Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak about a very concerning matter which is the decline in police numbers on the North Coast of New South Wales. This is an issue that my community is very worried about. I condemn the North Coast National Party state MPs for slashing the police numbers in our area. I call on the New South Wales government to immediately restore our police numbers to full strength. This is what our community demands.

In the past two years police numbers in the Tweed-Byron Local Area Command have dropped by 20 officers. In February 2012 there were 198 officers and the latest official figures reveal that there are now only 178 officers in the Tweed-Byron LAC. This is a very concerning drop. These figures are from the official New South Wales government police figures.

As a former police officer, I share the community's disappointment in the North Coast Nationals' failure to deliver local police. In fact, they are putting at risk our community's safety. Recently, the New South Wales shadow minister for the North Coast, Walt Secord, and I launched a community based petition called Operation Safer Streets—North Coast. This petition has been presented to state parliament. We will continue to present more signatures, as we have been overwhelmed by the number of people wanting to sign this petition when we have been doorknocking and speaking to locals as well as those coming in to my mobile office.

We have had an increase in crime in our community, with more bikies coming over the border. I call on the New South Wales government to reinstate our police numbers. (Time expired)