Nine community leaders and media representatives from Nambucca, Kempsey and Port Macquarie took part in the full-day experience behind the scenes at Kempsey Police Station.

They came from different fields including health, education, indigenous groups and domestic violence support groups.

Presentations on different aspects of policing and practical demonstrations of the capabilities of the different police units that operate from the station were features of the day.

The CAPP in LACs (Local Area Commands) program is a new initiative from the NSW Police Force to explain how a police station operates, and how its officers go about their jobs.

LAC duty officer Inspector Kim Fehon said the event took a big effort to plan and execute.

“Originally it was planned for late last year but a major police operation came up and required our full resources,” Inspector Fehon said.

“The CAPP concept is new to the Mid North Coast and we are planning to run another one soon. 

"I think the participants got a lot out of the day and it demonstrated how the different police units operate and the capabilities we have based at the Kempsey Police Station.”

The different units that make up a typical police LAC that showed off their capabilities included police intelligence, detectives, forensic services, dog units, the State Protection Support Unit, the Highway Patrol, specialist domestic violence support officers and Aboriginal Community Liaison Officers.

The State Protection Support Unit (SPSU), a group of regional police who have received advanced training in weapons handling and special police tactics, gave the group a hands-on look at some of the firepower available to the police.

This included demonstrations of the non-lethal ways of disarming and arresting violent or armed offenders that are now available.

One of the highlights of the day was a realistic, unannounced mock bag snatch staged for the group by several general duties officers, which then included a first-hand look at how the police initially respond to crimes and take statements from crime victims, and a demonstration of crime scene forensic fingerprint and DNA gathering techniques.

One of the officers who played the role of the offender was then searched, arrested and handcuffed before his vehicle was searched by a police drug detection dog.

The group then followed the ‘offender’ through processing into custody which involved fingerprinting and the taking of a DNA sample.

Detective Kylie Stewart gave a powerful presentation of the investigation into the murder of local man Stanley Bruce Davies.

It demonstrated the painstaking process involved in gathering evidence and building a strong prosecution case against serious offenders.

Detective Stewart detailed the frustration that detectives and the victim’s family experience when criminal defendants use every available legal means to avoid conviction.