An e-petition is calling for more resources and 24 hour staffing at Gunnedah Police Station amid community tension from continual crime.
Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson united with Gunnedah Shire Council mayor Colleen Fuller and Gunnedah Chamber of Commerce president Ben Hennessy for the announcement on Tuesday.
Mr Anderson said they were joining forces to ensure the petition reaches far and is confident the support will “exceed the limit”.
“The way to get on top of crime is to make sure we have enough police on the ground,” he said.
“Gunnedah Police Station was built for capacity, built for growth and now it’s time to ensure that we get the police on the ground and make that happen.” Mr Anderson said it would likely need another 10 or 12 officers to make 24 hour policing possible.
“Once these police are allocated to the Oxley Police District and more specifically to the Gunnedah Police Station it will boost numbers right across the board,” he said.
“That sends a clear message that criminals are not welcome.”
Mr Anderson said the surrounding villages such as Mullaley, Tambar Springs and Carroll, would also benefit from the increase in police staff.
Ben Hennessy described the petition’s requests as “reasonable and overdue” for Gunnedah’s safety and sense of security.
“Our community has absolutely had enough,” he said.
“We’re seeing the rise of petty and serious crime from theft, [armed] holdups, to break-in and entries.
“We’ve had car theft as well and it’s really time for us to draw a line in the sand and say enough is enough.”
He said the chamber has heard from its business members who have had a “gutful” of crime in homes and in stores.
“That’s impacting both their own business productivity and [staff wellbeing],” he said.
Mr Hennessy said while the multi-million dollar improvements of the Gunnedah Police Station in recent years has been positive, it now needs staff to go with it.
“After the last officer knocks off for the night [the station] is empty,” he said.
They are also calling for a Gunnedah dedicated landline so emergency calls are answered within the area rather than Tamworth or beyond, pulling police resources from other areas.
Cr Fuller has actively called for 24 hour policing and said as chair of the Gunnedah Crime Prevention Committee, she has “never seen it worse”.
“I would say [throughout] the last seven years, we are watching [crime] gradually rise,” she said, adding it has been disappointing for the council.
“It has been agreed we will work as a group, I think that is the only way to make it successful,” she said.
“I’m very happy to support [the petition] and go forward with whatever we can do to make this successful and accountable to the government.
“We all need to take action and we all need to be supportive of this today.”
She encouraged people to sign the petition “we all need to be supportive of this”
The e-petition is open to all NSW residents on the NSW Parliament website.
The petition asks the Legislative Assembly to call on the government to:
1. Implement 24-hour on-site staffing at Gunnedah Police Station, ensuring officers are available to respond in real-time to overnight incidents.
2. Increase police resourcing in Gunnedah, including staffing levels, patrol capability, and crime prevention units.
3. Introduce a dedicated, locally-answered Gunnedah police phone line so that calls made to the station during emergencies or disturbances are answered and actioned by on-site officers – rather than being redirected to distant locations.
