Victoria Police will have a highly visible presence across our coastal areas as school leavers flock to these popular locations to celebrate their final year of schooling.
Schoolies is set to occur in Victoria from Saturday 28 November until 10 December and as they do every year, police will be focusing on ensuring a safe environment for everyone, including school leavers, local residents and the broader community.
Most school leavers do the right thing and celebrate safely, however in previous years police have seen some incidents involving underage drinking, as well as anti-social and drunken behaviour around licensed venues and accommodation.
While these issues will continue to be a focus for police, Schoolies is going to look a bit different this year due to the restrictions which have been put in place by the Chief Health Officer (CHO).
Ahead of this year’s celebrations, police ask that everyone familiarises themselves with these restrictions as they will have an impact on celebrations, particularly in relation to public and private gathering sizes.
Parents are also encouraged to have open and frank conversations with their children before they depart, ensuring they are aware of acceptable social behaviour, the risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption and taking drugs, and educated about the restrictions in place throughout Victoria.
Police will have increased patrols across popular locations such as the Surf Coast, Phillip Island and Mornington Peninsula and will not tolerate any behaviour that negatively impacts the community.
With many young drivers set to travel long distances on their own for the first time and at speeds they aren’t familiar with, police are imploring school leavers hitting our state’s roads to drive to the conditions, be courteous of others and aware of other road users so that everyone can get to their destinations safely.
Police will have a highly visible presence on the state’s roads and continue to run operations targeting speeding, drink and drug driving, people not wearing seatbelts, driver distraction which includes mobile phone use, and fatigue.
As noted by Assistant Commissioner Russell Barrett:
“We know that 2020 has been a very difficult year for everyone – none more so than our Year 12 students who have sadly missed out on a lot of milestone moments in their final year of schooling.”
“We understand many school leavers will be looking forward to celebrating the end of this huge year with their friends, however these celebrations must be held in a safe and responsible way that also adheres to the Chief Health Officer’s directions.”
“Police will continue to work closely with partner agencies, local councils and school leavers to make sure everyone has an enjoyable and safe time.”
