Emma Pritchard
Inspector Richard Garrels from the Coffs/Clarence Police District is strongly urging Clarence Valley residents to report allegations of criminal activity and any suspicious or anti-social behaviour directly to police in lieu of uploading and sharing information on social media.
Speaking with the Clarence Valley Independent recently, Inspector Garrels said while police rely on members of the public to assist them with their investigations, posting and uploading images and CCTV footage of alleged crimes and criminal activity, and not reporting it directly to police, can result in delayed investigations.
“We look to the public to give us information and CCTV footage relating to criminal offences,” he explained.
“If we aren’t alerted to that sort of behaviour, there is not much in the way of investigative reporting we can do because crime scenes become old, and we lose the opportunity to gather DNA and forensic evidence.
“We encourage people very, very, strongly to come forward and report incidents directly to police as soon as they can.”
Inspector Garrels said opportunistic thieves are continuing to target unlocked vehicles, vehicles with keys left in the ignition, and properties with unlocked doors and windows, and he is urging residents to be vigilant and help prevent crime by ensuring their property, valuables, and vehicles are securely stored and locked.
Inspector Garrels revealed while there is no area within the Clarence Valley experiencing a higher number of crimes compared to others, he dismissed claims that staff shortages are to blame for the increase in the number of residents opting to report allegations of criminal activity online and totally rejected further claims of slow response times.
Describing staff numbers as on point, Inspector Garrels explained police have a priority rating in response to call outs with domestic violence related incidents given first order.
“We have targets to meet,” he said.
“Our role is to ensure our community remains safe, and we will continue to enforce the law to protect our community.”
Inspector Garrels is also encouraging residents in possession of images or CCTV footage showing alleged criminal activity, suspicious or anti-social behaviour to share their information with police to assist them in identifying the alleged perpetrators.
Inspector Garrels said rresidents’ looking to invest in home security should select high quality CCTV equipment which can be utilised by police during investigations and reiterated his earlier message to encourage people to ensure their vehicles and properties are secure.