Increased police
Back in February, Deputy Commissioner of Police, David Owens, stated on Stateline that, “..there is a big gap between perception and reality..” in the Tweed in terms of violent incidents. We know as residents, that the problem is very real. Mr Owens also stated that the Tweed Byron Local Area Command (LAC) is over-resourced. ( see ABC News Link )
The NSW Police website states that as of March 2010 the Tweed Byron LAC has an allocation of 175 police. What they don’t tell you, is how many of these are on stress leave, sick leave or long service. We want operational police on the ground, out on the streets.
Policing numbers are calculated using statistics gathered from reported crime, and according to NSW Police, we are over staffed. But crime statistician Don Weatherburn has been quoted (Tweed Daily News 1st May 2010) as stating that as many as 25% of assaults are rejected from official statistics. Police keep telling us to report crime, but if incidents are not recorded, statistics stay static or may even decline and we will never get the police numbers we need.
Our Advice
1. Report ALL Crimes - you can do this anonymously if you prefer for non-emergencies. (See 'Links' for all phone numbers)
2. Take the officer's name when you report the crime.
3. If the officer does not follow up within several days, call them and ask for the incident number and progress on the case.
It is only by being vigilant that statistics will begin to reflect reality!