By Raquel Mustillo
THE regional police review cited by the State Government as determining the future of the Kalangadoo Police Station is complete Police Commissioner Grant Stevens has confirmed, but no decision on the future of the station has been made.
Labor parliamentarian Clare Scriven quizzed Comm Stevens about regional policing and the long-running Kalangadoo issue at a parliamentary committee, with the state’s most senior police officer saying the implementation has been delayed because of COVID-19.
Comm Stevens told the committee South Australian Police had undertaken significant work to identify a proposed model ensuring the “appropriate level of service delivery to regional communities” comprising of 54 additional positions.
“It’s not a model for approval by government,” he said.
“If we were to seek funding for those position then we would submit a business case on that basis, but the manner in which we deploy policing resources in South Australia is at my discretion.”
The Kalangadoo Police Station has not been staffed following the departure of the town’s sole officer more than four years ago.
Prior to the 2018 state election, then Shadow Police Minister Stephan Knoll committed to retaining the single officer station, saying the Liberal Party had “absolutely no plans to close any police station”.
But almost three years since the State Liberals were elected the station remains closed, with patrols from Penola and Millicent responsible for servicing the Kalangadoo area.
Comm Stevens was unable to provide an answer about when a decison on the future of the station will be made, saying part of the regional policing review was to critically assess the needs and requirements of all country police stations.
He said police were also investigating how to implement the plan by reassessing priorities and reallocating staff, but progress had been hampered by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Given the fact that we are deploying in the order of 450 to 550 extra police to COVID-19 duties, we have simply put that project on the backburner,” Comm Stevens said.
Comm Stevens said a report had been released for consultation, but there had been no further activity as a result of SA Police’s COVID-19 response.
“Until we know the capacity we have to undertake some of those non-core policing activities and re-divert some of those resources we have dedicated to COVID-19, it’s not possible to speculate when we could commence that work again,” he said.
“We do as much as we can to maintain a focus on traditional policing activities and ensuring that we are positioned to maintain the high level of service we provide to the South Australian community, but there are some concessions that must be made because of our significant commitment to COVID.”
Ms Scriven told The Border Watch it was disappointing the Liberals had not honoured the pre-election pledge to retain a permanent police presence at Kalangadoo.
“Reopening Kalangadoo Police Station was a clear Liberal promise, independent of the ongoing Country Policing Review which is yet to make any recommendations,” she said.
“It is a promise they knew they couldn’t keep and have no intention of keeping.
“The Commissioner has confirmed that ‘the manner in which [he] deploys[s] policing resources in South Australia is at [his] discretion.’ “Yet the Liberals bent over backwards to extend the station hours in Adelaide.
“They threw loads of resources at it and the Adelaide stations stayed open.”
“The question has to be asked, Why did the Liberals do that in the city, but not here in the country?”
