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Coffee with a cop in Tamworth draws dozens of locals to talk break-and-enters and community safety
By Breanna Chillingworth, The Northern Daily Leader
Original article HERE
FEELING safe in their home and street patrols were the big issues up for discussion over coffee between locals and police in Tamworth.
The annual ‘Coffee with a Cop’ drew dozens out to the Coffee Run carpark as police shouted the espressos in return for a meet ’n’ greet and feedback.
The local dog unit provided a barking backdrop for residents to see the latest crime prevention measures, and talk to their local highway patrol and general duties police as well as crash investigators and criminal investigation officers.
Chief Inspector Jeff Budd is the officer-in-charge of Tamworth for Oxley police and said break-and-enters and feeling safe was one of the main issues raised with officers on Tuesday morning.
“It’s about that security in their home and how they feel unsafe when people break into their homes and that’s a very valid comment and we take that on board,” he said.
“We can say that our stats have pretty much halved in the last decade or so, [but] it doesn’t mean someone breaking into your home doesn’t affect you personally.
“We’ve got a range of things we can do to assist them with their home security, and we’re happy to do that at any time.”
Chief Inspector Budd said some locals had “vented” their concerns with policing and crime in the Tamworth area.
He said they were able to tell locals the work they had been doing on the streets, and covertly, to break the cycle of crime, like recent search warrants.
“We do a lot of good work in this community and we want to keep doing that and it will only improve if the community want to keep talking to us,” Chief Inspector Budd said.
“The police are only as good as the community want to participate. “If the community want to resolve things then they have to talk to us and we will act upon it.
“Some people thing we don’t, we act on so much stuff.”
