Ageing Tweed cops form thin grey line
THE Tweed’s top cop says his officers are getting a bit old to be tackling young, druggedup crims.
As debate rages about police numbers ahead of next year’s NSW election, Superintendent Wayne Starling said the biggest issue was not the number of police, but their age.
Supt Starling said his officers were choosing to forgo promotion in other areas to grow old in the Tweed.
“The average age of our officers in the Tweed Byron Police Area Command is 44, so they get injured far more easily and they don’t recover as quickly,” he said.
“Three of my duty officers are injured at the moment. One has a dislocated bicep and another has an injured foot.”
Police in Tweed are battling a spate of property crimes and this week the region was ranked the eighth worst ice hotspot in NSW.
In the lead-up to the March election, the Coalition and Labor have been fighting over police resources in the region.
Labor’s Craig Elliot says the area needs more. Tweed MP Geoff Provest disagrees.
Supt Starling said keeping officers in their uniforms and fit enough to carry weapons was the problem. He said nine of his people were on restricted duties, eight on maternity and other extended leave, and more than 30 couldn’t strap on a gun because of injuries.
As a result of the injuries, Supt Starling has to juggle rosters and get other officers to do overtime to meet minimum policing requirements.
“That probably creates more stress on the police who turn up for work,” he said.
He said the age profile of the police force was a result of living in a wonderful location.
“Many police don’t seek promotion, they seek lifestyle, so they finally achieve that when they move here and they stay here.
“That means they are out in the truck day in and day out, dealing with young mentally disturbed or drug-affected people, and that’s how they sustain the injuries.”
He said the only solution to the older police force problem would be to relocate officers but that would be punishing officers for getting injured while protecting their community.
Supt Starling took control of the Tweed Byron Local Area Command in 2016 and said he would focus on staffing levels.
He said at the time his goal was to support officers with psychological issues back into the workplace and to service the community again.
“We are also trying to create that culture if you’re not well, you put your hand up and ask for help,” he said.