Police have been granted extra powers to deal with a rise in crime over the summer at Glenelg, with the area made a declared public precinct from today until April."We want people who come down here in the evening to feel safe," South Australian Police's acting assistant commissioner John de Candia said.The bay has experienced a spike in incidents, including a recent rampage at a Jetty Road tobacco store by two teenagers who later assaulted four police officers.
Police have been granted extra powers to deal with a rise in crime over the summer at Glenelg, with the area made a declared public precinct from today until April. (Nine)To address the issue, Glenelg's entertainment district will be a protected zone on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between 3pm and 3am. Police officers will be granted enhanced powers during this trial period, similar to those exercised on New Year's Eve. These powers include conducting drug searches of anyone within the precinct and removing or banning individuals causing trouble."If someone misbehaves and acts like a you-know-what, then they deserve to get turfed out," de Candia said.
Police have been granted extra powers to deal with a rise in crime over the summer at Glenelg, with the area made a declared public precinct from today until April. (Nine)Business owners in the area have expressed relief and support for the increased police presence."Having people disturb our customers is not very nice at all, so we need that extra support from the police," Nastassja Beatrice, owner of Cibo Cafe, said.The four-month trial will be reviewed later this year, and police will determine whether to seek an extension of the public precinct each summer. Similar powers have been successfully implemented in parts of Adelaide's CBD.This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.