• Senior Sergeant Doug Incoll

SENIOR Sergeant Doug Incoll of Bright police is in charge of co-ordinating the gigantic logistical exercise of maintaining the police presence at Mount Hotham and Falls Creek this snow season.

"We have to have one sergeant and two senior constables on duty at each station 24/7," he said.

All together Snr Sergeant Incoll is responsible for 10 sergeants and 20 senior constables who are drawn from stations across the North East rotationally manning the two stations this winter.

All have to have four-wheel-driving, map reading and navigation, alpine survival skills and snowmobile driving skills.

They each do eight day shifts.

Snr Sergeant Incoll said that the types of problem dealt with by the two alpine stations are different.

"Falls Creek tends to have a lot of rescue work, bringing in lost cross-country skiers: in fact about 90 per cent of their work is done with snowmobiles," he said.

"Because the Bogong High Plains Road is closed during the snow season they have fewer motor vehicle accidents than at Hotham, where the Great Alpine Road is kept open through the winter."

At both resorts police deal with a lot of alcohol-related offences, and work closely with licensees on responsible serving of alcohol to help reduce incidents.

There is also a good deal of opportunistic theft of skis, jackets and other valuable equipment.

Snr Sergeant Incoll said crime has decreased significantly since the level and style of policing has changed since he took responsibility in 2003.

"More personnel at the stations, and more visible, pro-active policing, especially in the licensed premises means that crime has reduced markedly," he said.