Griffith Local Area Command (LAC) will be merged with the Hay sector of Deniliquin LAC, which under a new regional policing model will be renamed the Murrumbidgee Police District.
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NSW Police made the announcement on Thursday for regional areas, and is set to be fully realised by the start of next year.
While the new model has been welcomed by Member for Murray Austin Evans, the move has been met with criticism from Labor candidate at the recent by-election Michael Kidd, who says police resources have been ‘sucked in’ to bigger centres.
Mr Evans says the model will benefit communities at the town level, with more decisions able to be made locally.
“For Griffith, the benefits mean it will be a case of focusing on Griffith and not being distracted by other towns within the district,” Mr Evans said.
With no extra officers announced to ease an already stretched police force, this cannot possibly improve police services in these smaller communities.
- Labor candidate at the recent by-election Michael Kidd.
“I think for those other communities, the benefits will be about them getting decisions made locally and not having to be directed constantly from Griffith.”
However Mr Kidd said it was now clear why the announcement was held off until after the by-election.
“With no extra officers announced to ease an already stretched police force, this cannot possibly improve police services in these smaller communities.”
The model will see new Region Enforcement Squads based out of Wagga, and will also see a new Domestic Violence High Risk Offender Team for the Western Region.
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller and Deputy Commissioner Regional Field Operations Gary Worboys said the model will remove the Local Area Command model for new Police Districts.
Commissioner Fuller said designing a unique policing model for regional NSW has been a priority of the restructure.
"A large aspect of re-engineering is putting more police back on the frontline and a flexible workforce is a good outcome," he said.
The restructure will see a consolidation of Wagga Wagga LAC and the southern sectors of Cootamundra LAC into a Riverina Police District.
Albury LAC with merge with southern sectors of Deniliquin LAC into a Murray River Police District.