New Woden Police Station Opening
Mike Jeffreys 2CC - Interview with Chief Police Officer Audrey Fagan
2 November 2005
Mike Jeffreys: At a ceremony in Canberra today one of Australia's newest and most technically advanced police stations will be opened. This is the $8.2million Woden Police Station. To discuss the Woden Police Station a little further we have Audrey Fagan, ACT Chief Police Officer. Good morning, Audrey.
Audrey Fagan: Good morning Mike, how are you?
Mike Jeffreys: I'm well thank you. State of the art; what makes a police station state of the art; what does a state-of-the-art police station have that the others don't?
Audrey Fagan: Well, right from the outset, it's been three years in the planning; we've been involved in getting it operationally right for policing to work well. What it's got inside are cells and a watch house area which meets all the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody including CCTV, high tech monitoring of that and we'll also have Voice Over Internet Protocol communications in the station. So this station is actually trialling it for the AFP headquarters as well, which will be built in 2007.
Mike Jeffreys: Can I just check on the numbers; it'll be a workplace for up to 120 sworn officers, unsworn members and Volunteers in Policing. Is that like 120 sworn officers plus all these other people or 120 all together?
Audrey Fagan: We'll be starting off with 80 and it's got expansion capabilities to 120. So, there'll be 80 people, made up of the three groups. For example our Volunteers in Policing will be working out of there - a small group - plus some of our administrative staff but the majority are all police.
Mike Jeffreys: Now, I understand there will be quite a ceremony.
Audrey Fagan: There will. It's an exciting day; we'll have the AFP Commissioner there; we've got the ACT Chief Minister unveiling the plaque.
Mike Jeffreys: What time? What time is it going to open?
Audrey Fagan: It starts at 10am and it runs on then until about 10.45am or so, so people in the Woden area are welcome to come along and have a look.
Mike Jeffreys: Allright. Audrey, thank you for your time this morning.
Audrey Fagan: You're welcome.
Mike Jeffreys: Audrey Fagan, ACT Chief Police Officer.
Ends//