Twenty new probationary Constables have taken up positions in the Tweed Byron Local Area Command.
The new police officers include 13 for Tweed Heads, five for Byron and one each for Kingscliff and Murwillumbah.
Superintendent Stuart Wilkins, Local Area Commander for Tweed-Byron, said it was a really positive development for the community.
He said having so many new young officers in the area would enhance the local police presence.
“We do this all the time,” he said.
“They will be working through out for the first few weeks and then working with their field officers.”
Member for Tweed and Parliamentary Secretary for Police Geoff Provest was on hand at the NSW Police Academy in Goulburn on Friday to welcome the 20 new probationary constables.
“The Tweed and other regional areas are finally beginning to catch up with Sydney in terms of police numbers,” Mr Provest said.
“Twenty extra officers will make a huge difference locally and is a great start towards having our fair share.”
Mr Provest said he was particularly pleased the Government had not waited for the outcome of the Parsons Review of police allocations before deciding to favour regional areas.
“More than 300 of the 500 new officers are going to regional NSW even though we make up only about a third of the State’s population,” Mr Provest said.
“This is an important step forward because until now there has only been one officer for every 700 residents in regional NSW, compared to one for every 500 Sydneysiders.”
In its first State Budget in September, the O’Farrell-Stoner Government allocated a record $3 billion for the NSW Police Force in order to increase numbers by more than 500 officers.
