Backing for probe into rural crime rates

By Tim Howard

An increase in the likelihood of residents becoming victims of crime has prompted a civic leaders in regional and rural NSW to call for an inquiry into policing for their regions.

Last Tuesday the Clarence Valley joined the call when Mayor Peter Johnstone brought a Mayoral Minute to the November Clarence Valley Council meeting seeking to endorse recommendations from the Country Mayors Association NSW.

The minute sought:

A. Establishment of a parliamentary inquiry to report on the rate of crime in all categories, reported by the Bureau of Crime Statistical and Research (BOCSAR) in regional, rural and remote NSW, specifcally focusing on the inequalities between Metro and regional local government areas.

B. An increase in funding for the NSW Police Force to increase frontline policing numbers in regional remote and rural regions most at need.

C. A commitment to the minimum staffng agreements known in the NSW Police Force as First Response Agreements for non-24 hour police stations, all of which are located in regional, rural and remote local government areas. And

D. A review of the formula used to determine the staffng levels including the universally agreed outdated current model, those local government areas that do have a frst response agreement in place.

The CMA has and the NSW Police Association said crime statistics from BOCSAR have revealed rural and regional people were more likely to be sexually assaulted, more likely to have their cars stolen, more likely to have their homes broken into and more likely to be impacted by domestic violence than in the past.

CMA Chairman Mayor Jamie Chaffey said about a third of NSW lived in rural and regional areas, outside metropolitan areas.

“But we are still second-class citizens when it comes to the safety of our communities,” he said.

“For the frst time, our CMA annual survey has revealed that crime, law and order is now in the top fve emerging issues for NSW local governments.”

Clarence councillors backed the minute, with Cr Debrah Novak questioning if cold cases in the area could be included in the inquiry. She said the there were 12 cold cases that remained unsolved in the Clarence Valley.

Mr Chaffey said when his organisation looked at the BOCSAR fgures, people were shocked.

“The rate of incidents per 100,000 people was, in some cases, horrifying when compared to metropolitan fgures,” he said.

“Up to 90% of crimes including vehicle theft, breaking and entering, sexual assault and domestic assault are happening here, in our regional communities.”

The CMA was heartened at the success of the Parliamentary Inquiry into health outcomes and access to health services in regional NSW that was established in 2020.

“We know the only way forward is to seek the bipartisan support of our state Members of Parliament to commit to this inquiry,” Mr Chaffey said.

At the end of the 2009 Coronial Inquest into one of these cases, the 1997 murder of Brooms Head teen Lee Ellen Stace, the then-deputy state coroner Carl Milovanovich criticised the length of time it took for police to prepare the brief of evidence for the inquiry. His criticism implied police lack of resourcing led to the delay, but police involved in the investigation were more direct.

They said the initial investigation and subsequent investigations were hampered by poor levels of police resourcing.

Cr Johnstone did not support including cold cases in his minute, concerned it might dilute the message coming from the CMA.

“This is a motion has been put forward by the Country Mayors Association and almost every council that’s covered by the Country Mayors Association is using this exact motion. So personally, I prefer that we just kept it as it is,” he said in reply to Cr Novak’s suggestion.

The minute was passed unanimously.