Superintendent Bruce Grassick takes over from Superintendent Kylie Endemi as Oxley Police District commander

He now has his boots on the ground in Tamworth as the new commander of the Oxley Police District.

He sat down with the Leader to reveal his top priorities when it comes to cracking down on crime, preventing it in the first place, and working with local communities.

Superintendent Grassick has been part of the NSW Police Force force for almost 30 years, and 21 of them have been based in regional areas, including Inverell and Ashford in the neighbouring New England district.

"I've always wanted to be entrenched in the community and be a part of the community, and I think one of the big challenges being in a regional area, but it's a privilege also, is living and working in your own town," he told the Leader.

"Police are the fabric of the community as well, and they want to make the community as safe as they can."

Since taking the reins from Superintendent Kylie Endemi, Superintendent Grassick has launched into tackling local issues.

Preventing property crime, working with youth and support services, and combatting domestic violence across the district are at the top of his list.

He acknowledged a significant amount of property crime offenders are sadly juveniles, and said the 'next generation' was a key focus.

"I see that as a massive priority for the Oxley Police District, and that centres around issues in relation to youth crime and prevention," he said.

"Our long term solution to this problem is in the prevention and disruption space."

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He said police had been engaging with the community, councils, agencies, the Local Aboriginal Lands Council, the force's Youth Command, the PCYC, and a new Tamworth-based Department of Communities and Justice program started on Superintendent Endemi's watch.

The first 'big night out' at the Youthie in West Tamworth earlier in December drew a crowd of more than 80.

"It's all about having those engagements, working hand in glove ... and making sure we are trying to prevent these things from happening in the first instance rather than trying to mop up the aftermath," he said.

The squad targeting property crime, Operation Mongoose, is still working hard and Superintendent Grassick said there had been positive results. He said the district was looking to resource a separate team to exclusively look at youth issues.

Although it tends to happen more behind closed doors, he said he would continue the strong focus on preventing and combatting domestic violence, and supporting victims.

He said he was proud to be part of the Oxley Police District, covering a huge area, from Walcha to Willow Tree.

"There's a great team here," he said.

Superintendent Grassick moved from Bathurst, where he was crime manager, though he's been filling in for commanders and other roles in the Western Region for the past year or so.

He was inspired to become a policeman by his sister and parents, who each have backgrounds in the emergency services or military, and hasn't looked back.

He became a detective in his first few years in Sydney before moving to the regions.

"As a result, I think you have a real passion for regional policing that develops over time," he said.

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