Amid the recent spate of car burnouts, Police Association of NSW Orange branch chairman Adam Piffarelli said the volume of jobs meant officers had to prioritise.

“We have other issues within the town such as drug distribution and we can see that with the scourge of ice and other things getting about the town, as well as domestic violence, which is massive in a small community,” he said.

“While we’re trying to respond to these incidents with our minimal crews, we don’t have the resources to go and investigate things as soon as they pop up.”

He said the run of car fires only highlighted there was an issue.

“If criminals think they can do crime in this area because we are shortstaffed, that’s got to be a massive red light to anyone in power that there is an issue here and we need to address it now and the longer we take, it’s just more opportunity for crime to occur.”

Member for Orange Phil Donato said the recent spate of burnt-out cars and break and enters concerned him and he was due to meet with NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller next month to ask for the extra numbers, in addition to a regional enforcement squad and a dog squad.

“Orange has the lowest police to population ratio in the state, that is a fact,” he said.

“I’m going to raise the issue with the commissioner, ultimately we want to make him fully aware of the situation here in Orange.”

THE Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party will use Orange to anchor its March state election campaign as it targets several other seats in the region.

Mr Donato said the office, to be located in Summer Street from February, made sense.

“What better way to service the people and the local candidates we’re running than being based in the bush?” he said.

The announcement followed news several of Mr Donato’s corflutes were stolen from private property fences during the weekend.

“If people want to resort to childish, immature, criminal behaviour, you risk potentially getting caught,” he said. 

Receive our free newsletters delivered to your inbox, as well as breaking news alerts. Sign up below ...