Dear Resident,

I grew up in this City and I love it!

Recent headlines depicting our City as an unsafe place to live are not only upsetting but don’t paint an accurate picture of what is really happening in our community.

Let’s not sugar coat things, of course there are criminal elements in our City, as there are in all other areas across Sydney, but the majority of people that reside here are law abiding citizens, and families with children they want to raise in a community they’re proud of.

The police play a pivotal role in keeping us, and indeed the entire community safe. We should embrace the work they do, and never should we feel threatened, or anxious walking past a police officer in the shops.

The new commander of the Bankstown Local Area Command, Superintendent Adam Johnson, is a breath of fresh air for our City. I recently met with him and the acting Commander of the Campsie Local command and I was impressed by the conscious efforts by both men to get closer to the community and to listen to any concerns.

The message was loud and clear.

The police want to be more visible and breakdown some of the barriers which exist at the moment. Let’s not forget, the police were left to do the bidding of the NSW Government during COVID and were accused of heavy-handed tactics and “over-policing”.

This created a divide and there are still some bridges to be mended.

True to his word, Superintendent Johnson joined me at Bass Hill plaza to meet locals and hear of any concerns. He was overwhelmed by people wanting to express their gratitude for the work police do, and to reinforce how much they enjoyed seeing the police out and about, showing their smiling faces.

Our City is a beautiful place to live and Superintendent Johnson is working with us to keep it that way! So next time you see the police out on duty, stop and say hello, after all they are there for us.

Yours sincerely,

Clr Khal Asfour
MAYOR