Gold Coast’s new $2.3m police hub to house seized guns, drugs

THE Gold Coast will soon be home to a $2.3 million multipurpose police facility. It is expected to house seized guns, drugs and cars.

Police Minister Mark Ryan with, Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd and Chief superintendent Marty Mickelson (on right) and during a tour of a block of land in Arundel, concept plans for a new multipurpose police facility to serve as a hub by the end of 2019. Picture Mike Batterham

A NEW $2.3 million multipurpose police facility will open on the Gold Coast by 2019.

The Queensland-first hub, at the back of an industrial estate at Arundel, will house crime scene exhibits including seized guns, drugs and cars.

The Rapid Action Patrol elite mobile police squad will also call the facility home when the lease on its current premises expires.

Police Minister Mark Ryan (centre), Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd and Chief Superintendent Marty Mickelson (right) and during a tour of the site for the new multipurpose police facility to serve as a hub by the end of 2019. Picture Mike Batterham.

Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd said other specialist police units, including the Dog Squad, will also use the facility.

He described the concept as an innovation in “hub-policing” that would act “almost as a conveyor belt” where officers could come in, get their gear and cars and be back out on the road.

BY 2019, the Gold Coast will be home to a $2.3 million multipurpose police facility. Pictured is the site for the facility in Arundel. Picture: Mike Batterham.

Police Minister Mark Ryan yesterday toured the facility site, 800m from the Parkwood light rail stop in the centre of the southeastern police district.

Mr Ryan said the site would provide for a “more mobile, more flexible, more adaptable police service.”

“The community want to see more police on the beat, on the street, more often,” he said.

“We want to push the police out, make sure they’re more versatile and more adaptable to challenging circumstances.”

Mr Ryan (centre) said the site would provide for a “more mobile, more flexible, more adaptable police service.” Picture: Mike Batterham.

Assistant Commissioner Codd said the policing model was the “future in urbanised areas”.

“It doesn’t tie them (police) ... to the bricks and mortar of traditional police stations,” he said.

“It ensures (police) are in the right place, at the right time, with the right people and the right resources.

Police Minister Mark Ryan and Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd view concept plans for a new multipurpose police facility at Arundel, expected to be complete by 2019. Picture: Mike Batterham.

“It won’t have a public interface in terms of a counter ... this will be a central place where we go out from.”

Assistant Commissioner Codd said there were no plans to close existing police stations when the new facility opened.

Assistant Commissioner Codd (right) said he believed the hub policing model was the “future in urbanised areas”. Picture: Mike Batterham.

“We are relocating existing resources,” he said.

“There is a growth in policing for the Queensland Police Service (committed by the State Government) and we are still putting the detail on where those numbers will go, but I understand there will be some growth in this area, in the southeast.”