The Belconnen town centre will again receive additional attention from the police this holiday period, with a dedicated six-person team set to patrol the area.
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The Beats patrol team initiative will run from December 10 to January 25, and will focus on Belconnen's shopping centres, car parks and bus interchanges, including the Westfield and the town centre.
Police say the team will provide a highly visible police presence as part of a proactive approach to deal with anti-social and criminal behaviour in the north Canberra suburbs.
Last year the team attended over 180 incidents, resulting in 11 arrests, nine summons issued, five search warrants executed, and one First Instance Warrant executed.
Belconnen Operations Support Sergeant Paul Hutcheson said the operation was aimed at deterring opportunistic criminal behaviour during a peak retail season.
“Over the lead-up to the Christmas-New Year and beyond that, much of our response work is around Belconnen's large retail zones and the Emu Bank area anyway so it makes good sense to have the crews out there, actively patrolling and creating that visible police presence,” he said.
Anyone who sees anti-social behaviour or crimes in Belconnen and requires police attendance is urged to call ACT Policing on 131-444. If it's a potential life-threatening emergency, then dial Triple Zero.