Fairfield City is a growing, vibrant community, and like all communities we rely on strong frontline services to keep people safe. At the heart of that is having enough police to meet the needs of our residents.
For some time now we have been raising our concerns about the reduction in police numbers. This has been especially visible this year with unauthorised access by e-bikes on the T-way and more recently with the forced closure of part of The Crescent Plaza in Fairfield.
We did our own review of NSW Police annual reports and it shows that since 2021, numbers of police in the Fairfield City Police Area Command (PAC) has dropped by 23.7%. Neighbouring local government areas across Western Sydney have also seen significant declines, including a 20.9% reduction in Liverpool City PAC, and a 20.5% reduction across PACs servicing Cumberland City and City of Parramatta.
These reductions have occurred despite ongoing population growth, increased service demand, and heightened community concern around public safety and antisocial behaviour across Western Sydney.
This evidence directly contradicts recent statements made by Police Minister Yasmin Catley, claiming police numbers in Western Sydney have increased under her watch.
We support our local police, who continue to serve our city with professionalism and dedication under growing pressure. We want to ensure they are properly supported with the necessary resources to keep communities safe.
I will be writing to the NSW Premier Chris Minns, calling for an evidence‑based review of police resourcing across Fairfield City and Western Sydney, and for additional police officers to be allocated to areas experiencing sustained shortfalls. Our residents deserve clear information, honest assessment, and policing levels that reflect the realities of a growing region.
