Extra police for stretched region
Tweed to get nine new officers
NSW Police Minister David Elliott is to visit the Tweed today to announce the deployment of nine new police officers for the district, including a sergeant and a team of water police.
State Member for Tweed Geoff Provest has been lobbying the minister and NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller for more officers in Tweed-Byron Police District.
Police working in the Tweed have been stretched thin in recent times, due in part to Tweed Heads Police Station’s informal classification as a metro command of the Gold Coast.
Three general duties officers, one sergeant and five Marine Area Command officers will now bolster the ranks.
“It’s tremendous. We’ve been campaigning for a long time. We’ve been listening to local police on the ground,” Mr Provest said.
“There’s been true recognition by the Police Commissioner, Mick Fuller, that we’re more of a metro area here now, rather than a regional area.
“As the population grows other issues grow as well and nine extra (officers) is a big plus.”
Mr Provest was pleased more officers would be patrolling Tweed waterways.
This month the NSW Government said 450 extra cops would join police stations and specialist areas across the state. The Government promised to invest $583 million in 1500 extra police over the next four years.
“NSW is experiencing some of its lowest crime rates in 20 years but this is not the time to be complacent,” Mr Elliott said.
“New crime threats continue to emerge and it is vital we adequately resource our police to prevent, disrupt and respond to crime.”
During an allocation of officers in May, the Government said two graduating constables would be stationed in the district.
Earlier this year, TweedByron Police Association representative Darren McCaughey said the district was mired in a “staffing crisis” and badly needed extra officers, while a former Tweed cop also spoke about under-resourcing.
Mr Elliott and Mr Provest are due to make the staffing announcement at Tweed Heads Police Station about midday.