isa-based Senior Sergeant Adrian Rieck said the use of the chopper enabled police to maintain public safety while tracking the offenders, who were driving the vehicle erratically through the city during the busy morning traffic.

Snr Sgt Rieck said it was rare for a stolen vehicle to be driven in Mount Isa during daylight hours.

“We are very good with our tyre deflation devices and usually by daylight we have apprehended most offenders, or they have gone to ground and dumped the vehicle,” he told North West Weekly.

“When they do continue to drive the vehicle in daylight – which is a rarity – the risk to the public does increase.

“We have agreements where we can request LifeFlight to assist us with observation and some other police methodologies to enable us to safely stop stolen motor vehicles. It is the same way we might use PolAir or a drone to help us – we used that helicopter and it gave us a lot of information – as a result those vehicles were quickly dumped and we had dog squads being coordinated, also obviously by air, and we were able to bring those offenders into custody.

“We have used the helicopter before and if we think there is a public safety risk for any reason, we have an arrangement with LifeFlight.”

Snr Sgt Rieck said the chopper was only available to police if it was not being used in its usual aeromedical role and it would be immediately diverted away from any police activities if another emergency arose.

The LifeFlight helicopter was deployed as police hunted down five young people who stole six vehicles during a 10-hour crime spree in Mount Isa last Thursday.

Police said three vehicles were stolen from businesses on Mica Creek Road and Miles Street, as well as a Camooweal home, between 1am and 3am, which were all abandoned after one of the vehicles was stopped by a police tyre deflation device.

At about 5.30am, a Nissan SUV was reported stolen from a Simpson Street address and was located abandoned shortly afterwards.

Police were called to Spinifex State College Junior Campus at around 7am, after a stolen Toyota Hilux had crashed through a schoolyard fence.

That vehicle was later used in an alleged robbery on West Street, where two people approached a woman and demanded her car keys. Police said the woman was then assaulted and her Holden Commodore was stolen.

The LifeFlight chopper was deployed at this point and could be seen hovering around the city lookout as it tracked the stolen Commodore, which crashed into a fence on Hillary Street at around 10:30am.

The two remaining offenders attempted to flee the scene but were soon stopped by officers from the dog squad.

It is understood at least one of the offenders was a “serious repeat offender” who had spent time in a youth detention facility.

Snr Sgt Rieck said police opposed bail to all youth offenders who posed a risk to community safety, however the final decision was a matter for the courts.

The spree came just hours after police wrapped up its much-spruiked Operation Whiskey Legion, which according to QPS, saw 83 people charged with 163 offences over nine days as Brisbane-based police temporarily swelled the officer ranks in the city.

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