Government incentive scheme to lure city cops to the bush attracts just 57 officers amid regional ‘crime crisis’

A NSW Government incentive scheme to encourage cops to relocate from Sydney to the bush has attracted just 57 officers as calls grow for an inquiry into a ‘crime crisis’.

A multimillion-dollar incentive scheme to encourage more cops to move from the city to the bush has managed to attract a grand total of just 57 police officers as calls grow for an inquiry into growing crime rates in regional NSW.

NSW Police figures have revealed just 57 police officers have been paid incentives to transfer from metropolitan areas to remote police districts as part of a highly-touted regional policing incentive scheme launched by the NSW Government last June.

The scheme was launched with the goal of addressing a dire shortfall of police in regional NSW and includes paying officers $36,000 over five years to relocate to selected regional locations including Broken Hill, Moree, Walgett, Hay, and Coonamble.

The program, budgeted at $7.5 million over five years, also includes incentives for housing provided by NSW Police at a rate of three per cent of an officer’s salary.

The scheme is aimed at enticing police to relocate from metropolitan areas to remote parts of NSW.

The low-uptake of the scheme has fuelled calls by the state opposition for a parliamentary inquiry into regional crime.

NSW opposition police spokesman Paul Toole said “crime was out of control in many communities.”

“We’ve got people too scared to leave their homes, car thefts and break-and-enters at an all time high and we’re struggling to attract the police that regional areas are crying out for,” Mr Toole said.

NSW opposition police spokesman Paul Toole said the figures were alarming.

“For the scheme to be effective it needs to be promoted but we’ve heard nothing from the Police Minister about it.”

As well as incentives to encourage officers to relocate from Sydney, the scheme also included one-off payments of $4300 to officers already attached to remote and special remote locations who have been there for more than five years.

NSW Police figures show 271 officers based in remote areas before the introduction of the scheme have been paid under the incentive scheme to date.

The scheme is aimed at addressing work shortages in regional areas.

Gunnedah Mayor Jamie Chaffey said many regional centres are grappling with higher crime rates than metropolitan residents, yet have fewer policing resources to deal with the problems.

“Most regional towns don’t have 24/7 policing because of a shortage of boots on the ground and if that were to happen in Sydney there would be an outrage,” he said.

“Why should it be the status quo for regional areas?”

Gunnedah Mayor Jamie Chaffey has called for an inquiry into regional crime.

NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley has previously rejected calls for an inquiry into regional crime, saying “waiting for an inquiry to hand down a report will only delay actions to tackle the problem”.

Ms Catley has blamed the low uptake of the scheme on the previous government, which introduced the program.

“It’s ironic that the former Minister who introduced this scheme is the one attacking it,” she said.

“The former Liberal Government left us a police force that’s hundreds upon hundreds of officers short.

“This government is 100 per cent committed to backing our hard-working police and getting more boots on the ground.”

NSW Police in a statement said it was “unable to predict” the exact number of officers the scheme was intending to attract over the five-year program.

A police spokeswoman said the scheme also includes additional funding to support officers in remote areas to travel, build their capabilities and develop their careers.

NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley.

NSW Police Association president Kevin Morton has supported the incentive scheme but said more needed to be done to plug the worker shortfall.

“Additional boots on the ground in regional locations would support the existing officers protecting the community and picking up the workload with a reduced workforce,” he said.

“The service to regional communities has been maintained, but our officers are being stretched to their limit and the pressure is immense.

“Crime figures show it’s imperative we do everything we can to attract new officers.”

The rural incentive program is one of many cash schemes aimed at covering staff shortfalls in frontline services including a rural health incentive program for nurses.

Figures from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics show regional areas continue to record the highest per-capita rates of serious crime in NSW. Hotspot areas include Moree, Bourke, Wilcannia, Walgett and Lightning Ridge.