Chief’s fear for officers

Drug problem putting police at risk: Byron boss

A TWEED Byron Local Area Command boss has hit back at claims his police officers are “heavy handed” and warned an escalating drug problem is plaguing his district.

Superintendent Wayne Starling spoke out in defence of NSW police the day after a video emerged on social media showing a woman arrested at Byron Bay.

The woman, who was allegedly intoxicated, struggled with police before being hit by a female officer.

Supt Starling said police acted in self-defence when the woman allegedly tried to bite the female officer during the arrest.

“The footage didn’t look the best for police at the time, but when you dissect the footage by each frame of the broadcast, you’ll see that the police acted in self-defence,” he said.

“The girl on the ground lost consciousness for a few seconds. Once she regained consciousness she struck out at police.

“Once they were in the ambulance a short time later, she actually spat at an ambulance officer.”

The arrest was the second caught on film in the past two weeks, the first showing a teenager being beaten by Byron police during a seemingly violent arrest.

Supt Starling said he had full confidence in his police and their actions.

The veteran officer said he was more concerned with an escalating drug problem.

“We’ve had a bad run lately in relation to drugs and I have serious concerns that one of my police, or one of the community, will be seriously injured,” he said.

“In the last 12 months we’ve had 171 police within the command assaulted, 44 police at Byron Bay and of those 44 each one of those was associated with drugs or alcohol.

“We’ve also had, in the last six months, 15 mentally ill people who have been aggressive.

“The concern they have is that they’re going to be injured.

“At the moment I have 30 police that can’t strap on a gun. Fifteen of those police have physical injuries and they come to work each day, many of them have slings, many of them broken bones and several have black eyes at different times.

“That’s the community they’re policing at the moment. Unfortunately, I have concerns between now and retirement one of those police will not be going home to their families.”

Supt Starling said he was confident officers involved in Monday’s arrest acted in the best interest of the woman and the public. But, as is protocol, the officers involved were subject to an independent investigation into the incident.

The 21-year-old woman was charged with affray, assault police, assault ambulance officer and offensive conduct.

Her male friend, also 21, was charged with affray, assault police and hinder police. The pair will appear in the Byron Bay Local Court on March 8.