The NSW Police Minister visited Dubbo recently to announce the upcoming deployment of six new Rural Crime Investigators across the state.
Police Minister, David Elliott, made the announcement at Dubbo saleyards on Thursday (26 July 2019), in a move directed at combating stock theft, trespass, illegal hunting and firearm theft.
NSW Police Rural Crime Prevention Corporate Sponsor, Assistant Commissioner Geoff McKechnie APM, welcomed the announcement which will strengthen the policing presence in remote locations of Western, Northern and Southern regions.
"The six additional Rural Crime Investigator positions allocated across the state will give us the capability in places we haven't previously had before," he said.
"We plan to establish a Rural Crime Prevention Team at Casino on the North Coast, comprising a team of sergeant and two investigators.
"Those positions will roll out over the next 12 months and we'll form that team, working in what is known as the cattle capital of NSW."
Other positions will be filled in more remote locations in Western and Southern NSW and increase the level of capability that Rural Crime Investigators working as single units currently don't have.
"That capacity will be boosted by a second officer, giving those communities far greater levels of coverage," Assistant Commissioner McKechnie said.
"Our Rural Crime Investigators are very mobile, they understand the importance of getting out to these far-flung locations, and also being present at sale yards like this one right across the state where stock eventually end up; a lot are being lawfully sold of course, but certainly on occasions some illegally-obtained stock come through sale yards so we do have a significant focus on that.
"We're always out at the goat depots, at locations where stock are moving through those points, and we certainly are still conducting checks on stock trucks moving throughout NSW."
Assistant Commissioner McKechnie has urged the public to engage with their Rural Crime investigators within their local police districts to establish relationships well before a problem occurs.
"When people realise that there is someone working in their local police district that understands the language, what they're talking about, that is there, dedicated to look after their concerns around crime and safety - the things affecting their communities – we've seen people come onboard, and we've urged that as well."
