Broadwater Police Beat is located at 25 Akoonah Street, Hope Island. It was officially opened on September 5, 2008, by Judy Spence MP, however Broadwater Police operated from Runaway Bay station 6 months prior to the police beat being constructed.
At that time the beat was part of the Runaway Bay Division. Policing boundaries have since changed and the beat has been incorporated into the Coomera Police Division. The beat divisional boundaries basically cover the whole of Hope Island from the Jabiru Island bridge in the east to the Monterey Keys bridge in the west. The northern boundary is the shoreline of the Coomera River and the southern boundaries are the riverbank of Saltwater Creek.
The beat has a core strength of 2 permanent officers, Senior Constable Alan Wilkie has manned the beat since its inception and travels to the beat every shift. Recently Senior Constable Andrew Mainey has arrived from the Wide Bay Region and lives in the police residence as the primary officer. Both officers have a combined policing experience of approximately 28 years. The beat works predominantly day and afternoon shifts with occasional twilight, night shifts and weekends to meet operational demands.
There is wide and changing demographic in the Hope Island area. In years gone by the area was host to an elderly population with a high number of retirees and professionals working from home in both the Sanctuary Cove Resort and The Hope Island Resort. There is a change in the wind with the recent development of the area with high demand for residential housing. Younger professional persons are taking up opportunities to move into the area and to take advantage of the water and recreational facilities available and area being catered for by new high density living areas in the Broadwater Avenue, Sickle Avenue and Boykambil areas. Older community members still like to call the area home with the construction of the new over 50s facility at Halcyon Waters with a second facility presently under construction
The beat area is host to three marinas at Boykambil namely Hope Harbour Marina, Hope Island Resort and the Sanctuary Cove Resort with permanent residents living on boats at Hope Island Resort and Hope Harbour Marina. The beat area also hosts the old South Stradbroke ferry terminal which now services the Coran Cove Island Resort. Being surrounded by water has been challenging for beat officers however this was overcome by utilising the services of both Brisbane and Gold Coast water police and beat officer’s working conjointly with water police to monitor water activity.
The area is popular as a tourist destination due to the water facilities and the fine dining restaurant areas which initiates an influx of transients to the area taking advantage of the world class accommodation and dining in both the resorts. Beat officers regularly conduct traffic orientated operations to target traffic related problems with an emphasis on curtailing drink driving after a previously recognised spike in this type of offence.
From a commercial outlook the area is host to predominantly the hospitality industry but it also hosts a world class boat building facility in Maratimo at Hope Harbour and a few marine engineering companies which cater for that industry. This brings large numbers of employees from outlying suburbs to the area. Beat officers also conduct regular traffic stops and person checks of tradespersons coming into the area.
The area is host to 3 aged care facilities. The new ARCARE centre in Broadwater Avenue, The LOINSHAVEN in Pendraat Parade and TRICARE in Casey’s Road. Beat officers are responsible for investigating any criminal complaints made by aged patrons in these facilities and regularly liaise with staff.
Beat officers have a very good rapport with security officers in both the Hope Island resort and The Sanctuary Cove resort and regularly liaise with senior management to provide a partner orientated policing approach to problem solving within these areas.
Beat officers also attend community meetings organised in conjunction with the new Hope Island Community Association, formerly known as the Boykambil Residents Association to address any other community issues in the areas outside the residential resorts.
In summary, with the new development in the beat area it is exciting times for both the community and officers policing the community and the challenges that unfold, but perhaps the demographic of the area is best described in the Hope Island Resorts current motto
“Everything you want need and love”
Beat officers are open and approachable and encourage community interaction.
Officers can be contacted on T: 5510 9410