Mr Donato, a  former police officer, called on Police Minister Troy Grant to ensure the proposed “re-engineering” of police areas would not lead to less front line, senior and unsworn officers.

“Rural Police and Police Stations are vital – and as a former Police Officer myself, I don’t see how the uncertainty created over staffing is any help to the community,” Mr Donato said.

“Already on the cards is the amalgamation, and I call it an amalgamation, not a re-engineering, of the Mudgee Local Area Command and the Orana Local Area Command and Cootamundra and Wagga and also potentially the Canobolas and Lachlan local area commands.

“If we are losing inspectors and superintendents from local area commands and they are being amalgamated, whether it be a super command, or a new title, you are going to be losing decades of experience those officers provide to front line police.”

Mr Donato called on Mr Grant to guarantee 

“Police Inspectors, Superintendents, and unsworn officers provide decades of experience, knowledge and support to the Police Officers working under them.

“Any cuts to support staff at rural Police Stations is effectively a cut to frontline Policebecause the work they do will be passed from one group to another.

“I call on Police Minister Troy Grant to guarantee that there will be no cuts to frontlinePolice Officers, middle management, Inspectors, Superintendents, and unsworn officers under his proposed Police LAC mergers.