Every Westfield centre maintains an important relationship with police, whether that be through an onsite police station, regular police-beat walk-throughs in centre or just the ongoing liaison that comes from managing millions of shopper visits in a given year.
Aside from maintaining an operational presence in centre, police also participate in a number of community events to help foster relations and promote crime prevention.
At Westfield Albany and Westfield St Lukes in New Zealand, police held school holiday information sessions in conjunction with a local neighbourhood support group to educate the community on how to maximise crime prevention. With a working police dog present, families from the local area had an exciting opportunity to meet with police up close.
Westfield Chatswood celebrated its relationship with police by hosting an in-centre display to commemorate 100 years of women in the NSW Police Force. The community had a special connection to the celebrations, with the longest-serving policewoman in the local area command. The centre display included archived uniforms and a ‘vintage’ car from the 1970s. A breakfast with police and retailers also provided an opportunity for two important groups within the local community to engage in a positive and enjoyable environment.
