Kevin Anderson said this week’s major drug bust by Tamworth police highlighted the desperate need to strengthen the thin blue line.

“This involved drugs, weapons, cash and a taser and it goes to show we do have a problem in our city and we need extra resources to combat this problem,” he said.

And he’s pointing the finger, blaming the town’s stealing woes on the drug cycle.

“The drug problem stems all the way down to a break-and-enter where someone goes and steals something then sells it for the cash to go back and buy more drugs,” Mr Anderson said.

“If the drugs were not available locally then those people would have to go elsewhere.

“The fact that the drugs are available on our streets fuels this problem ... that’s why we have to get the drugs off the streets.”

The latest crackdown has only fuelled the fire to secure a dedicated drug squad and dog unit to bolster local resources.

Mr Anderson will lay out the recent case at a meeting later this month with Assistant Commissioner Geoff McKechnie in Tamworth.

Officers attached to Strike Force Jenning arrested five people accused of operating a drug ring in Tamworth.

Four Tamworth men are facing a string of drugs and weapons charges, with one also facing child pornography offences.

All four have been refused bail while a woman, also charged in connection with the offence, has been granted strict conditional bail.

It was a three-month-long investigation and Oxley Acting Superintendent Jeff Budd said it was not over yet, signalling further arrests in the pipeline.

The dedicated strike force comprised local detectives, Target Action Group officers and police.

“This is major, major, major time resource for us; it takes up a lot of time and the results are good,” Oxley Acting Superintendent Jeff Budd said this week.

Mr Anderson said it was now time more officers were posted here.

“I knew there were a number of detectives working on this particular operation for quite some time,” he said.

“It took them away from other duties which perhaps could have been attended to.”

Police have maintained a dedicated drug squad and dog unit would hone in on offenders operating across the command.

“Certainly any resources that can come our way to help us target drugs is a bonus,” Oxley Acting Superintendent Budd said this week.