Push for 24-7 police station

MURWILLUMBAH residents are calling for a manned 24-hour police station in the town after a string of incidents, including a man allegedly trying to drown a police officer in a local creek.

Resident Cheryl McDonald said she was appalled to hear of the latest alleged incident involving the officer, labelling it “absolutely disgraceful”.

“I have never heard such a thing happening in Murwillumbah. It makes me sick,” she said.

Her husband Ronald said: “This sort of thing never happens in Murwillumbah.”

“This could be easily resolved with increased police presence in the area,” he said.

“If they need an issue resolved, they contact Tweed Heads Police station, which is roughly half-an-hour away.”

Local Kaylene Binding said it was hard to contact police in the town and she held concerns about women’s safety.

“They come down to do the rounds, and they’re not even there (in the police station),” she said.

“A 24-hour police station wouldn’t hurt, especially in winter (when it’s darker) walking down to the car park.

“Everyone looks out for each other because there’s no police.

“If a young person was getting harassed, someone would step in.”

Resident Glenna Watkins backed the push for a 24-hour station in Murwillumbah.

“All the horrid people know it’s not manned all the time and would be deterred from committing crimes if it was,” she said.

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin, whose patch includes Murwillumbah, recently moved a motion in parliament regarding the issue.

“The NSW government is negligent on not implementing their longstanding promise of a 24-hour police station in Murwillumbah,” she said.

“Locals are absolutely right.

There is a shortage of police in Murwillumbah and Tweed Valley, they deserve an around-the-clock police service... I am fighting to get the job done on a 24/7 police presence in Murwillumbah.”

But Deputy Premier and Police Minister Paul Toole said the Murwillumbah area was patrolled all day, every day.

“The station operates on a 24-hour basis during peak periods on Fridays and Saturdays and for 20.5 hours every other day,” he said.

“Officers attached to the Tweed/Byron Police District, as well as highway patrol officers and other specialist commands, police the Murwillumbah area at all times.

“The Tweed Byron Police District received an increase of 11 positions in the last four years.”

The latest allocation of recruits shows no new police for the Tweed/Byron district and that there has been a drop in officers from 198 in 2012 to 181 in 2022.