THE state’s police association is hoping areas like Tamworth will see new recruits deployed after the state government announced 1500 extra police for NSW.
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Following months of campaigning and the Back the Blue push, Premier Gladys Berejiklian, police minister Troy Grant and NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller announced on Tuesday the extra numbers would be delivered over the next four years.
The Tamworth branch of the Police Association of NSW (PANSW) has been calling for an extra 25 new police for Tamworth to keep up with the current crime rates and growing population.
“We were asking for 2500 more police but this announcement is the largest injection of new officers over the last 30 years,” Tamworth-based PANSW executive member Mick Buko told The Leader.
“This is 1500 extra police, that’s on top of those that are entering already designated positions or who leave the force.
“These 1500 new cops will go a long way to making sure gaps are filled and we’ll be fighting very hard to get some of the new police in Western NSW to hot spots that are crying out for these extra resources.”
The commissioner will determine where the new police are deployed, with Mr Buko saying the association will put a case forward for where they are needed in the coming weeks and months.
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The Tamworth branch has called for 10 extra uniformed general duties staff, 10 more proactive police to target known offenders and prevent crime as well as custody sergeants and officers to manage those on the child protection register (CPR).
It argued the workload of Oxley officers was one-and-a-half to two times more than their metro counterparts.
The Leader revealed in 2017 Tamworth Police Station saw 1692 custodies in 2016 – 464 more than Macquarie Fields in Sydney.
The local branch said the Tamworth community was left vulnerable as car crews were diverted away from the streets to manage the flood of custodies in the local police cells.
Breanna Chillingworth
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
