Eleven new positions will be created in the Hunter Valley Police District, including six in Cessnock, as part of a statewide pledge from the NSW Government.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Hunter Valley commander Superintendent Chad Gillies said the district fared "significantly well" in the first roll-out of a plan to increase the NSW Police Force by 1500 officers in the next four years, including 450 new law enforcement jobs across the state in the next 12 months.
"We did as good as anyone else in the state," Superintendent Gillies said. "This is a big win. We campaigned hard, we pushed hard.
"Our current police numbers needed an adjustment.
"This will improve our capability."
The Hunter Valley Police District, which also includes Singleton and Muswellbrook, received the most positions in the Hunter Region.
Of the 11 positions, five will be probationary constables, who are expected to come from the next group to graduate the Police Academy in August.
Two other constable positions will be advertised for, while there will be three additional sergeants and a child protection officer.
The child protection officer is a first for the district. Currently detectives manage the child protection register, but the allocated position will control that responsibility across the district.
Two out of the three sergeants will be based at Cessnock Police Station, which will also receive three constables.
The other sergeant and two constables will head to Muswellbrook, while Singleton will receive two constables.
Related: Union rallies for more police
Superintendent Gillies said the positions would allow police to increase proactivity across the district.
"The message I hear, particularly in the smaller towns is 'we want to see more police, we want to see more uniforms'," he said.
"This will put more police on the street."
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said "these fully-funded positions are the resource boost we need to continue to drive down crime and protect the community".
"Positions are being placed in the areas most in need across the state. We will see more officers in police area commands and police districts as well as in specialist commands."
Cessnock MP Clayton Barr welcomed the local allocation, which follows the government budgeting just under half of the promised $13.5 million for the upgrade to Cessnock Police Station.
"The allocation of new police officers is a much needed boost to the already stretched officers in the electorate," he said.
"We know from statistics that our local police officers are among the hardest working in the state in terms of jobs, response and arrests per officer.
"The only way to ease the workload and improve the service delivered to the community is to have more police."
