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Police help curb the virus spread

Holly ThompsonSound Telegraph
Police check cars at the checkpoint located in the Peel region.
Camera IconPolice check cars at the checkpoint located in the Peel region. Credit: Supplied/Police check cars at the checkpoint located in the Peel region.

Rockingham police have worked hard to minimise the impact of COVID-19 on the community and deployed officers to shopping centres, regional checkpoints and more over the past few weeks.

Officers have changed the way they operate to accommodate the situation, to assure they can still carry out their usual work while also helping to stop the spread of the virus.

Rockingham Police Station officer-in-charge Sen. Sgt Neville Beard said one of the biggest challenges was planning to provide staff to assist at the vehicle checkpoints while also ensuring there were sufficient staff to meet other requirements.

“Police from throughout the Mandurah District are responsible for one vehicle checkpoint on Forrest Highway and Old Coast Road Lake Clifton,” he said.

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“Police from the whole of the Mandurah district, some from Fremantle District and traffic personnel are all involved with manning the checkpoint.

“We are also assisted by members of the Australian Defence Force to provide additional numbers, however only police have powers under the Emergency Management Act, not the ADF members.

“We have been very careful to ensure that there is little or no impact on the delivery of policing services to the community so we have been sharing the responsibility across the district to make sure we meet our demands, using back of house staff as well as the ADF members to help out.”

Officers have also been more present at shopping centres due to panic-buying, but Sen. Sgt Beard sad he had not been given any feedback from officers about anti-social or aggressive behaviour.

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