Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Strike Force Trident Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Bland says officers and patrol dogs have arrested 15 people over a spate of car thefts, tracking some offenders through mangroves

Transcript

Strike Force Trident Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Bland says officers and patrol dogs have arrested 15 people over a spate of car thefts, tracking some offenders through mangroves · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Yesterday we told you about Strikeforce Trident and the Dog
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Operations Unit working to secure the arrest of fifteen people
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: involved in separate property offenses. Now the work Store police
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: wigde through waste deep water into mangroves to arrest six
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: youths that were wanted over property offenses. Those arrests happened
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: on Tuesday night. And joining me on the line to
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: tell us a little bit more about it is Detective
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: Senior Sergeant Mark Bland. Good morning, hang on, let me
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: just make sure I've got that on. Good morning to you.
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: Good morning, Katy.
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  Speaker 1: God Now talk me through when these cars were stolen
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  Speaker 1: in the first instance.
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  Speaker 2: Well, in the first instance, Katie, it was early Tuesday morning.
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  Speaker 2: We had a vehicle stolen from your head. From there,
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  Speaker 2: that and another style of motor vehicle made its way
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: down to a service station in Acasia, where the vehicles
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: have rammed the front doors, causing extensive damage. Twelve offenders
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  Speaker 2: are captured on CCTV entering and round sacking the store,
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: stealing thousands of dollars worth of items. From there, they
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: made their way to a business premise in Winnelli, where
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  Speaker 2: they hot wide another vehicle rammed it into other vehicles
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  Speaker 2: in order to exit that premises, again causing unnecessary damage.
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  Speaker 2: They then proceeded throughout that morning to seal another five
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  Speaker 2: vehicles throughout the Greater Darent area. A bit later on
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  Speaker 2: that morning, we received information that one of the vehicles
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: was in bush Land out in the Nunama area. Ourselves,
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  Speaker 2: the operations Unit and traffic members attended that location where
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  Speaker 2: we recovered two of the vehicles and arrested seven offenders
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  Speaker 2: from those two vehicles. A bit later on, we then
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  Speaker 2: got another vehicle style of vehicle that was recovered in
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  Speaker 2: Daily River, with another two arrests made from that vehicle.
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  Speaker 2: So on all, we got nine arrests just from that
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  Speaker 2: early spree from that morning wow, which then culminated into yes,
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: I guess the second spree that occurred later on that evening.
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  Speaker 3: And talk us through that one.
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  Speaker 2: Well that funnily enough, we were just finishing up all
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  Speaker 2: those files for the first nine and we've got information
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  Speaker 2: that group of us were driving radically along through the
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  Speaker 2: Warner area. That vehicle ended up ramming another vehicle and
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  Speaker 2: was dumped and Wilner with the US running into an alley.
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  Speaker 2: The police CCTV operators observed the us and gave police
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  Speaker 2: their direction of travel. So while seeing one ali, they've
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  Speaker 2: broken into another business there and we're in the process
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  Speaker 2: of stealing. We're trying to steal more vehicles when police
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  Speaker 2: try and dog operations unit arrived, which saw the six
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  Speaker 2: flee across Tiger Brennan into the mangraves, and as you
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  Speaker 2: spoke about, the trian officers and the dog operations unit
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  Speaker 2: entered the mangraves, wading through wasteap water thankfully arrested the
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: six without incident or injury.
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: Toy On, Wow, I mean it's you would have to
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: suspect that it's a pretty dangerous situation to be in
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: them wading through that waste water in the mangroves.
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  Speaker 2: Oh absolutely, Katie, dark, very little light, the torches on.
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  Speaker 2: I think everyone's probably seen the body worn volage bone hour.
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  Speaker 2: But yeah, extremely dangerous circumstances for all involved them. Just
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  Speaker 2: thankfully and I was hurt.
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  Speaker 1: Now, how many vehicles were stolen in total.
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: Well, in that just that period, nine vehicles were stolen,
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  Speaker 2: and thankfully we recovered all night, so which was a
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: good result.
