Around 6000 teenagers are expected to descend on Dunsborough next month for the annual leavers celebration and Sergeant Craig Anderson, Officer-in-charge at Dunsborough Police Station, is feeling pretty relaxed about it.

Planning for Leavers Week starts a year in advance and with just over a month and a half to go before it officially commences, preparations are in the final stage.

“Planning for the big week involves many agencies, support services and members of the community,” said Sergeant Anderson.

“I work closely with Lisa Clack from the Office of Crime Prevention who is the official leavers manager WA and responsible for the state strategy and implementation, also Emma O’Brien from the Shire of Busselton, who is the local coordinator and Erik Olsen from the Baptist Union of Western Australia, who manages the leavers’ zone.”

Last year there were more than 275 local volunteers involved in Leavers Week and Sergeant Anderson is expecting the same level of involvement this year.

The format for Leavers Week 2009 won’t vary much from last year, which saw an overall reduction of arrests in the area by 91 per cent (since 2004).

“Leavers Week has worked so well in the past few years that we are working with the same strategy this year,” said Sergeant Anderson.

“The entertainment zone will be located on a property on the Vasse-Yallingup Siding Road again, and we will have more buses to and from the zone this year.”

Leavers Week 2009 officially runs from November 24-27.