State Member for Wallsend, Ms Sonia Hornery MP, will use a speech in NSW Parliament to outline the under resourcing of Police numbers in the Hunter.
The numbers show that over the last fifteen years the Northern Region Command Police resources have not kept pace with population growth.
In 2006, the population of the Northern Region was 1,393,110 and they were served by 2,305 Police Officers, but in 2020, the population had grown to 1,675,275, but only had 2,191 Police Officers. During that period the population increased a total of 21% but Police numbers dropped by 5%.
Ms Hornery will also point out that the Newcastle City Police District has in the same time gone backwards in numbers, from 245 to 244 officers, despite the Local Government area having been ranked in the top 10 in 8 crime categories by the Bureau of Crimes Statistics and Research.
“One of the most common issues raised with my office is the lack of adequate Police resources in the Wallsend electorate. I have raised the matter many times in Parliament,” said Ms Hornery.
“Every time an allocation of new Officers is announced, I ask the same question: why is the Newcastle City Police District so consistently overlooked for new officers? Why does this Government continually ignore the pleas of Wallsend residents for more Police?
“Our local Police Officers do great work, but they are under-resourced and under-staffed.
“The official Police numbers don’t lie, we have seen a huge population increase, over 21%, but a decrease in Police numbers.
“In the last 15 years, the Newcastle Police District has gone backwards in numbers. There is already a clear need for a stronger policing presence in the Newcastle area.
“The Newcastle LGA holds the unfortunate distinction of being the State’s leader in steal from person, ranking first in that category.
“Newcastle is ranked second for fraud, fifth for other theft, sixth in steal from motor vehicle, seventh in transport regulatory offences, eighth for steal from retail store, and tenth for both motor vehicle theft and robbery.
“I think we can draw a pretty clear line from this Government’s lack of support for our local Police to the District’s current rankings.
“I always encourage Wallsend residents to report every instance of crime or anti-social behaviour to the Police Assistance Line.
This Government needs to hear what people in Wallsend and across the Northern Region are saying. We need more Police on the streets,” Ms Hornery said.