Published Monday, 28 July, 2008 at 09:46 AM
Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Sport
The Honourable Judy Spence
Extra police and civilian officers on the job in Maroochydore
Police Minister Judy Spence said policing in the Maroochydore area has received a major boost, with five extra police officers and nine new civilians taking up duties in the area in the past month.
Ms Spence said: "The Maroochydore area is a busy tourist destination and the provision of these additional officers and civilians ensures police in this district can continue to keep the community safe.
"The five additional general duties officers are now working out of the Mooloolaba Police Beat, taking the total number of officers rostered at the beat to ten officers.
"Officers in this beat are doing a great job of reducing and preventing alcohol related crime in the nightclub precinct.
"With ten officers now rostered to the beat, police will continue to work with local licensees and community groups to manage patrons in the popular entertainment precinct.”
Maroochydore Division, which includes the Mooloolaba precinct, has seen a 16% reduction in grievous assaults and 14% reduction in assaults occasioning bodily harm in the past 12 months, together with a 50% reduction in robbery offences.
Ms Spence said police right throughout the Sunshine Coast District are benefiting from five new civilian officers who have commenced full duties at the Maroochydore Watchhouse.
"By increasing civilian staff at the busy 24 hour watchhouse, we have enabled the release of five police officers back to operational duties.
"A further four civilian client services officers have also taken up positions at the Maroochydore Police Station, relieving other police officers of many of their administrative functions, allowing them to spend more time in frontline policing."
Ms Spence said the new officer and civilian positions were funded as part of the State Government's statewide rollout of additional police and civilians announced in November last year.
"Police have been working hard to staff these extra funded positions and allocate them according to the needs of their communities.
"I know the people of Maroochydore and Mooloolaba will welcome these new officers and civilian staff and will continue to work with police to ensure the coastal area remains one of Queensland's favourite locations."
Superintendent Ben Hanbidge, Sunshine Coast District Officer said that a further benefit of the additional officers working at Mooloolaba, together with the additional officers released into operational duties as a result of the civilianisation, is that it has allowed far greater scope to conduct and support public order operations such as the one recently conducted in Mooloolaba utilising Police Service Drug Detection Dogs.
Media Contact: Minister’s Office: 3239 6172
Police Media: 3015 2444
Media please note - Superintendent Ben Hanbidge is available for comment on this topic today. Please contact Police Media.
Ms Spence said: "The Maroochydore area is a busy tourist destination and the provision of these additional officers and civilians ensures police in this district can continue to keep the community safe.
"The five additional general duties officers are now working out of the Mooloolaba Police Beat, taking the total number of officers rostered at the beat to ten officers.
"Officers in this beat are doing a great job of reducing and preventing alcohol related crime in the nightclub precinct.
"With ten officers now rostered to the beat, police will continue to work with local licensees and community groups to manage patrons in the popular entertainment precinct.”
Maroochydore Division, which includes the Mooloolaba precinct, has seen a 16% reduction in grievous assaults and 14% reduction in assaults occasioning bodily harm in the past 12 months, together with a 50% reduction in robbery offences.
Ms Spence said police right throughout the Sunshine Coast District are benefiting from five new civilian officers who have commenced full duties at the Maroochydore Watchhouse.
"By increasing civilian staff at the busy 24 hour watchhouse, we have enabled the release of five police officers back to operational duties.
"A further four civilian client services officers have also taken up positions at the Maroochydore Police Station, relieving other police officers of many of their administrative functions, allowing them to spend more time in frontline policing."
Ms Spence said the new officer and civilian positions were funded as part of the State Government's statewide rollout of additional police and civilians announced in November last year.
"Police have been working hard to staff these extra funded positions and allocate them according to the needs of their communities.
"I know the people of Maroochydore and Mooloolaba will welcome these new officers and civilian staff and will continue to work with police to ensure the coastal area remains one of Queensland's favourite locations."
Superintendent Ben Hanbidge, Sunshine Coast District Officer said that a further benefit of the additional officers working at Mooloolaba, together with the additional officers released into operational duties as a result of the civilianisation, is that it has allowed far greater scope to conduct and support public order operations such as the one recently conducted in Mooloolaba utilising Police Service Drug Detection Dogs.
Media Contact: Minister’s Office: 3239 6172
Police Media: 3015 2444
Media please note - Superintendent Ben Hanbidge is available for comment on this topic today. Please contact Police Media.