‘At breaking point’: Cop shortage over Xmas/new year period

Police have warned of a Christmas crisis across the country with NSW the hardest hit by mass vacancies and officers struggling to respond to some of the most common calls for help during the holiday period.

Police have warned of a Christmas crisis across the country with NSW the hardest hit by mass vacancies and officers struggling to respond to some of the most common calls for help during the holiday period.

“With more than 7000 vacancies across the country — with about 4000 in NSW alone — the thin blue line has never been thinner,” Police Federation of Australia chief executive Scott Weber said.

“Add to that the increased demand over the Christmas-New Year period and summer holidays, many of our police are at breaking point. It is simply impossible for them to respond to all the calls for assistance.’’

Police Federation of Australia CEO Scott Weber said there are 4000 police vacancies in NSW. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

The PFA represents more than 65,000 members across the country and has called for the federal government to give superannuation and other financial incentives to police forces to boost recruitments in all states, particularly NSW, which the PFA says has the biggest problem.

“A number of NSW stations have already passed motions refusing to conduct random breath testing, bail compliance checks (except for high-risk violent offenders), prisoner transfers, noise or animal complaints, parking disputes or security services for transporting mental health patients between hospitals,’’ said Mr Weber, a former president of the Police Association of NSW.

“While policing generally falls under the jurisdiction of state governments, superannuation, health and tax benefits are key areas where the federal government can show its support for our police,” Mr Weber said.

Due to lack of numbers, some police stations are refusing to carry out random breath testing, according to Mr Weber.

The federation represents more than 65,000 police across the country and is now lobbying the government to grant police three federal government benefits in line with some already available to frontline workers like nurses, paramedics and defence personnel.

They include a fringe benefit tax concession of up to $17,000, in line with public hospital and ambulance service workers; the introduction of a card to give police concessions on medical and health services similar to what Australian Defence Force employees have; and earlier access to superannuation at 55 years of age to recognise the significant physical and mental impacts from long careers in policing.

NSW Police disputed the figure given by the PFA of 4000 vacancies and claimed the real figure was about 2000.

A NSW Police spokeswoman said recruiting initiatives included paid training, incentives for officers to work in the bush and a pay rise.

REINFORCEMENTS NEEDED FOR HOLIDAY HOTSPOTS

Some of the state’s most popular holiday destinations have barely half the number of police they need, with the police association calling for urgent reinforcements just as they prepare for the annual invasion of Sydneysiders over Christmas and New Year.

Tweed-Byron Police District, which incorporates Byron Bay and all coastal towns up to the Queensland border, has just over 50 per cent of the officers it requires in the region and will receive no extra cops over the busy holiday period when the region’s population explodes.

Other beachside gems in the neighbouring Coffs/Clarence PD, which includes busy Coffs Harbour and the increasingly popular Yamba, have closer to 40 per cent of their authorised strength, while policing numbers on the NSW South Coast are also well below their ideal levels.

Popular NSW holiday destinations are desperately short of police numbers. Picture: Tom Parrish

Police Association NSW president Kevin Morton said help was needed for already busy cops whose work will “intensify enormously” over the coming weeks, and who would have to prioritise urgent jobs over proactive work such as roadside breath tests.

“During these holiday periods, we would like to see some assistance provided to our holiday hotspots in regional areas like Tweed-Byron PD and Coffs-Clarence PD,” Mr Morton said.

“These are areas that are understaffed currently, but during these holiday periods their workload intensifies enormously and they’re still doing it with those staff shortages.

“Our members will always respond to jobs that are genuine calls for assistance from the community … (but) when it comes to proactive duties like RBT, we will prioritise the calls for immediate assistance.”

Policing numbers are so bad in NSW’s Northern Region – which includes Tweed/Byron PD and Coffs/Clarence PD – that it received 57 new recruits from the recent graduating class, more than double any other country region.

While the idea of working in idyllic towns such as Byron Bay may seem enticing, police sources said the reality is most cops can simply no longer afford it as the median house price has soared to over $1.3 million in recent decades, and locally owned shops and restaurants have been taken over by designer fashion boutiques and big name eateries.

“You would think it would be the number one place people want to move to, but it is the opposite. For young cops it’s just unaffordable to buy a place,” a source said.

While a spotlight is shone on low police numbers in holiday towns over the busy summer period, throughout the year it is a source of much commentary from locals in Facebook groups.

That has become increasingly so due to the ever spreading impact of youth crime which has left locals living in fear in picturesque seaside towns like Crescent Head, South West Rocks and Yamba.

“How can we as a community try and get some police presence here? What do we have to do?” one recent post on the local Yamba Facebook group read.

“Please stop blaming the Police. They are ridiculously undermanned … They are also normal people who have families of their own and live in the community,” said another a few days later.

The recruiting troubles in the state’s far north comes despite the recent announcement of a new $28 million police station for Byron Bay, which Commissioner Karen Webb said would “mean we are better able to ensure the safety and wellbeing of both locals and visitors”.

In a statement, NSW Police said they “will have a significant presence” across the state over the Christmas and New Year’s holiday period.

“The wellbeing of the community remains our priority and the community can be assured that each Police Area Command and District provides a full complement of resources to ensure their safety,” a spokesperson said.

Originally published as ‘At breaking point’: Cop shortage over Xmas/new year period