The commercial hub of Hume has gone from one of the worst-hit illegal burnout areas of Canberra to nil incidents - all in less than a week.
And all it took was for the police to move in.
After a two-year wait and a $5 million fit-out, ACT police have moved out of their old, leaky Traffic Operations Centre on Lathlain Street, Belconnen into a huge new warehouse in Hume. The former premises had fallen so badly into disrepair that it had been issued with a provisional improvement notice (PIN) by Worksafe ACT.
Acting head of road policing Inspector Ken Williams said the move to new premises was much needed.
"We badly needed the additional space and this location for running our traffic operations is very good," he said.
"We have very quick access to the Monaro Highway, which is where we are conducting our Snowsafe operation at the moment, and out to the Kings Highway.
"And now we have all the vehicles which are subject to crash investigation protected from the weather."
The police have taken over a long-term lease on the former Toll warehouse on Sawmill Circuit in Hume and the presence of police coming and going from the commercial suburb has received the vote of approval from local businesses.
Hume had been a regular late night and weekend haunt for Canberra hoons looking to do burnouts, as shown by the thick stripes of tyre rubber across the intersections.
"I've asked our teams when they get time on their road patrols to do a quick lap of the local area on their return here from patrolling," Inspector Williams said.
Commercial burglaries in the area, too, are expected to plummet as a result.
The police emergency management and fleet management teams have moved in with the high-visibility traffic vehicles, as has crash investigations.
The only unit which will take some weeks to move in is the highly specialised technical area, which takes the standard road cars and motorcycles and converts them into police vehicles.
The technicians fit the radios, speed detection, light bars and automatic number plate recognition and will have their own little enclave under the cavernous roof of the 6000 square metre warehouse.
Around 80 staff will work inside the secure building and such is the generous size of the place, there is room for 40 more. Weather protection is provided for all the operational vehicles.
An unexpected "visitor" to the official opening of the new premises on Friday was the first electric vehicle to join the federal police.
The Kia EV6 GT-Line, registered in the ACT, is being trialled in a non-operational role to determine its suitability for more extensive duties.
The ACT government has a commitment that 90 per cent of new vehicle sales in the ACT will be zero emission by 2030, and 100 per cent by 2035.
While the ACT police - which is a contract service to the ACT government provided by the Australian Federal Police - could seek exemption given it is a federal entity, EV alternatives are being examined for operational police work to replace the combustion-powered BMWs, VWs and Kias already used across local traffic operations and general duties.
This week Queensland Police took delivery of five new yellow-painted Kia electric vehicles for its general duties fleet.
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