Four police officers may be cut from the Hume Police District under a staffing proposal. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
The Hume Police District is facing the possible loss of four positions in a staffing shake-up to manage “additional resource requirements”.
A NSW Police spokesperson said a review of staffing requirements across the southern region had been ongoing since late 2023.
That process has included “particular consideration for additional resource requirements” needed for the South Coast PD (SCPD).
Under the proposal, police would “quarantine” four positions from the southern region as they became vacant “to help address urgent staffing requirements” in the SCPD.
“As per due process NSW Police Force will progress consultation with the PANSW [the Police Association of NSW] about this concept which remains a proposal at this time,” the spokesperson said.
PANSW President Kevin Morton pushed back against an assertion it supported the proposal.
“The PANSW does not support any reduction to policing resources in any command, let alone in the Hume Police District,” he said in a statement to Region.
“During the re-engineering reforms of the NSWPF in 2017, the PANSW campaigned for additional police officers for the Hume.
“In a growth area that includes the Wollondilly catchment, Wilton, the Southern Highlands, and the Hume District, it seems unusual that we would see a reduction in the number of police officers needed now and into the future.”
There is also a proposal to cut at least 20 administrative staff from the police academy at Goulburn. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman criticised the proposal, labelling it “daylight robbery”.
She claimed the proposal would see the four police positions taken from across the Hume Police District – one each in Yass and Young, and two from the Southern Highlands region.
“Our police are already stretched to the limit – they need resources and reinforcements, not reductions.”
Ms Tuckerman said the staffing proposal, in addition to a potential cut of at least 20 civilian administrative staff from Goulburn Police Academy, showed a lack of commitment to regional areas from the Minns Government.
“Once the votes are counted and cameras are off, the true nature of the Labor Party is revealed,” she said.
“This is just the latest chapter in Labor’s relentless rationalisation of public service jobs to Sydney and the reduction of services across [the state to] anywhere that’s not Sydney, Newcastle or Wollongong.”
The NSW Police spokesperson said any changes to administrative staff were a separate matter to the SCPD staffing proposal.
The organisation is transitioning its contract to deliver the Associate Degree of Policing Practice at the academy to a new provider. It had been delivered by Charles Sturt University, which is being changed to Western Sydney University.
“The administration staff are employed by the university and their employment status is a matter for those private institutions,” they said.
