MID North Coast Local Area Command crime manager Detective Inspector Steve Clarke has a blunt message to the community about fighting crime in Kempsey.
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“Quite simply there are people out there right now who know the persons responsible for serious and violent crimes in Kempsey and it is time for them to stand up and help the police,” he said.
Detective Inspector Clarke was speaking in the wake of the armed hold-up of the Coastline Credit Union branch in Elbow St on Monday, and the robbery of a young female pizza delivery driver in West Kempsey at the weekend.
The investigation into the armed robbery of the credit union is in its early stages, and police have released still images of the robbers in the hope a member of the public can identify them.
There has also been an outbreak of vandalism and malicious damage, a crime police find particularly frustrating.
“Because an offence like the malicious damage of motor vehicles is not necessarily a premeditated, planned attack but more a crime of opportunity as the offender is walking by, it is extremely hard for the police to deploy any strategic methods to prevent it,” Mr Clarke said.
“Often all we can do is respond to the incident and make our best efforts to catch the offenders, but again I come back to the point that there are people who absolutely know who is doing this.
“I understand it is not easy to put yourself forward as a witness but until people take it upon themselves to help the police we are limited in what we can achieve.”
