By BRIDGET SCOTT
THERE will be a new face around the traps of Emerald as part of the recent upgrades to the local police station.
Senior Sergeant Greg Addiss has recently move to the post as part of the new upgrade and has welcomed the possibility of the station being open for 16 hours at a time.
He added that there may be some car patrol units that are able to respond to incidents 24 hours a day.
“Which nights this will be will depend on where the need is,” he said.
“For the station, the best we could hope for is 16 hours.”
He added that new hours won’t be the only change around the station.
Two more sergeants are set to join Sergeant Fiona Tolmie at the station in the coming weeks.
Officers will also be added to other ranks and the station is expected to double in strength within a few months to allow for a greater presence in the area.
Sen Sgt Addis said staff are looking for the door to be open most days and he said he can understand residents’ frustration when they see a big, new building in town that isn’t always open.
“This will change as extra police arrive,” he said.
“We are looking for reception to be open most days, if not all for up to 16 hours.”
“Peak periods for service are looked at and considered when deciding on when to man the station and have patrols available,” he said.
“This is regularly reviewed.”
Sen Sgt Addis, who moved to the Emerald station at the beginning of July, has worked in a variety of areas throughout Victoria Police and was most recently stationed at Pakenham and Dandenong.
“People will need to be aware that more local people may be pulled over for traffic violations and there will be an increased focus on other crime in the area,” he said.
He said the final pieces of information technology systems are being installed to complete the station.
