Goya Dmytryshchak
Summer policing at Altona and Williamstown beaches will be like no other year as the state grapples with COVID-19.
Hobsons Bay Inspector Tim O’Connor said previous years had focussed on ensuring a strong visible police presence.
“We don’t know what this summer’s going to bring,” he said.
“Obviously, we’re thinking about what the chief health officer guidelines are going to be and what impact they’re going to have on summer policing.
“I think it’s more moving away from that public order response to incorporate more of a public safety response.”
The federal government has currently provided the services of the Australian Defence Force to assist police. It is not known whether the ADF will be used over summer.
“Hobsons Bay, or the beachfront at Williamstown and Altona, has been identified as one of those key locations where the three branches of the armed services are working side by side with Vic Pol as we patrol the foreshore areas,” Inspector O’Connor said.
The Maribyrnong River, Werribee and CBD are among other locations where armed forces are patrolling.
Inspector O’Connor said there would still be a strong police presence but a balance had to be struck between public order and public safety.
Earlier this month, a woman was dramatically arrested at Altona Beach in an incident widely shared on social media.
She and other members of a group were issued with infringement notices for breaching chief health officer guidelines, including failing to wear a mask and being further than five kilometres from home.
“It don’t think it was a huge kerfuffle, it was a couple of people that got a bit antsy and they were dealt with by police,” Inspector O’Connor said.
“I don’t think it was a huge issue. It was just a couple of people who weren’t complying with the guidelines and they were dealt with.”
Inspector O’Connor said Hobsons Bay’s beaches attracted people from across the northwest and, depending on the health guidelines, police had to ensure everyone could enjoy the amenities and operate together.
He said police were working closely with Hobsons Bay council and traders.
“I want to be able to provide a strong visible police presence so that families or anyone can actually just come down the beach, within the guidelines, and just enjoy themselves,” Inspector O’Connor said.
