Positive reforms to NSW policing

Member for Northern Tablelands Richard Torbay has welcomed the recommendations of the Parsons’ Review into policing in NSW as breaking some long -standing deadlocks.
Mr Torbay said boosting police numbers in country areas and transferring prisoner escort duties to Correctional Services or private security guards were long sought reforms.
“The Police Minister is backing the report and there will be a sigh of relief from hard-pressed local area commands in the regions,” he said.
“There is still detail to come on structural changes and we will have to look at those carefully to ensure they represent beneficial reform.
“But on several critical issues the report delivers a blueprint for changes country police and communities have been seeking for a long time.”
Mr Torbay said he had put a motion to the Legislative Assembly earlier this year, proposing the transfer of prisoner escort duties to Correctional Services.
“The government used its numbers to water it down to considering the transfer, which put the issue on the backburner.
“Now it’s back as part of the Parsons’ Review recommendations and the government has the opportunity to relieve police from an impost that has cost hours and hours from essential front line duties.”
Mr Torbay said officers from the New England Local Area Command (NELAC) had spent 24,000 hours travelling 120,000 kilometres a year on prisoner escort duties.
The allocation of 16 probationary constables, due to start duties with NELAC next week, marked a good start to boosting numbers for country policing, he said.