Thin blue line stretched to limit | Coffs Coast News | Local News in Coffs Coast

Northern Star

IT seems the thin blue line is getting a whole lot thinner.

As NSW Police continue their action for a five per cent wage increase, the real issue on the Coffs Coast is staffing.

This newspaper has reported extensively on the lack of personnel within the Coffs/Clarence Local Area Command during the past 12 months and now it's known Australia-wide.

A national television news report on Monday revealed more than half of the 80 police commands in NSW are at “serious risk” from understaffing.

Of those, Coffs/Clarence Local Area Command was listed in the “extreme” category.

No one knows the dire situation better than retired highway patrol officer Marc Carroll. He spent the last eight years of his policing career in Coffs Harbour and says it's not the salary that's driving officers out of the force but the poor work conditions, excessive workload and lack of welfare.

“Management will say they're at full strength and everything is fine but that's so far from the truth,” he said.

“The figures don't lie. All the years I worked in Coffs Harbour, highway patrol was never at full strength. I would say we were operating at about 50 or 60 per cent the whole time.

“The problem is if that someone is off on long term sick leave, they're still counted on the books.”

Mr Carroll said outlying stations are being left unattended because staff are being pulled into main stations to make up numbers.

“The Police Association keeps saying a wage increase is what's needed. What's needed is more staff,” he said

“I'm not saying I don't agree with the wage increase - police officers deserve every cent - but what they really need are more frontline officers.”

Mr Carroll was on long term sick leave before he was discharged from the force about 18 months ago.

“It's pretty horrific, there's no support.

“As a highway patrol officer we attend a lot of fatals. Not once were we offered counselling after attending a fatal.”