MILLICENT and district residents have complained about the looming loss of the local detective to Shadow Police Minister Lee Odenwalder during his whistle-stop visit to Millicent on Tuesday.
Accompanied by fellow Labor Party frontbencher Clare Scriven, Mr Odenwalder was told the presence of a detective was vital.
Millicent has had a Criminal Investigation Branch since 1974, but the position has been abolished and the detective is being transferred to Mount Gambier in the near future.
Millicent business operator Marg Chapple told the visiting Labor MPs the Millicent detective had a busy role.
“The local knowledge of the Millicent detective is the key issue,” Ms Chapple said.
“It is about making connections with the community.”
Another to express his concern about local police staffing levels was Bob Sneath, who has lived in retirement at Beachport since 2012 following 12 years as a Labor MLC.
He said there were fears the Beachport police station would lose its full-time status and only be staffed at seasonal times.
Mr Odenwalder formerly served as a police patrol officer in suburban Adelaide before entering state parliament.
He told The South Eastern Times he understood the concerns of the community.
The shadow minister said he respected the role of the Police Commissioner to allocate resources.
“The Liberal Party promised (in Opposition) to provide more police resources to regional areas and now it is breaking a promise,” Mr Odenwalder said.
“The Liberals promised extra opening hours to the Glenelg, Norwood and Henley Beach police stations in suburban Adelaide and they moved heaven and earth to do this.
“If it is good enough for the city, it is good enough for the country.”
Ms Scriven also highlighted the importance of the connection of a detective to the community.
She said such plainclothes officers knew about suspicious behaviour and could take appropriate action.
“There is trust between a community and its detective and members can provide information to this officer,” she said.
Wattle Range Mayoral candidate Des Noll OAM said he welcomed the presence of the two politicians in Millicent.
“Police Minister Corey Wingard has not been to Millicent,” Mr Noll said.
“If elected as mayor, I will work with whatever politicians to get a positive outcome for the community.
“Withdrawing the Millicent detective puts more pressure on the other operational police.
“They are already very busy and I am disappointed with SAPOL.”
Millicent businessman Dennis Muhovics is the other Wattle Range Mayoral candidate and he said there was disappointment about the removal of the detective from Millicent.”
There is also ongoing hesitation about the future of the Beachport and Kalangadoo police stations,” Mr Muhovics said.
“It would be encouraging for the Police Commissioner to make decisions about these two stations as soon as possible.”
During their brief stop in Millicent, the two Labor politicians also called at the IGA and Foster’s Foodland supermarkets to discuss the outcome of the recent shopping hours deregulation vote in the Legislative Council.
