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Crime and anti-social behaviour has fallen dramatically at the Casuarina Shopping and Commercial Precinct since the opening of a Police Beat, the Police Minister Paul Henderson announced today.

 

Mr Henderson said the success of the Casuarina Police Beat is an important part of the Territory Government’s aim to deliver improved community safety for Territorians.

 

He said for the six months before the Police Beat opened in mid-December last year, there were 1620 reported incidents in the precinct compared to 1232 in the six months after it opened.

 

“Police Beats play an important role in the community by solving problems, making arrests and keeping our streets safer,” Mr Henderson said.

 

“They are an important addition to the service our police stations provide to Territorians.

 

“Being on the spot has meant incidents are managed and resolved quickly, leading to a significant drop in offences being reported to police.”

 

The Casuarina Shopping and Commercial Precinct includes Casuarina Village, Casuarina Shopping Centre, the Casuarina Library and the Cascom Commercial Centre.

 

Mr Henderson said some of the notable decreases in reports include:

 

• Anti-social behaviour from 38 to 13
• Assaults including aggravated assaults from 45 to 28
• Disorderly behaviour from 17 to 4
• Criminal damage from 50 to 35
• General disturbances from 346 to 221
• Public drunkenness from 308 to 274
• Liquor offences in a public place from 106 to 46

 

Mr Henderson said there had been a small rise in shop stealing from 62 reports to 73 but Police put that down to increased reporting because of the close proximity of the Police Beat.

 

“These figures are extremely positive and reflect highly on the great work of Senior Constable Mick Read and this team at the Casuarina Police Beat,” he said.

 

“Feedback from the public, key stakeholders and traders has also been positive.

“A Casuarina Shopping Centre survey of retailers three months after the Casuarina Police Beat opened found 75% of respondents agreed it had created a safer environment for customers.”

The Centre Manager of Casuarina Square Ben Gill said: “We are proud to have partnered with our neighbours Casuarina Village, the Casuarina Club, the Cascom Centre, as well as the NT Government, in this crime prevention strategy.

 

“The feedback received from our community, customers and retailers has been extremely positive and we are committed to working with the NT Government to improve our community.”

 

The Northern Territory Government has recently opened a Police Beat in Alice Springs, with plans to open another Police Beat in Palmerston by Christmas.

 

Mr Henderson said the Government’s election commitment was to deliver five police beats in four years at Casuarina, Alice Springs, Parap, Palmerston and Karama.

 

 

Media contact: Geoff Fraser 0407 360256

Related files:
Microsoft 090921 Cas Police Beat.pdf ( 348.51 kb )