ALMOST 200 new police will hit the beat next week after graduating from Goulburn, but barely 1 per cent of them will come to the Hunter.
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Newcastle command will receive two officers while Port Stephens, Central Hunter, Hunter Valley, Lake Macquarie and Manning Great Lakes police commands will miss out completely on new blood.
Two officers will head to the Tuggerah Lakes command, spanning the Central Coast and southern parts of Lake Macquarie.
In comparison, five officers will head to the Tweed/Byron command and a dozen to Sydney’s northern beaches, with 11 allocated to Sydney City.
The 199 Class 332 probationary constables will graduate on Friday, a cohort of 150 men and 49 women.
Cessnock MP Clayton Barr said he was disappointed, but not surprised, that no new police had been allocated to Cessnock, considering the impending restructure of the Central Hunter command.
Mr Barr said he was concerned that extra police had been allocated to areas like the Northern Beaches based on population growth rather than crime rates, claiming Cessnock's police continue to be among the most over-worked in the state.
He said he was hopeful this would change after the police force's re-engineering.
"The new structure will match officers to crime numbers to even out the workload," he said.
"Hopefully this will be the last time that we see such an unbalanced allocation (of graduates).
"I've got my fingers crossed for 2018."
Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery said the allocation showed cries for more police in the region had been ignored.
“This allocation shows this government’s lack of interest in law and order in the Hunter,” she said.
“My office has received a spike in complaints from people fearing for their safety and security, over things like unlicensed motorbike riders tearing up parks.”
“More police on the beat are needed, we deserve our fair share.”
Commissioner Mick Fuller said the recruits could “expect to be challenged every day with a rewarding and constantly changing career”.
“I welcome the new officers and wish them the very best as they start work in their new communities,” Commissioner Fuller said.