NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley has come under intense scrutiny for refuting widespread calls for a parliamentary inquiry into regional crime with the state government being accused of “trying to hide” the issue. 

Mayors from 84 NSW councils banded together with NSW Farmers and the NSW Police Association to lobby for a parliamentary inquiry on regional and rural crime including most mayors from the Western Plains.

At the end of last week, the state executive of the Country Women's Association (CWA) of NSW voted unanimously to support the call for an Inquiry.

“The situation has escalated, and our communities are worried about their safety," said Country Mayors Association Chairman Jamie Chaffey. "The fact that four major organisations that represent so many of our regional residents have publicly joined this call shows just how critical it is.”

However, Minister Catley has said that “Every time we ask for a parliamentary inquiry, we are taking more police away from doing their job, which is out in the community, because we’ve got them in here in the New South Wales Parliament in front of an inquiry…I just want people to factor that in.” 

Her response has infuriated Narromine Mayor Craig Davies. 

“I guess they are embarrassed. They are highly embarrassed. They know that only inquiry is going to show that rural crime; domestic violence, break and enter, car theft are four to six times higher in regional NSW than they are in the city”.   

“But there are more police per head of population in the city than there are in the bush” he told the Western Plains App. 

Minister Catley has referenced a 1,500 deficit of police in NSW which the Government has attempted to bridge by introducing paid training earlier this month. 

Image: NSW Farmers Association. 

“We have serious crime happening. Not just here, but everywhere west of the Blue Mountains. The Minister and the Premier know its happening, but they ignore it because its not happening. If it was happening in their backyard there wouldn’t be an inquiry there would be 500 new cops straight away.” 

Shadow Minister for Police Paul Toole said he was flabbergasted by the Minister’s response. 

“This is a Minister who is turning a blind eye to the issues at hand, especially if they don’t apply to a metro area". 

Country Mayor’s Association Chairman, Mayor Jamie Chaffey, said the NSW Government was refusing to listen to the united front of the CMA (representing more than three million residents across the state), the Police Association of NSW (PANSW), NSW Farmers, and most recently the Country Women’s Association\ (CWA) of NSW in their call for action. 

PHOTO: Jamie Chaffey. Image: LGNSW. 

“Statistics show that residents of rural, regional and remote New South Wales are facing higher crime rates than metropolitan residents, with fewer policing resources to deal with the problems,” Mayor Chaffey said. 

“It is insulting for our NSW leaders to try to shutdown this call that has come on behalf of millions of NSW residents for a Parliamentary Inquiry into crime, law and order in regional NSW. You cannot really ‘know’ the depth of the issues unless you live in regional NSW”.