A SHOW of force in Tea Gardens last week for a community forum with local police and District Command Officers.

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Port Stephens/Hunter Chief Inspector Tony Townsend led the meeting which was held in the Tea Gardens Primary School.

The premise of the forum was to answer community concerns and questions as well a summary of police related matters and crimes in the area over the past 12 months.

Inspector Tony Townsend gave a briefing of the crime statistics in Tea Gardens sector over the past year.

“There were 40 assaults, 37 break and enters, 9 frauds, 13 major traffic crashes, 28 malicious damages, 56 stealings, 9 stolen vehicles and 300 tickets given out, mainly by highway patrol,” Inspector Townsend told the meeting.

“In the Karuah area, there were 29 assaults, 9 break and enters, 19 frauds, 15 major traffic crashes and 26 malicious damages, 17 stealing and 4 stolen vehicles and 563 tickets, mostly for speeding.”

The good news, was that in most cases, there were significant decreases in crime over the past 3 years.

And when compared to the rest of the Port Stephens Hunter Region, the Tea Gardens and Karuah areas are some of the safest areas in the region.

When asked about police numbers in the area over the Christmas Holiday period, Inspector Townsend said there would be an increased presence.

And as for that Government funding for the upgrade to the Tea Gardens and Karuah Stations, he said he was yet to be advised as to what progress had been made.

Inspector Townsend had some high praise for our local officers, Senior Constables Dave Coyle, Rob Wylie and Karuah’s Constable Trent Moffat.

“The Police officers you have here, really care about this community,” Inspector Tony Townsend said, “They have an emotional investment in making this place a better place to live because it’s not only where you live but where their families and children live.”

“I feel fortunate that I have staff with the commitment of Trent, Dave and Rob, who are totally reliable and do a great job every day and who really care about making this a better place.”

By: Margie TIERNEY