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  Speaker 1: That is, it is a good result and so lucky
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: that all of those were recovered.
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  Speaker 3: How badly damaged are they?
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  Speaker 2: Are? They very Some are quite badly damaged. Some aren't
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: it all much damage at all. It's the same old
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  Speaker 2: as we've spoken about a number of times, Katie. Yeah,
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  Speaker 2: it's the older model land cruises they're targeting, which we
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: spoke about last time. So it's hard to bang on
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: about it. But I have mentioned before about the wheelocks
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  Speaker 2: or immobilizers, so these older sort of tiertas, because it's
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  Speaker 2: quite a parent that's what they are targeting.
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: Somebody else had suggested to me, you know, could you
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  Speaker 1: put one of those those little apple air drops into
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  Speaker 1: your car? You know they and they can sort of
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: they can track where you are. I mean, if you
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  Speaker 1: have one of those in your vehicle, would it make
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  Speaker 1: it more more easy for the police to be able
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  Speaker 1: to locate the cars?
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  Speaker 2: Oh? Absolutely, Katie, that's that's a great idea. Highly recommend
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  Speaker 2: that because yes, that's in that vehicle, we'll be able
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  Speaker 2: to track it live wherever it's going.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, so it's an air tag. It's called my mistaken
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  Speaker 1: air tag air tag.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, that's right. Yeah, yeah, highly recommend it. Yeah, like
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  Speaker 2: I was saying, what said, is that car stole and
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  Speaker 2: you've got that in there, we'll be able to track
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  Speaker 2: it live.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, the rest And obviously, as you've touched on, they
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  Speaker 1: are targeting those older model land Cruisers by the look
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  Speaker 1: of things. Are they then being taken out into in
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  Speaker 1: some cases out into the community. I know that with
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  Speaker 1: the nine the you've that you've obviously been able to
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  Speaker 1: you know, to get back this time round. They didn't
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  Speaker 1: make it out to the communities by the sounds of it.
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  Speaker 1: But is that an issue that you're still grappling with.
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  Speaker 3: At the moment.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it is, Kadie. It's quite apparent that most of
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  Speaker 2: these vehicles are heading back out towards communities.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, I was sent some photos of young people
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  Speaker 1: in stolen cars over the weekend, sort of posing with
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  Speaker 1: those stolen vehicles. They in one case had one of
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  Speaker 1: those vehicles in water in what looks like a creek
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  Speaker 1: and and you know, comments like if the police you know,
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  Speaker 1: subbed onto those photos, it must be frustrating for you guys.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah it is. And we saw that too where these
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  Speaker 2: vehicles were stolen when ELI they had tagged a lot
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  Speaker 2: of the other vehicles with f TP. Yeah we know
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  Speaker 2: what that means. Yes, Yeah, it's just sort of having
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  Speaker 2: a go as well, isn't it. Yeah, it is quite frustrating.
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  Speaker 2: But to put those two I don't know if this
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  Speaker 2: was covered, but they're initially like we said, there was
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: fifteen at that first lot, well, there was second one
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  Speaker 2: where we grabbed six. I were actually involved with that
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  Speaker 2: first free as well. So the whole fifteen of them
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  Speaker 2: came in together and basically ran a muck for that
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  Speaker 2: twenty four hours where they tried to steal as many
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  Speaker 2: vehicles as possibly could.
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  Speaker 3: Unbelievable. So talk us through as well. Now with all of.
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: Those that have been arrested, are they like, are they
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  Speaker 1: reminded in custody or is it sort of varying depending
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: on the offenses and the ages.
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's right. Okay, we've got a couple that were
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  Speaker 2: released for diversion consideration. Three of those we had poor
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: youth that were bailed like yesterday afternoon, and the remainder
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  Speaker 2: were reminded at this stage.
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  Speaker 3: Okay.
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  Speaker 2: Out of the fifteen of culminated, one hundred and sixty
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  Speaker 2: charges being.
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  Speaker 3: Made, one hundred and sixty charges one hundred and.
