FRONT LINE POLICING

FRONT LINE POLICING

30 August 1999

Member for Lismore, Thomas George today slammed the rumoured cutbacks of over $400,000 by the Carr Government for the Richmond Local Area Command (LAC) for Police, as disgraceful.

Minister Whelan was here last week to confirm 24 hour policing in Casino for part of the week, as well as announcing that we will get a number of new frontline police being members of a "Flying Squad" partly based in Lismore. However, Minister Whelan did not inform us of these cutbacks.

"The Carr Government is putting the Police well behind financially and expecting them to get on top of unsatisfactory crime rates in the Richmond Area Command."

"Police cannot be expected to lift their clear up rates when evidence is mounting that any cuts to the police budget will have a dramatic impact in this area on public safety" Mr George said.

"With unacceptable crime rates in this LAC, I call on Minister Whelan to deny the cutbacks or immediately allocate extra funding from Treasury to allow the Police to do their job" Mr George concluded.