SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens backs Westfield Marion response to teen fight

SA’s top cop says he believes there are “minor improvements’ that could be made after the two-hour ordeal that left two people injured.

A review of the large-scale response to the Westfield Marion incident that sparked an evacuation and centre lockdown was appropriate under the circumstances, the state’s top cop says.

But Commissioner Grant Stevens said there were lessons to be learned from the response.

Commissioner Stevens said police had been working closely with the director of security at Westfield and the local management team, as well as the national risk manager, in the wash-up of the incident.

Two people were injured during the evacuation.

“I am satisfied that the decisions made by Westfield were appropriate based on the information they had,” he said.

“I’m also very satisfied with the police response.

“I think that was timely and effective and the steps put in place were done so to ensure that we could reopen the centre knowing (there wasn’t) any risk for people who were still in the centre.”

Commissioner of Police Grant Stevens is satisfied with the decisions made by Wesfield, but flagged ‘minor improvements’. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

But he flagged there could be some “minor improvements” in how Westfield initiates “those particular types of alerts” and how they are communicated in the centres.

“I think it was an appropriate decision at the time and it was well managed from that point in time,” Mr Stevens said.

Three teenage boys, aged 15 and 16, were charged over the incident allegedly sparked over an attempt to steal a $155 jumper.

All three boys have been charged with assault, affray and aggravated robbery.

Police said two expandable batons were seized at the time of the arrest.

The third youth – a 15-year-old from Morphett Vale – was arrested while wearing the allegedly stolen designer jumper – and seen pulling a machete from his pants during the conflict, a court previously heard.