Brisbane City and Valley Crime Prevention Unit have hosted a community engagement event at the Brisbane City Botanical Gardens to increase police presence, deter crime and positively engage with young people.
In collaboration with Police Liaison officers and PCYC representatives, on Wednesday November 15, officers spent the day kicking footies, playing cricket and providing snacks and cold waters to passers-by on what was a scorcher of a day.
As well as operational patrols, police across the state actively get out and about to positively engage with the community to help build lasting relationships and deter anti-social and criminal behaviour through a bolstered police presence.
Sergeant Bruce Murray, who organised the event, emphasised the importance for positive interactions within the community.
"It's really important we show our presence in a positive capacity, as well as operational," he said.
"By being out here we do want to deter would-be offenders, but also leverage the opportunity by having some fun and engaging with the community in a different way.
"If by being out here in this capacity we can influence or change some attitudes, and help kids make positive decisions, then that's a huge win."
Officers from Brisbane City and Valley stations plan to return to the Brisbane City Botanical Gardens on Saturday, 25 November from 8am - 1pm, with a commitment to sustaining these engagements into the future.
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