House of Assembly Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3) 51 3 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Answers to Questions McLaren Vale Police Station McLAREN VALE POLICE STATION In reply to Mr PENGILLY House of Assembly Finniss McLAREN VALE POLICE STATION In reply to Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (30 April 2009). The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT House of Assembly Lee Minister for Police Minister for Emergency Services Minister for Recreation McLAREN VALE POLICE STATION The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT (Lee—Minister for Police, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing): The Commissioner of Police has advised me that under changes effective 1 July 2009, policing services at McLaren Vale have been improved. The McLaren Vale Police Station has historically been allocated the status of a 'one person' police district with the assigned officer essentially being expected to resolve all policing issues within that community. This policing model has worked well in small and predominantly isolated rural communities but its effectiveness in areas close to metropolitan regions has increasingly been limited. In the case of McLaren Vale, as the services from Aldinga have expanded, increasingly the station has had to support the officer at McLaren Vale by responding to service needs in this area after-hours and when the officer is not available. Under the new arrangements policing services will continue to operate in the McLaren Vale area on a full time basis, meaning a police officer will be stationed in the area during business hours, 5 days a week, 52 weeks of the year with the police station open between 9.30am to 12.30pm to provide front counter services for residents. For the remainder of the time the officer will patrol the McLaren Vale area (McLaren Vale, McLaren Flat, Blewitt Springs, Kangarilla and surrounds) visit schools, speak with local businesses, and deal with other matters on an as needs basis. In addition to this, McLaren Vale will also have continuous 24-hour patrol coverage via patrols from Aldinga improving the service to the community. These arrangements will ensure that the McLaren Vale residents have defined and regular access to police station based services with the officer assigned to the station function then conducting general patrol duties within the township and environs for the remainder of the shift. The arrangements will also provide a patrol presence in the region that significantly exceeds the capability of the formerly assigned individual officer. Both policing and community issues in McLaren Vale will be closely monitored and reviewed at daily Tactical Coordination Group meetings as part of the South Coast Local Service Area crime management process. Crime patterns at McLaren Vale will be identified at the earliest opportunity and resolved through the flexible deployment of wide ranging police resources. Inappropriate and criminal behaviour in the region will be more effectively resolved through the enhanced multifaceted deployment of policing resources such as Traffic, Investigation, Crime Prevention and Tactical Team members.