New station in the can for Capel

After years of neglect and rising crime, Capel will have permanent police presence as early as October next year.

Construction of the Capel Police Station is under way on Spurr Street and expected to be completed by October.

The push for a station came after an ambulance driver was allegedly held against her will for two hours waiting for police while attending a domestic violence call.

Collie-Preston MLA Mick Murray outlined the incident in parliament last year and said it convinced him of the need for police in the town.

Last year Police Minister Michelle Roberts said under the former State Government, communities like Capel and Dalyellup were neglected and crime was left to reach “unacceptable levels”.

On Tuesday Mr Murray said he was excited to announce construction of the station was under way.

“It has been very difficult for police over time when something has happened here, it’s a good 20 minutes before they get out and that causes the public to say police aren’t on the job,” Mr Murray said.

“Which is not true, it’s just about time and now they’ll be there and able to support all the other country police stations around the area.”

With areas around Capel continuing to grow in size and population, Mr Murray said having a police station would service not only Capel but the wider area.

“This area is a growth area, with Dalyellup and then Busselton down the road, Donnybrook, Dardanup, Boyanup,” he said.

‘It’s very central so it will be a major part of the jigsaw that helps with policing this area.”

The new station will host up to 10 officers and state-of-the art communications and equipment, according to Supt Geoff Stewart.

“The main aim is to provide a policing service to the community and just to help them feel safe and secure like any other community who has a police station,” he said.

“With a high volume of traffic in the South West, and we’ve seen what happens on the highway just close to us as well, there will be a focus on that as well.

“But we’ll be doing everything police officers would do in any other place.”

The station will not have holding cells and people in police custody will be sent to Bunbury.