NSW Police re-engineering process to look at Tamworth policing numbers

Assistant Commissioner Geoff McKechnie told The Leader while he couldn’t guarantee more numbers, the model would be better suited for regional areas.

It comes after The Leader revealed a team of 15 detectives polices a population across the Oxley Command of 85,000 people – seven positions short of the Orana detectives office in Dubbo, and two positions short of the Canobolas area, which have significantly smaller populations.

“There is work that needs to be done, it may be that some places need more, some places need less,” Asst. Comm. McKechnie said.

“There may be a need to change on a pretty-wide scale.”

Asst. Comm. McKechnie said the overhaul of policing was a “fantastic opportunity as an organisation to design a model that best suits our needs”.

“We haven't settled on a model for regional NSW,” he said, with speculation new commissioner Mick Fuller could establish regional enforcement squads as a way of tackling crime.

“It’s about having those specialist type resources, having those available on a wider basis.

“Oxley LAC is performing really well, crime in the area is being attended to in a really professional manner and they're achieving some really good results.”

Asst. Comm. McKechnie said it's just too early to say how many more numbers the bush could be allocated.

“There has to be a comprehensive review of current staffing, crime levels, trends, future trends, to ascertain where we might be best served by placing positions,” he said.

He said Tamworth had seen additions in a dog squad, as well as a permanent TAG position but admitted “there was a lot of work to be done”.