IN an unexpected turn of events during a retirement celebration at a local hotel on Friday, February 16, off-duty officers from Forrestfield police station found themselves thrust into the role of unexpected crime witnesses.

The celebration was in honour of a veteran police officer who had served an impressive 35 years.

At around 7.30pm, the festive atmosphere at the Kalamunda Hotel took a dramatic turn as the attention of approximately 30 off-duty officers was drawn to the front of the hotel.

A high-powered black Ford Mustang left a trail of smoke, executing a series of burnouts, estimated to include about five donuts, before speeding away towards Lesmurdie.

The audacious driver’s actions unfolded amidst a heavy presence of patrons, including Forrestfield officer in charge senior sergeant Brad Robinson and a large group of off-duty police, in one of the most heavily surveilled areas of the district.

Astonishingly, many officers and patrons managed to record the culprit’s personal registration plate despite the billowing smoke.

Swift action followed, with the culprit’s prized Mustang seized the following morning, Saturday, February 17. The driver is now faced with the reality of future court appearances, the associated seizure costs, and the potential loss of his driver’s license.

According to senior sergeant Robinson, when the driver was questioned about the reckless behaviour, they expressed regret.

For senior sergeant Robinson, this conveys a strong message to the wider community, expressing frustration with anti-social hoon behaviour, burnouts, speed, and reckless trail bike activity on local roads.

“The wider community is fed up with the anti-social hoon behaviour, burnouts, speed, and the reckless trail bike activity on our roads,” he said.

He further warned that the Forrestfield and hills communities can expect to see greater law enforcement efforts, potentially including monitoring from air assets, to detect and stamp out such behaviour on the roads.

“Just remember any vehicle captured in hoon activity will be seized and a subsequent investigation into who was driving or riding,”  senior sergeant Robinson said.

He said the incident serves as a stark reminder of the commitment to maintaining road safety and curbing dangerous activities on our streets.