The state’s top cop has weighed in on calls for a 24-hour police station in Gunnedah.
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon APM said there is a “misconception” about the police response in regional communities.
“I think there is a misconception if a station is not open 24 hours there is no police in response. That is completely incorrect,” Commissioner Lanyon said.
“We’ve made police vehicles as basically an office-on-wheels and officers can do most of their work from there now.
“The misconception sometimes is if a crime is committed at Gunnedah when the station is not open, the police will come from Tamworth.
“Our police are mobile, and they’re likely to be in the sector where their response is even quicker.”
His comments follow renewed calls for 24-hour policing in Gunnedah, including an e-petition recently lodged with NSW Parliament.
The petition is currently accepting signatures and lists police staffing at Gunnedah as among its main priorities.
It is backed by the Gunnedah Chamber of Commerce, local council and Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson.
“I’ve been pushing hard for more resources for local police including 24-hour policing in Gunnedah and a division of PolAir in Tamworth, tougher laws and consequences for actions, and more funding for diversionary programs that keep at-risk young people away from a life of crime,” Mr Anderson said.
Police have made more than 250 arrests since March – the start of juvenile crime-focused Operation Soteria. About 170 of those arrests were young offenders.
During a press conference in Tamworth earlier this month alongside NSW Premier and the Minister for Police, Commissioner Lanyon said he had met with the chamber of commerce and council about their concerns.
He explained police would “always be here to support the community” but said the methods and staffing required, are continually changing according to operational requirements.
“The deployment of police is flexible,” Commissioner Lanyon said.
Asked about the possibility of securing the services of a police helicopter in the region, the Commissioner said this asset would be deployed when needed.
He also highlighted the use of remote-controlled aircraft or drones which the NSW Police Force is “prepared to trial” soon.
“Technology is a gamechanger for police,” the Commissioner said.
The Commissioner’s comments coincide with the NSW Government’s announcement of a $23 million funding package targeting crime committed by youth in regional areas.This includes $12 million to continue place-based responses in Moree and expand to Tamworth and Kempsey, $6.3m for intensive bail supervision and support for young people, and $5 million for a Community Safety Investment Fund.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said although Moree was selected for the start of the program, that’s not where it will end.
The Premier planned to roll out similar programs to other regional centres once the initial areas are established.
“We began our coordinated program in Moree – we didn’t do that because we thought Moree was more important that other towns or had a particularly bad crime problem but we wanted to start local,” Mr Minns said.
“Some of the challenges in the past we’ve looked to hundreds of different towns, all at the same time, many of them failed and people throw their hands up and say it’s all too hard.
“The premier’s department has been able to look at particular programs and see if they’re working, not just throwing good money after bad.
“We’re moving from Moree to Kempsey to Tamworth, and from those three centres we’ll move to further towns.
“We want to put the resources around the police operations so it’s not just law and order, not just about arrests, it’s about diverting kids into a far more productive … experiences.”
Gunnedah Police Station.
