THE release of the latest crime snapshot this week for local towns proves two things: crime never stops and police can’t do it alone.
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Police don’t shy away from the fact drugs drive crime, and you only have to look at the scourge of ice to know things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.
The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research show local arrest rates for ice use and supply have jumped 79 per cent in two years since 2012.
This is on the back of yearly increases of 18 per cent.
We can’t fight crime if we don’t tackle the growing drug problem – and that doesn’t just rest with police.
We need more support services for users to help them fight their addictions and we need a “tough on crime” approach to deter kids from getting tangled in the web of illegal wheeling and dealing.
Towns in our region have seen major drops in categories like robberies and break-ins in Moree and assaults in Tamworth.
A strict package of alcohol measures introduced in Tamworth pubs and clubs could be behind the move as we tackled alcohol-related violence head on.
But violence, whether its in the home or on the streets, is still a problem, and so are thefts.
Oxley and New England police have run successful secret and exhaustive operations to catch dealers and Barwon police are running a “Dob in a Druggie” campaign – something which should be made permanent.
If someone is dealing illegal drugs, trafficking illegal substances, how will police catch the crooks if we don’t tell them?
Gone are the days of the relaxed, carefree country lifestyle we used to enjoy.
As residents of these towns, we have a responsibility to lock our cars, secure our valuables and ensure our homes and businesses aren’t targets.
And, as law-abiding locals, would we be the next target of that ice user who needs money for their latest fix?
We all have a job to do to police our community, so we should be supporting police to ensure we make our towns the safest they can be for our children, our families and our most vulnerable.