WHEN we cover police stories, we're often told it would be great to have police wherever there is crime and this week's announcements have certainly brought that scenario a little closer.
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This week has featured two probationary constables starting at Canobolas Local Area Command, who we welcome and wish every success for their first year in blue as they gain experience with the detectives, highway patrol and other departments.
Then there was the announcement regional NSW would receive its own deputy commissioner in line with best practice standards, following discussions between police, the NSW Police Association and Deputy Premier Troy Grant.
Ice use and domestic violence have dominated the list of crime concerns in Orange for the past couple of years.
Mr Grant, himself a former police officer, has recognised regional communities have separate challenges, not the least of which the risks ice and domestic violence present.
High school students, with the help of Rotary, learned from those on the front line last year about how dangerous a person on ice could be, from one man who tried to bite the steel mesh from a screen door, to another who used a chair on a front veranda to ward off lions that weren't there.
Paramedics relayed stories about how sedatives that could kill a normal person barely made an impact on a person in the middle of an ice episode.
Orange also experiences one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the state, shown by the community push for crisis accommodation for victims.
Several changes were made in June to strengthen apprehended violence orders, including no longer requiring victims to prove to a court that they fear perpetrators and allowing harassment via mobile phone or attacks against a victim's pets to trigger an order.
Perpetrators will also no longer be able to delay proceedings by not attending hearings and opportunities to confront the victim in court have been reduced.
Mr Grant has said that the police force's success is built on its ability to adapt and respond to changing needs.
With the last significant changes to the structure brought in more than 20 years ago, it is hoped having more senior personnel available combined with stronger legislation will send the message that unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated.