FIONA Ozols attended the September meeting of Coonamble Shire Council last Wednesday to ask Council what they could do to assist with the staffing issues at Coonamble Police Station.
Ms Ozols was representing the Orana Mid Western North Branch of the Police Association of New South Wales.
In her presentation, Ms Ozols acknowledged the ‘spike’ in crime since June this year.
“We’ve had these spikes before,” Ms Ozols said.
“The difference is that the crimes this time are high profile and serious.”
She also pointed out that local police had been having a high degree of success with 183 offenders taken into custody since the beginning of 2018.
As well as workload issues due to the current position vacancies in Coonamble and Gulargambone, Ms Ozols warned that by December 2018 the majority of Coonamble’s police will be relatively inexperienced.
“The most senior police may have only had three years in the job,” Ms Ozols said.
“We clearly need more police here,” Ms Ozols said. “Coonamble officers stationed here are carrying a huge workload that they sometimes struggle to action and maintain on a regular basis.
“My goal as a Police Association representative is to have an extra five police including some with extra duties.”
“We also hope to have a PCYC in Coonamble and I will be following up on that,” she said.
Ms Ozols said that a key factor limiting recruitment, apart from the extra incentives available ‘just up the road’ at Walgett, is a lack of suitable housing.
“It’s very hard to find a good house in a good area in Coonamble,” Ms Ozols said.
“You get the situation where police and their families are living among the people they arrest day in day out.”
In the absence of the ‘special remote’ incentives from the NSW Government, Ms Ozols requested that Council consider contributing 50% of housing costs and assist in finding good quality homes.
“I believe a reduced cost of living would help to attract and retain police in Coonamble,” she said.
“There are other councils, like Bogan Shire, who have purchased a house to assist in attracting essential services.”
She explained that in Nyngan, the Shire has purchased a house and the police tenants pay enough rent to cover the cost of the loan.
Ms Ozols also called for Council and the community to unite and support the Police Association’s Back the Blue campaign.
“There is no point in the Association calling for more police if the statistics don’t support it and we cannot fill the positions,” she said.
“My job is to ultimately get more staff to Coonamble. If the community are not reporting crime then I look like an idiot because the stats don’t support what I’m saying.”
“Coonamble is a beautiful town and an even better community,” she said.
“It devastates me to hear the community, which all police stationed here put their heart and soul into protecting every day, no longer have faith in our ability to police the town.”
“There has been a problem staffing Coonamble Police Station for many years and we are determined to find a solution,” she said.
“Community members need to report crime and we need to work together as a community, Council and Police Association to get what we need.”
“It is vital we all remain united.”
“I firmly believe the loudest squeak gets the most oil,” Ms Ozols said.
