Local shopping centre managers have cautiously welcomed a trial which will see uniformed police work second jobs as security guards in shopping centres.
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While both are expressing concern about the notion of commercial operations paying for tax-payer funded police services, the Dubbo City Centre and Orana Mall Marketplace centre managers described the plan as a good idea.
“It will go a long way to solving some of the crime problems that we have,” Orana Mall centre manager Trevor Darnell said shortly after learning of the scheme.
“I would think very seriously about using that service if it became available.”
However Mr Darnell said he felt on-duty police did not walk through Orana Mall often enough and that he would be “a bit sceptical if all of a sudden I got a rush of police who wanted to do it”.
The plan would be “a modern way of tackling the community’s concern about losing control of public areas”, according to city centre manager Chris Muir said.
“Theoretically I think the idea is very good,” he said.
“When one requires a more cold-faced security service that does not just respond to incidents but can prevent crime this system would be excellent.
“This is particularly this case as the people involved would have some knowledge of perpetrators.
Mr Muir said he would be following the trial with interest.
“I think the police force is now coming out with some very innovative and creative methods to curb criminal activities and anti-social behaviour,” he said.
NSW police minister Michael Costa said the trial, to be conducted in metropolitan areas, was nothing radical, with a user-pays system already in place for major sporting events.
Many police already worked second jobs in unrelated areas and it made more sense for them to work in their area of expertise, he said.
