District Inspector Justin Cornes looks back on his first year in Leeton

District Inspector Cornes started in his role in Leeton this time last year.

Coming from roles in places such as Sydney and Newcastle, District Inspector Cornes has been enjoying living and working in a town that values community.

Of course, when dealing with crime day in and day out, it's not all sunshine and roses.

There are areas he would like to see Leeton improve on.

That includes lowering the rates of domestic violence and improving the mental health of residents.

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"It's certainly been a challenging year," District Inspector Cornes said.

"In the southern region alone, bushfires, floods and now the pandemic have all hit. Leeton has not been immune.

"The pandemic has certainly created a number of challenges for police, but we are navigating our way through that.

"The community though has been very understanding."

In terms of what has changed in the last 12 months during his tenure, there are "exciting" times ahead for the police force in Leeton.

The team has welcomed a new domestic violence operative, Rachael Sellers, who is based from Leeton.

"We are also getting some new staff in the coming month, which is exciting for us," District Inspector said.

"Across the majority of crime categories here in Leeton we've seen a drop in most of the areas.

"In terms of Rachael's role, that is something I had been lobbying to have here for some time, so it's great to have her on board working in that area.

"That alone is a huge win for our community."

Moving forward, domestic violence continues to be one of the biggest issues, but police are focused on crime prevention across the board.

Working with the community to continue to bring crime rates down is crucial, according to District Inspector Cornes.

"We welcome community feedback and any information they may have when it comes to crime or incidents that are occurring," he said.