Orange will have its first specialist officer assigned to investigate elder abuse as one of seven new police allocated to the Central West Police District.
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The elder abuse investigation officer will join an officer assigned to monitor child sex offenders in the region under the Child Protection Register and a sergeant and four constables who will work on the front line of crime prevention in Orange.
It is expected all seven positions will be filled within the next two to three months.
Elder abuse is where elderly people are physically and/or emotionally abused, neglected or robbed of their homes and savings, particularly by family members.
We won't have to wait too much longer to see these boots on the ground.
- Phil Donato, member for Orange
Police Association Orange branch chairman Adam Piffarelli said a specialist elder abuse officer was important as it was expected the current Royal Commission into Aged Care would expose many cases.
"That's a new role, the [police] commissioner [Mick Fuller] is getting ahead of the Royal Commission," he said.
Mr Piffarelli said currently one police officer had to monitor about 80 child sex offenders currently living in the Central West Police District and the addition of a second officer would be a major help.
"The officer engages with the offender and makes sure they are following the rules. Once they are on that register a whole set of rules and conditions apply," he said.
Offenders were usually on the register for five to 10 years with restrictions including where they could go and on internet access.
He said extra front line police would help existing officers in fighting crime including the spate of car fires and domestic violence in Orange.
The allocation is five short of what the association was seeking in a campaign over the past year.
"It is a good start for us," he said.
Mr Piffarelli said it was hoped five officers to serve in proactive investigation teams, looking into property and drug offences, would be allocated to Orange in the second round in July 2020.
Member for Orange Phil Donato said police needed more resources.
"It's good to see we have come to the stage we won't have to wait too much longer to see these boots on the ground," he said.
Mr Donato said he was keen to see a regional enforcement squad and a drug detection dog and handler based in Orange.
"These are some of the things we hopefully will be getting in the next allocation in 2020," he said.
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