Senior Sergeant Gerry Hengel, Westfield Fountain Gate centre manager Fiona Mackenzie with Narre Warren police officers Senior Constable Dave Smith, Acting Senior Sergeant Shane Smith and Acting Sergeant Matthew Cocks.
POLICE will be out on the beat these September school holidays following the launch of a new police booth in Narre Warren.
On Tuesday, Narre Warren Police and Westfield Fountain Gate officially announced a new community policing strategy, which will see a central policing booth opened at the shopping centre.
The initiative aims to ensure the safety and security of patrons and retailers and will be jointly supported by Westfield, Narre Warren Police and neighbouring police stations in the City of Casey.
Casey District Inspector Bob Hill said Westfield Fountain Gate was a focal point in the community and Victoria Police placed a high value on its ability to interact closely with the public.
“While we have always maintained a close working relationship with Westfield Fountain Gate, we feel this booth will provide the opportunity to assist the public on a broader scale and help promote proactive crime prevention in Casey,” Insp Hill said.
“It will be really interesting to see how the public reacts to the booth and we encourage shoppers to have a chat with our members and take a look at the information on offer.”
The booth will be set up on the shopping centre’s lower level and is set to open during the September school holidays.
Westfield regional general manager Tim Roberts believes the booth will prove popular among Westfield patrons and is already planning further uses during future school holidays.
“We feel it is very important for the local police to have a communication avenue to the public and the Westfield Fountain Gate Shopping Centre provides a terrific forum,” he said.
“Regular foot patrols have been well received by patrons and retailers and we feel this central booth will allow the police an opportunity to field questions from shoppers and assist with providing information to the increasing number of visitors to the centre,” Mr Roberts said.
Information available at the booth will include crime prevention leaflets, property marking facilities and Party Safe registration forms.
