TAMWORTH MP Kevin Anderson will meet with the top cop of Western Region to voice concerns about the proposed overhaul of Oxley Police District.
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Mr Anderson will sit down with Assistant Commissioner Geoff McKechnie in early-January and said he had fears that there wouldn’t be enough support for frontline officers when part of the Barwon command is merged into Oxley in March.
On Thursday, The Leader revealed the police association feared there won’t be enough detectives, Target Action Group police or officers to field phones once 22 police stations and more than 180 officers are moved under the Oxley umbrella.
"The Police Association have come to me and asked me to look at concerns that they have with the fact that we have now got Narrabri, Boggabri, Wee Waa - all of those police stations are now part of the Oxley Command,” Mr Anderson said.
"They were seeking some assistance from me in terms of how we can support them by putting some general civilian staff at those stations to assist.”
Under the draft Oxley proposal, the local branch of the Police Association of NSW said the criminal investigation unit, or detectives, could have a ratio of one detective sergeant to supervise 14 investigators – double the 1:7 ratio being proposed for the neighbouring New England Police District.
Similarly, there are concerns the administration staff ratio will be the same, while the Target Action Group could be left with as little as one sergeant and three officers in Tamworth compared to a squad of 12 in New England, once the Moree and Armidale teams merge.
"I've spoken to the Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys and I'll be meeting with Western Region commander Geoff McKechnie in early January.
"So we'll talk with him in the first instance and work out what we can do."
– with Haley Craig