The Casuarina Police Beat Office formally opened on 15 December 2008 with the aims of combating anti-social behaviour and property crime in the Casuarina Shopping Precinct, providing a high-visibility, proactive police presence and increasing the confidence of administrative stakeholder, retailers and the general public.
The Police Beat Office is staffed by four full time General Duties' officers and two Auxiliaries assisting with front counter enquiries. One hundred and sixty patrol hours per week per member is conducted and the Police Beat office is open for business during the same hours as the Complex itself.
These Police Beat members are additional resources - not sourced from or depleting staff numbers at other police stations.
It is clear from the volume of positive feedback received from the public, retailers and Casuarina Square management that the community feels safer since the opening of the Police Beat Office.
The two most common observations made to police by the public are:
Shoppers now feel far less likely to be harassed or intimidated when entering or leaving the area; and
The sight of an intoxicated person wandering the Casuarina Square Complex is now very rare
The model presented by this successful Police Beat Office is set to be replicated in mid to late 2009 with similar police beats in Alice Springs, Nightcliff, Karama, Parap, Palmerston and the Bagot Community.
These members are providing some good daily results and since the opening of the office the following results have been achieved:
As at 16 Feb:
Offenders summonsed 18
Written warnings issued (to juveniles) 6
Offenders arrested 33
Persons moved on 1014
Litres of alcohol tipped out 415
Trespass Notices issued 10
Protective custody apprehensions 130
"We are very pleased with the results from the Police Beat Office to date, and continue to receive fantastic and positive feedback from retailers and members of the public, "said Senior Sergeant John Ginnane, Officer in Charge of Casuarina Police Station.
"By taking a partnership approach to an on-going problem through the Police Beat concept, we've seen a real drop in anti-social behaviour and at the same time we have the capability to be constantly proactive.
"Through long experience we've found that nothing beats the physical presence of police on the beat - and at Casuarina that's what we have and that's what we plan to keep."
Media Contact:
Sue Bradley
8922 3531
