Tuesday 2 April 2019

Hansard of the Legislative Council
West Tamar - Police Numbers

Mr FINCH question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

[2.46 p.m.]
Can the Government give assurances that police numbers in the West Tamar area are adequate, given there seem to be only six or seven officers to cover two shifts a day and allowing for holidays, long service leave, training and sick leave?

ANSWER

Mr President, I thank the member for Rosevears for  his question. 

The West Tamar subdivision is part of the greater Deloraine division.  There are two police stations located within the subdivision, at Beaconsfield and Exeter.  There is a sergeant in charge of the area with seven constables and a civilian customer service officer.  The number of police allocated to West Tamar subdivision was increased by one last year.  This is possible because the Government has committed to build an even better police service to keep Tasmanians safer, by recruiting a further 125 frontline police officers over the term of the Government.

Police staffing levels are managed well ahead of time through future planning.  Police personnel numbers within the subdivision are managed through an annual forecasted leave planner.  A district roster is in place well ahead of time for planned training activities.  An operational work roster is in place to maximise coverage for the West Tamar area.  After hours, police officers within the subdivision are on-call to attend incidents.  Support is available from the nearby Launceston and District Support divisions.  Any shortfalls through sickness can be absorbed by the greater Deloraine division.  Longer term, unexpected absences are addressed through district resources.

The West Tamar subdivision has had considerable success in reducing and resolving crime with total offences reported down by almost 50 per cent.  These figures should provide the community with confidence that police at West Tamar continually and successfully target antisocial and criminal behaviour through routine patrols and intelligence-led operations and investigations.

Overall the West Tamar community is considered a low crime area and a very safe place to reside.  At the present time, there are no specific emerging crime trends, public safety concerns or road safety issues.