Geraldton police host They’ll Never Know organised crime campaign with more than 20 people attending

Geraldton police sent a clear message to those who attended an information session about organised crime on Tuesday — if something doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t. More than 25 people gathered at the They’ll Never Know police campaign at the QEII Centre to learn how to protect themselves, their families and help stop organised crime in the community. Organised crime, outlaw motorcycle gangs, money laundering and major drug importations were all topics raised at the forum, as well as encouragement from Geraldton police to report suspicious behaviour anonymously through the Eyes on The Street app. Mid West-Gascoyne District engagement and support manager OIC Sen. Sgt Russell Hurst said the response was positive and it was great to see people interested in making a difference in their community. “They know there’s crime happening, they want to know what they can do to help out and this is the perfect platform for it,” he said. “The message was very direct, crime is within our community. We’ve seen it on the news recently with large importations of cocaine, large importations of methamphetamine, and these are drivers of crime within our community.” Sen. Sgt Hurst said there were people in the community who exploited businesses, making it difficult for those infiltrated to escape. “The old saying goes if you lay down with dogs you’ll wake up with fleas,” he said. “There are means and ways of reporting it to police anonymously. “Geraldton overall is a very safe community . . . there’s little things that are happening that people know and they sort of sit there with their hair on the back of their neck. “If it doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not right, so there’s an opportunity there now to report that.” Police will be holding a crime prevention expo on November 1 with more than seven businesses to promote the purchase of products and devices that can improve safety and security.