Insp John Peirce, of Albury police, yesterday confirmed the city’s troops would join their counterparts across the country in Operation Unite on December 11 and 12.

Twelve extra officers from highway patrol, the proactive deployment unit and the licensing division will be assigned to patrol the city’s streets on the Friday and Saturday nights of the national blitz.

“It’s high-visibility policing specifically targeting anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related offences, leading up to the Christmas break and the holiday period to again remind people to drink and act responsibly,” Insp Peirce said.

“All high-visibility policing operations are two-pronged: one, it’s obviously to identify and apprehend persons committing offences and two, it’s also (about) making people feel safer on the streets.”

Insp Peirce said licensing infringements would be penalised in the city’s pubs and clubs and drink-drivers would be targeted on the roads.

The duty officer said beat police conducted patrols and walk-throughs in the city every weekend but were called away when jobs came up.

“When our general duties police get a noise complaint or an accident ... that’s where they go to,” Insp Peirce said.

“These police will be specifically tasked to the CBD — they won’t be doing the general jobs that come through.”

It has not yet been confirmed if Wodonga or Wangaratta will take part in the blitz, although Victoria and all other states and territories of Australia, as well as New Zealand, have signed on to Operation Unite.

Extra police will flood Melbourne, Bendigo and Ballarat but a Victoria Police spokesman yesterday said it was not known if the North East cities would feature in the blitz.

“At this stage it’s dependent on the situation; they are maintaining flexibility if they have to go somewhere else,” he said.