THE Belconnen town centre will receive additional attention from the police this holiday period, with a six-person team set to patrol the area.

The Beats patrol team initiative will run from December 10 to January 25, focusing on Belconnen’s busy shopping centres, car parks and bus interchanges.

Last year the team attended over 180 incidents, resulting in 11 arrests, nine summons issued, five search warrants executed, and one First Instance Warrant executed.

Belconnen Operations Support Sergeant Paul Hutcheson says the operation was aimed at deterring “opportunistic criminal behaviour” during the peak retail season.

“Over the lead-up to the Christmas-New Year and beyond that, much of our response work is around Belconnen’s large retail zones and the Emu Bank area anyway so it makes good sense to have the crews out there, actively patrolling and creating that visible police presence,” he says.

Anyone who sees anti-social behaviour or crimes in Belconnen and requires police attendance is urged to call ACT Policing on 131-444. If it’s a potential life-threatening emergency, then dial Triple Zero.