Police union calls for 250 more western Sydney cops in pre-election ‘wish list’

250 more cops are needed in western Sydney to avoid a ‘recipe for disaster’ as the head of the police union hands down its election wish-list to Dominic Perrottet and Chris Minns on Monday.

More cops are needed to avoid a “recipe for disaster” in the western Sydney suburbs that have been the backdrop of a bloody gangland war, according to the police union’s election wishlist.

Kevin Morton, the new head of the Police Association of NSW, said the areas needed at least 250 more cops to deal with growing crime figures and population boom set to hit in coming years.

The plea for help is at the top of the wishlist he is set to deliver to Premier Dominic Perrottet and opposition leader Chris Minns on Monday, weeks before the state goes to the polls.

“Already the region is suffering from the lowest police to population resourcing ratio and the longest police response times in the state,” Mr Morton told the Sunday Telegraph.

“That’s only going to get worse with the inevitable population growth in the area.”

PANSW president Kevin Morton. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Mr Morton, a sergeant in the force who was appointed to head the union last year, said the police’s domestic violence measures faced the prospect of failing before they even started if resourcing issues were not addressed.

In his inaugural speech last year in front of members, Police Minister Paul Toole and Commissioner Karen Webb, Mr Morton warned of the shortages facing the force.

The biggest roadblock, he said at the time, was that recruits are spending $17,000 just to join the force.

Speaking on Friday, he told the Sunday Telegraph any reinforcements pledged by either party could not just be “a sugar hit”.

According to internal police figures, the commands that cover western Sydney have the lowest number of officers per 100,000 people in NSW.

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Mr Morton will deliver his election wish list to Dominic Perrottet and Chris Minns on Monday. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“Our police numbers are already way under strength in western Sydney. They’re already struggling to (meet) police response times on a regular basis and that’s before we factor in population growth and the additional, important roles police are being given in order to deal with crucial issues such as domestic violence,” Mr Morton said.

“This can’t just be a sugar hit. We need to address the systemic issues such as affordable housing for essential workers as well so we can deal with the issues of police shortages in the long term.

“Every community deserves to know there’s an adequately resourced police force in their area working to keep them safe. Unless some changes are made in western Sydney, that will no longer be the case.”

Deputy Premier and Police Minister Paul Toole said he would work with the PANSW for the “best outcome for the community”.

“We are delivering on the biggest increase in police numbers across NSW to increase the ranks of sworn officers to more than 18,00,” he said.

“More than $583 million has been invested to roll out an extra 1500 position across the state and 225 of those were allocated to bolster policing south west and north west regions.

Labor’s police spokesman Paul Scully said the opposition was waiting for a briefing from the PANSW next week.

“We will examine the report and its recommendations,” he said.

“Labor has committed to abolishing the wages cap, and we will work will the association and its workforce on improving conditions.”

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