The interaction between local law enforcement and the community was on display earlier this week at the first community safety precinct committee meeting of 2019.
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Manning Great Lakes Police District officers hosted the event at MidCoast Council Taree chambers as a way to update the community on crime trends in the local government area.
District Commander Superintendent Shane Cribb said the committee meetings, held four times a year, allowed police and residents to communicate ideas and strategies to combat crime.
"It's about bringing the police and the community together to discuss current crime trends in the area and let the public know what our concerns are from a crime point of view and hopefully seek some feedback from the community in helping us solve those crimes," Superintendent Cribb said.
Emerging trends and crime statistics, both positive and negative, are main topics of discussion at committee meetings.
This includes assaults, break and enters, fraud, robbery and malicious damage.
While community feedback is encouraged, it needs to be constructive.
"I don't want the meetings to become 'us and them', an argument or a whinge session but if people have constructive criticism, some ideas or some misunderstandings, then I'm happy to answer these questions in these forms," Superintendent Cribb said.
Superintendent Cribb said the meetings also presented an opportunity to highlight "good police work."
"There's a lot of good police work in the district at present so it's also a chance for me to show the community the good police work that goes on," he said.
Combating crime in the area is on the back of consistent police work and assistance from the community.
"That (combating crime) doesn't come from good luck, it comes from police working day in and day out, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
I can't encourage the community enough to ring up and report suspicious activity.
- Superintendent Shane Cribb, Manning Great Lakes Police District Commander
"The community also play a part. I can't encourage the community enough to ring up and report suspicious activity.
"Whatever they see out there in the community they might think is minor but it could be the missing piece we're looking for," Superintendent Cribb said.
Everyone is invited to attend the meetings, with the police district to advertise the next meeting closer to the date.
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