ONE of the state’s most senior police officers will be in Tamworth today, experiencing the festival policing operation first-hand.
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Acting Commissioner Nick Kaldas arrived in Tamworth last night and will spend today among the action of Peel St, meeting with politicians and local police before he visits the site of the Coonabarabran bushfires tomorrow.
Oxley Local Area Commander Clint Pheeney said he was looking forward to catching up with Mr Kaldas today and showing him around the festival.
“We’ll be thanking him for helping organise the extra police for our festival operation this year,” Superintendent Pheeney said.
Up to 250 extra officers from across the state were called for duty for the 10 days of the festival, in a high-visibility operation including mounted police, the drug dog unit and police on bicycles.
Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson said he was looking forward to touching base with the acting commissioner this morning and would be discussing a few key points.
“We’ll be talking about the current law-and-order situation in Tamworth,” Mr Anderson said.
“Mr Kaldas has been made well aware of our problems at present.”
He said he would also be discussing the potential for a regional drug dog unit to be based in Tamworth, as well as general police numbers.
“We’re going to push for more police to assist our officers on the ground and continue to ensure the Target Action Group unit is fully resourced,” Mr Anderson said.
He said he would also seek the acting commissioner’s views on regional policing, in light of the Parsons Report into police resources.