Bush summit: Country cop Leigh Fiddes says lack of police in the bush is making life tough

They are the harsh realities of bush policing: too few cops, the tyranny of distance dictating the wait for back-up, and decisions about what the country needs being made in the city.

The unique task of policing in the bush is being made harder by a lack of officers, the distances that have to be travelled for backup to arrive and decisions about the country being made in the city.

That’s the view of former NSW Police officer Leigh Fiddes, who spent almost two decades in the force from 2002 to 2019, much of that time working in regional areas like Gundagai.

It was there that he was shot at during a wild police chase, had to take on offenders knowing backup was up to an hour away, attended too many car accidents to count and saw many incidents that would leave people “mind blown”.

At one station, Mr Fiddes lived next to alleged offenders who would knock on his front door to report for bail.

“There’s certainly staff shortages, but the decision to close stations and not man them, makes them lawless communities,” he said.

Former NSW Police officer Leigh Fiddes believes the unique task of policing in the bush is being made harder by a lack of officers on the beat. Picture: John Feder/The Australian.

“Communities know that by the time the cops come someone could be dead or property stolen, because it’s so remote and that leads to fractured relationships with locals.

“They need more staff out in the country. It’s the old adage, if it does happen in Newcastle, Wollongong or Sydney, it doesn’t happen

Mr Fiddes spent close to two decades in the force. John Feder/The Australian.

“I was a lockup keeper at Gundagai, most of my work was heavy vehicle and motor vehicle accidents on the Hume Highway, but I’d also get domestic violence related matters, the odd stealing matter or whatever.

“Some of the stuff that goes on out there in the bush, it’s just … people would be mind blown.

“And the area you covered, if you had to call someone because your backup wasn’t available, the closest backup “sometimes was 50kms away.”

Policing is set to be one of many regional issues raised at The Daily Telegraph’s annual Bush Summit to be held in Griffith next Friday, August 26.

Nationals Leader and Police Minister Paul Toole, who will be in attendance at the summit, said the government is dedicated to staffing regional stations – evidenced by the fact almost half of the state’s newest officers set to graduate from the Goulburn Police Academy today will head to rural areas.

“With a Police Minister from Bathurst and a Commissioner from Boorowa, there is a strong focus on the specific needs of regional policing,” Mr Toole said.

Police Minister Paul Toole said the government is dedicated to staffing regional stations. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“In the past few months, I’ve met with hundreds of police at more than 25 regional stations across the State – from Lismore to Deniliquin to Bourke and Broken Hill and from big regional stations to single officer operations.

“The NSW Government has made a half a billion dollar investment in an extra 1500 police – the biggest increase to police numbers in three decades.”

Of those new officers, more than 500 have been allocated to rural stations, while the government this week also announced the rollout of 10 new rural crime investigator positions across the state.

Mr Toole said many of these new investigators “have grown up or worked on farms and play a critical role in building positive relationships between police and the rural community”.

Originally published as Bush summit: Country cop Leigh Fiddes says lack of police in the bush is making life tough