SA Police has announced Declared Public Precincts at eight shopping centres in metropolitan Adelaide, which will allow police to search people and remove them from the site.<\/p>\n
The announcement followed laws that were passed earlier this year which allow police to declare public precincts to crack down on crime.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The precincts, which came into power at noon on Friday, will apply at Marion Shopping Centre, Elizabeth City Centre, Arndale Shopping Centre, Burnside Village, Hollywood Plaza, West Lakes Shopping Centre, Parabanks Shopping Centre and Munno Para Shopping Centre. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Police will be allowed to search people with metal detection wands and ban people from attending the specified areas for up to 24 hours.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The Burnside Village shopping centre at Glenside is one of the locations that will be declared a public precinct.\u00a0 (Supplied:\u00a0Cohen Group)<\/p>\n
Attorney-General and Deputy Premier Kyam Maher said police have been given the powers “to keep people safe in these areas” and “fits in with other changes” the government has made.\u00a0<\/p>\n
New laws ‘definitely necessary’<\/p>\n
SA Police Assistant Commissioner Narelle Kameniar said the declaration of the shopping centres as public precincts was “definitely necessary”.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I’ve reviewed the information which has led to these declarations and … in all the areas that have been declared, there is very good reason to declare these shopping centres and there will be further shopping centres,” she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n