SA Police reveal Operation Paragon plans to target Adelaide crime hot spots

A senior police officer has exclusively revealed how police would use the sweeping new powers they’re asking the government to give them to crackdown on CBD troublemakers.

Sweeping police powers to randomly search and ban troublemakers would expand to around-the-clock for swathes of Adelaide’s CBD for at least a year, an official crackdown on the city’s crime wave proposes.

Senior SA Police revealed plans, to be put to the state government shortly, will significantly widen special anti-social laws in time and size to an area outside the city’s premier “entertainment” precinct.

Operation Paragon, stood up in November last year, will surge more officers into “hotspot” areas around North Tce to clampdown on rising crime and anti-social behaviour.

In an interview with The Advertiser, Assistant Commissioner Scott Duval on Friday said a potential new “Declared Public Precinct”, which targets public safety and anti-social behaviour, would expand to 24 hours, seven days a week for at least the next 12 months.

Mr Duval, who oversees Adelaide policing, declined to specify geographic zones but revealed it is “much broader than the current West End”.

“It’s clear that the fear of crime in the city area has increased,” said Mr Duval, the Metropolitan Operations Service boss.

“We’ve that opportunity to provide a more visible presence a presence that would reassure the community and reduce that fear of crime that exists in that North Terrace area.

“It will run for as long as it needs to ensure that we’ve got that reassurance back to the community about the public safety aspects.

“Paragon is a 24 hour operation because we recognise that the public safety just doesn’t improve because it’s three o’clock in the morning. This particular issue has no particular timings to it.”

The laws, introduced in 2017 to combat rising CBD violence at the time, are currently imposed in the West End for 12 hours from 6pm inside a zone from Currie and King William streets to North and West Tce.

Assistant Commissioner Scott Duval. Picture: Mike Burton

The police plan, which requires Attorney-General Kyam Maher to authorise, may extend it to include North Tce, Festival Plaza, Rundle Mall and Riverbank in areas that include Adelaide Oval, Parliament House, Convention Centre, Government House or War Memorial.

Legislation, also used for major crowd events, gives officers special powers to remove and ban people from a specific area, conduct random searches for weapons or drugs and $344 fines for anti-social behaviour.

It also allows police with concerns about minors to be removed from dangerous situations and return them home, or to a safer location for proper care.

Under state law, the Attorney-General must be “satisfied that special circumstances exist” to authorise any time frames longer than 12 hours.

Mr Duval, who oversees Adelaide’s four districts, the Public Transport Safety Section and Operation Mandrake, said a “cohort” of offenders “well known” to police were a focus.

He said it was not just Indigenous groups – some who have travelled from the Far North and interstate – but drunk offenders, drug addicts and the homeless, which showed why a multi-agency solution to address the root cause was vital.

Mr Duval, who said police were acutely aware of any displacement concerns or moving the problem to other parts of Adelaide, acknowledged understanding a “cultural dynamic” was an important step with help from Indigenous leaders, as was helping someone return home to avoid living rough.

Security outside The Strathmore on North Terrace. Picture: Dean Martin

He said early to midafternoon until 6pm was a “peak” time when problems escalated.

“In our assessment, it’s very difficult to put a 12 hour timer (on) because it could exclude a 12 hour period where things are occurring and we don’t have the same powers available to us,” he said.

He denied officers were instructed to not arrest at first as such an important decision to remove a suspect’s liberty is left to officer’s discretion but can act as a “circuit breaker”.

“What we do understand this type of problem is you can’t arrest your way out of it,” he said. “So just arresting is not going to address the root cause of the problem.

“But there are those occasions where arrest is entirely appropriate.

“Someone’s alcohol or drug addiction is not going to be solved by us arresting them and putting them in cell.

Mr Duval, who confirmed police had considered suspending the controversial district policing model, said the CBD policing was a “well resourced operation” that would not effect frontline priorities but would take officers from specialist areas.

Defending the overall police response, he said senior officers “believe” in the valid district model, which was “here to stay”.
Mr Maher said he would consider any proposal.

Originally published as SA Police reveal Operation Paragon plans to target Adelaide crime hot spots