Flanked by local MP Kevin Anderson and senior officers, assistant commissioner Geoff McKechnie trumpeted the news yesterday, saying Tamworth’s fight for a “paw enforcer” had been won.

That the community has had to wield a political blowtorch simply to secure funding for a crime-fighting tool we so demonstrably need is a pity.

That there’s still no guarantee of a dog unit here in the short-to-medium term is a travesty.

Behind yesterday’s triumphant smiles and photo opportunities, it emerged the city was virtually in the same position as it was just two weeks ago when police announced a further three-month trial.

That is, held to ransom by public servants who don’t fancy doing a stint in the bush.

Yesterday’s announcement just confirmed what we suspected for some time – the political will and funding is in place, but the human resource isn’t.

Mr Anderson deserves credit for fighting hard on this issue and getting it to this point.

But it is both absurd and infuriating that this community could be denied such an effective crime-fighting tool because of the predilections of a junior, taxpayer-funded police officer.

If it’s good enough for nurses, teachers and general duties officers to be transferred at the behest of the government, then it should be good enough for a dog handler.

As it stands, Tamworth may be forced to wait up to two years before a new handler is trained up and ready to roam the beat.

It is incumbent on the NSW government to change these archaic rules or incentivise the position to ensure we get a person here as soon as possible.

Residents have a fundamental right to feel safe in their homes and governments have a fundamental responsibility to allocate resources where they are needed.

And if that responsibility is not met, it won’t be us that ends up in the doghouse.