NSW Shadow Police Minister Walt Secord today released data showing that NSW Police numbers are going backwards – contradicting a claim by State Police Minister that they are increasing numbers.
 
“We have fewer police officers in NSW today than we did in April,” said Walt Secord.
 
Mr Secord was responding to the Police Minister’s claim this morning that the State Government was unveiling 120 new positions – as part of its final roll-out of 550 police officers.
 
During the previous round of budget estimates, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said there were 17,673 sworn officers, as at 21 April.
 
Yet, in response to a question on notice dated 15 July, the Police Minister said there were 17,667 as at 27 June – a decrease.
 
“Today’s police announcement is all smoke and mirrors. Just because the Police Minister says he is going to set up new positions does not mean that there will be physical officers in those positions,” Mr Secord said.
 
“In reality, the Police Minister has been forced to admit that there are fewer police officers in NSW than there were two months earlier.
 
“After 11 years in power, the Perrottet Government is playing catch-up on its own commitments.
 
“This government has made announcements like this time and time again – but the numbers speak for themselves.
 
“Gangs are acting with impunity and we see that NSW has the lowest number of operational staff per capita of any state.
 
“In fact, there are now six fewer officers than there were in April.”
 
NSW already has the lowest number of operational staff per capita of any state in the nation: 244 police per 100,000 residents. This is woeful compared to Victoria, which has 312 per 100,000 residents.
 
As for police response times, families in western Sydney—and particularly Parramatta—who request urgent police assistance face some of the longest waits in the state, with 30 per cent of calls for help not answered within 12 minutes.
 
At least one in five urgent calls was going unattended across three-quarters of the State’s police regions.

WALT SECORD MLC
NSW SHADOW MINISTER FOR POLICE