Starting today, Glenelg’s entertainment district has been designated as a Declared Public Precinct (DPP), granting South Australia Police (SAPOL) enhanced powers to maintain public order and safety. This area will see increased police patrol and authority from January 3rd 2025 until April 7th 2025, with the DPP in effect from 3pm to 3am every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, including into the early hours of Monday.
This decision comes after a noticeable increase in behavioural offences during the peak visitor times from December to April. According to police statistics, offences against individuals and property notably surged over weekends during the previous 2023/24 summer period. The boundaries of the DPP encompass a significant portion of the Glenelg entertainment area, from the Stamford Grand Hotel along the shoreline and up to Brighton Road, encapsulating the bustling regions frequented by locals and tourists alike.
The precinct operates with in the following boundaries:
- Southern boundary of the Stamford Grand Hotel west to the low tide shoreline of the Gulf St. Vincent.
- Low tide shoreline of the Gulf St. Vincent to the most northern point at low tide of the breakwater.
- The most northern point at low tide of the breakwater, to the southwest corner of the Holdfast Shores Marina (inclusive of Holdfast Promenade Plaza), the boundary of the southern end of the marina extending east to Anzac Highway (northern boundary) then extending east on Anzac Highway (northern boundary) to eastern boundary of Brighton Road.
- Eastern boundary of Brighton Road to the northern boundary of Dunbar Terrace, then east to the pedestrian crossing directly east of Tram Stop 15, across to the southern boundary of Maxwell Terrace and then west in a straight line to the eastern boundary of Brighton Road, then to the southern boundary of High Street.
- Southern boundary of High Street to the western boundary of Moseley Street, then to the southern boundary of College Street to the western boundary of St Johns Row, to the southern boundary of the Stamford Grand Hotel.
The initiative was ratified following consultations with local traders and The City of Holdfast Bay, gaining approval from the Attorney-General, the Honourable Kyam Maher MLC.
Acting Assistant Commissioner of Metropolitan Operations, John De Candia, vocalised the necessity of the DPP in addressing the increased activity during the warmer months. “The DPP will support Operation Jericho and Western District police in ensuring the safety of local residents and people visiting the Glenelg entertainment precinct,” he noted. Operation Jericho, also a Western District operation, aims to mitigate behavioural issues around licensed venues, and has been in action since late October 2024.
With the holiday period typically seeing heightened patronage, these measures are viewed as critical to the community’s welfare. “We want everyone to enjoy their time in Glenelg and this DPP provides police with another tool to protect the community,” added De Candia.
Under the provisions of Section 66 of the Act, within a declared public precinct, police are authorised to carry out a range of actions to uphold public safety. These include conducting metal detector searches for weapons, drug detection efforts, ordering individuals posing risks to public safety to vacate the area, and banning individuals who commit offences or act in an offensive manner. Additionally, police can remove children from the precinct under circumstances where they are deemed at risk of harm or involved in offending behaviour.
This policy aligns with a recently implemented ‘Dry Zone’ in the Glenelg entertainment district which became effective on 31 October 2024. The overlap of these strategies is aimed at ensuring comprehensive management of the area’s safety and public order throughout the peak seasons.
This four-month trial of the DPP will be subject to review following its conclusion in April, where the efficacy and impact of such measures will be evaluated to determine the need for continuation or adjustment.
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