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  Speaker 2: Sixty charges across the fifteen arrests here. Wow, they have
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  Speaker 2: caused some significant damage in proper related crime in that period.
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  Speaker 1: It sounds that way now for those who have just
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: joined us. We are joined of course on the show
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: by Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Bland, who's just talking us
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  Speaker 1: through these arrests that occurred yesterday with fifteen people obviously arrested,
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: one hundred and sixty charges laid. It sounds like it's
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: been a massive job for you guys. It was.
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it was a very very big period. We've got
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: the fifteen arrests obviously in that twelve hour period, which
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: was a very very quick result, and got the nine
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: casts back. But it's all out for stuff that goes
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: with it, the collection of the CCTV in the file
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: preparation and the other follow ups. So it is a lot,
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  Speaker 2: a lot of work and we're still actually working on
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  Speaker 2: it today. The whole team still used to work on
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: it today.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, now, a lot of work and at the moment
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  Speaker 1: it does seem as though we've got an issue again
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  Speaker 1: within the community or within Darwin. I don't know how
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  Speaker 1: fast spread it is like out to the rural area
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  Speaker 1: as well, but we are seeing quite a lot large
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: number of cars stolen, or it feels that way.
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  Speaker 3: If you.
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  Speaker 1: You know, if you look on social media and if
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  Speaker 1: you go by the people that are contacting us here
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  Speaker 1: at the radio station.
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  Speaker 3: Have we seen a bit of a spike in car thefts?
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, okay, we have. We have seen a spike,
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  Speaker 2: and like I said, it's mainly those old the Toyota
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  Speaker 2: lane cruises, so they are being targeted. There are other
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: car style, of course, but the majority are these older
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: model in cruises. It's been probably the last month or so,
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: probably two months that we have seen an increase in
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  Speaker 2: those vehicles being targeted. But like you said, that air
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  Speaker 2: drop was.
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  Speaker 3: It Yeah, air tag yep, air.
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  Speaker 2: Tag, steering lock. It mobilizes anything you can do to
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  Speaker 2: secure a car a bit better. Especially I've got the
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: older model Toyotas, which, like I said, they seem to
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  Speaker 2: be driving around on that night. They just seem to
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  Speaker 2: be driving around looking for these older model cars and
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  Speaker 2: that's why they stole so many of them.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, goodness, May And I know that we are sort
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: of about to head into the Christmas period as well.
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  Speaker 1: It is a time where, you know where sometimes we
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: see a bit of a spike in that property crime
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  Speaker 1: and al so, I'm assuming the likes of car thefts.
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  Speaker 1: What is your advice for Territorians, particularly if they're planning
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: on heading away and you know, on leaving their cars
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: at home.
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: Yeah, we'll just just immobilize it if you can. Obviously
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: you take your car keys with you, don't leave them
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: at home in case your house does get broken into.
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: If you can have a security camera setup, always tell
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: your neighbors when you're leaving and when you're coming back.
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: Get them to take the mail out of your mailbox.
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  Speaker 2: It doesn't look like you know, if you've got to
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  Speaker 2: keep a mail in the mailbox, people usually know that
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  Speaker 2: you're not home. Get friends to pop round every day
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: or second day just to make sure everything's in order.
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: And just report back whilst you're on holidays, and just
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: make sure that all your properties intact while you're away,
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: taking you do all your holidays.
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, well detective seeing your Sergeant Mark Bland from
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: Strikeforce Trident. We always appreciate your time. Thank you very
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: much for having a chat with us this morning. And
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: you know, well done to the Northern Territory Police too,
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: all of you guys for guys and girls capturing and
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: arresting those fifteen people involved in those property offenses, one
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: hundred and sixty charges laid. Yeah, thank you very much
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: for your time this morning.
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: Thank you, Katie, and if I don't speak to you beforehand,
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: I hope yourself and your listeners and all your families
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: have a wonderful Christmas and please stay safe over that
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: period you too.
• 10:22
  Speaker 3: Thanks so much, Blandye, we appreciate it.