The summer iteration of Operation Shore Safe has concluded, with high engagement and a focus on education across coastal communities from the Central Coast to Port Stephens.
Launched in October 2025, Operation Shore Safe is a joint initiative between Traffic and Highway Patrol Command and the Northern Region, designed to address increased motor vehicle, e-micromobility, and pedestrian activity during the peak visitor season.
Throughout the operation, solo motorcycle officers - supported by unmarked highway patrol vehicles, trail bikes, e-bikes and bicycle patrols - were strategically deployed to supplement local police and highway patrol resources.
A major focus of the operation remained education around the safe and legal use of e-micromobility devices.
Officers engaged with hundreds of riders, including young people, and frequently contacted parents and carers to provide advice, safety information, and support in identifying illegal or dangerous modifications.
Across the summer period of the operation:
- 1325 legal processes were initiated, including infringements and formal cautions
- 22 traffic-related charges were laid
- 11 Prescribed Concentration of Alcohol (PCA) charges were laid
- Police conducted extensive engagement with e-bike riders across coastal communities
Newcastle-Hunter Sector Highway Patrol Chief Inspector Thomas Barnes said community engagement remained one of the operation's strongest successes.
"Every deployment over summer showed us how willing the community is to engage with police," Chief Inspector Barnes said.
"Our officers spoke with countless e-bike riders - many of them young people - and worked closely with parents and carers who genuinely want to keep their kids safe.
"Even small, seemingly harmless modifications can make an e-bike unsafe or illegal, and those conversations have been crucial in preventing harm.
"We're pleased with the progress so far and grateful for the overwhelmingly positive response from residents and visitors. Our focus remains the same: reducing road trauma and making sure everyone gets home safely."
Traffic North Highway Patrol Commander, Superintendent Julie Boon, said the operation continued to deliver on its core objectives of visibility, education, and enforcement.
"Operation Shore Safe is about smart, proactive policing," Superintendent Boon said.
"By combining high-visibility patrols, targeted enforcement, and meaningful community engagement, we're reducing risks on roads, shared paths, and in busy pedestrian areas during one of the most challenging times of the year."
Despite the summer iteration of the operation concluding, the next phase of Operation Shore Safe will continue in coming months, with police maintaining a high-visibility presence in key coastal areas to address safety risks associated with high visitor numbers, increased pedestrian activity, and the growing use of e-micromobility devices.
Police continue to urge all road users - drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and e-bike riders - to follow the rules, stay alert, and look out for one another.
