Site Selection

No one strict model of police beats (e.g. single officer with residence) is suitable for all locations. The integrity of the program and its focus is on local ownership, negotiated response and proactive problem-oriented policing, as outlined in the core objectives. Site selection is based on the following requirements.

1. The areas have to be primarily residential, but contain a diversity of land use types so that they adequately reflect a wide range of contemporary policing issues.
2. Each area has to be small enough to be adequately policed by officers working mainly alone and on foot.
3. There has to be sufficient demand on police services to justify a full-time officer being located in the area.
4. Each area should, unless impracticable, be defined within Statistical Local Area and Collection District boundaries, which are Australian Bureau of Statistics constructs. (Such boundaries are to be in accordance with the QPS Standard Geographic Classification Policys. 11.1.A of the Administration Manual.)

Essential elements to be considered in appraising a suitable site for a Neighbourhood Police Beats include:

• whether an area poses a high demand for police, as demonstrated by an analysis of calls for service and crime data.

• whether an area imposes a high demand on various welfare agencies and how this demand relates to policing

• whether an area has a number of repeat incidents or 'problematic' locations, so that the opportunity for problem solving and innovative methods of crime prevention can be undertaken

• community attitudes, including the level of support and expressed need for a beat area officer

• the demographics of each location, including the mixture of social groups and the proportion of youth, elderly and unemployed

• the mix of residential/commercial areas at each proposed site

• the range of other police/multi-agency programs/facilities in place or likely to be funded in the near future (e.g. Police Beat Shopfront, policing in schools, other police presence in the form of stations, establishments or specialist squads)

• workplace health and safety, likelihood of suitable police applicants and other human resource issues

• whether the proposed site will be residential or non-residential

• the number of officers to be allowed to each location and the selection and training of those officers

• the need to establish local standing operating procedures and orders that allow the program to meet its goals, particularly with respect to the use of proactive measures, problem solving, negotiated response, administrative process and officer safety

• regional and local police management demands, plans, priorities and policing methods

•  expected costs (capital and recurring) or establishing a beat in the area

•  the ability to collect data and evaluate the program

With these criteria in mind, different types of NPB sites are available.

1. Residential
Under this model, Beat Area Officers are provided with accommodation that becomes their base of operations.

2. Operating from a shopfront
In cases where a number of businesses are present in the beat area, a shopfront may be desirable. Offering high visibility and contact with residents, this option provides officers with a place to work from their residents. More that one Beat Area Officer may operate from a 'shopfront' style model. To be suitable for a Neighbourhood Police Beat Area, it must be:

• convenient and accessible to residents

• open during hours when it is needed by the community

• have enough space for the officer's equipment and for small meetings

• have secure facilities suitable for police to perform their functions

3. Mixed police station
In this model, Beat Area Officers work along side general duties police in a regular police station, preferably with role descriptions that clearly distinguish their duties from other staff.

4. Beat police station
In this model, several Beat Area Officers may operate from one location, provided their ownership of individual beats is respected. The station is devoted exclusively to beat policing, and:

• acts as on outreach into the community, giving residents greater access to their police, and giving police greater visibility

• provides a venue for police and residents to get together

• provides a place for the officers to work.