Mobile police station to patrol Maryborough streets
A police station on wheels will soon be patrolling the streets of Maryborough, particularly those areas experiencing a spike in criminal activity.
Police & Courts
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A new mobile police station will soon be patrolling the suburbs and streets of the Maryborough region.
One of 25 rolled out across Queensland, the new vehicles are essentially police stations on wheels and are known as Mobile Police Beats. Their purpose is to take police into the heart of the community so people can see them more often.
Fraser Coast Inspector Paul Algie said it was exciting to get one of the first 25 vehicles.
“It’s a fantastic resource,” he said.
“We can take this vehicle to where the crime’s happening.”
But it would not just be used during major incidents or events, Insp Algie said.
“We’re actually using this in locations where we are getting spikes in crime,” he said.
“We’re finding that people are often coming up to us in those areas to speak to us that wouldn’t normally pick up the phone to call Crime Stoppers and probably wouldn’t normally come to a police station due to whatever number of reasons.
“Not everyone can get into town and this is just essentially taking the resources we have to the community where they need it most.”
Insp Algie said there was a lot of interest in the community whenever the vehicle was deployed.
“The young ones love it but also the older people are coming to us that wouldn’t normally have done so.”
Police were able to take statements, print them out and provide them to witnesses and victims without any need to go to a police station, he said, helping them through what could be an “intimidating process”.
The solar-powered vehicle would also help reduce the carbon footprint of the service, Insp Algie said.
The announcement of the new mobile police station comes as the Fraser Coast Chronicle, Gympie Times and Bundaberg NewsMail continue to campaign for District Duty Officers, mobile senior police officers who can attend the scene when serious incidents are unfolding in the region.
State member for Maryborough said the mobile police station would provide a major community safety boost with a more visible police presence.
“The Queensland Police Service has always been innovators and mobile police beats are the next step in responsive policing,” he said.
“Our police have a borderless policing philosophy and these new mobile police beats will allow them to be more agile and better serve the community.
“Locals will see their police more often on active patrols.”
Police Minister Mark Ryan said the QPS would be better equipped to respond to local needs and making officers more accessible to the community thanks to the vehicles.
“Mobile police beats are the way of the future, delivering a highly visible and highly mobile policing presence,” he said
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