New Crime Manager based at Bourke
The Central North Police District has a new Crime Manager.
Detective Inspector Andrew Barnes brings decades of experience to the role, and said he was looking forward to building connections across the communities within the police district.
“As Crime Manager, I oversee our response to crime across the district, as well as building community engagement with local police,” he said.
“I’ve only been here in Bourke a short time, but I know there are a lot of good community members here who want the town and the area to be safe and successful, and I am looking forward to the opportunity to work with those people.
“Being remote has its challenges on a whole range of things, such as keeping young people engaged with schools and sporting activities as much as possible,” he said.
Detective Inspector Barnes began his police career in 1997, a year after finishing high school, and he spent 23 years policing in Sydney, particularly the southwest areas around Fairfield. He became a Detective in 2002.
His last post was the Central West Police District, based at Orange.
“When I finished high school, I was looking for a good job with opportunities. Once I got into the police force, there were a lot of areas of interest that you can specialise in, and I went down the criminal investigation path and became a detective. “As a detective, you can certainly make a difference to people’s lives in a good way. I have had the privilege of working on homicide investigations over the years and you can make a difference to the victims’ families.”
Detective Inspector Barnes said dealing with murders over many years was challenging, but like most police who survived lengthy careers, he had developed a thick skin.
“You do have to manage the impact of your work, not just the homicide, but all sorts of crimes which can be very confronting,” he said.
“But you have to focus on the reason why you are doing your job and in my case it’s to help people who can’t help themselves, and to make a difference in the community.”
Commander of Central North Police District, Superintendent Tim Chinn, said the Crime Manager’s role covered a multitude of tasks, including overseeing the various Youth Commands, detectives attached to Central North Police District, the domestic violence teams, and crime intelligence.
“Central North Police District is one of the largest in the state, covering 145,000 square miles and more than 500 kilometres from border to border,” he said.
“Detective Inspector Barnes is responsible for various commands across the District and plays a vital role in coordinating the crime response to a range of offences and initiatives, as well as the various prevention programs.” […]
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