LAVINGTON residents are needed to be “the eyes and ears” of police, and traders will be called on to better secure their businesses.
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It’s part of the response to tackle crime in the embattled suburb, after Albury MP Greg Aplin and Albury Supt Beth Stirton yesterday unequivocally stated residents would “not ever” see a police station there.
The announcement of an “enhanced” police presence has poured cold water on Lavington traders and residents’ renewed calls for a police station — or police kiosk — following a perceived increase in crime in the area.
Mr Aplin and Supt Stirton have maintained stationing police behind another desk is not the answer, and it’s more important to have officers out on mobile patrols.
Yesterday the pair met representatives from the Albury and Northside Chamber of Commerce to discuss the concerns — resulting in Mr Aplin stating “we will not ever be seeing, in the near future, a police station in Lavington that takes resources away from the street”.
Supt Stirton said the community was needed to report anything they witnessed and take as many details as possible.
“Be our eyes and our ears as well,” she said.
“Obviously we don’t encourage any member of the community to arrest anyone or take things into their own hands, but if you see anyone committing an offence around the neighbourhood, call the police, take note of what they look like and what they’re wearing.
“If we don’t know (incidents) are occurring in specific locations, we won’t know to task police to those locations.”
Supt Stirton will be addressing a future meeting of the chamber and Albury officers will be available to provide advice to traders on how to better secure premises, such as by CCTV.
Mr Aplin said CCTV could be invaluable for security — but conceded it was expensive and their were no funding grants that could help.
There was no indication more police would be sought for the Albury local area command — instead, Mr Aplin stressed again 24 new members had joined the command in the past two years.
Supt Stirton said: “In terms of saying, ‘I’m going to put another 10 people there’, I’m not going to say that to you because they’re already there, they’re already working and making significant arrests”.
She said she would be looking at providing some additional officers to Lavington patrols and the possibility of building up the bicycle patrol once again.
Chamber of commerce chairman David Koschitzke said yesterday’s discussion was “most satisfactory” and he hoped it would lead to better communication with police in the future.
