Corrective Services NSW has suspended a Wagga staffing level review that had been criticised for potentially taking police officers "off the beat" in order to guard prisoners.
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Wagga Police Station had been identified as one of three locations where Corrective Services proposed to reduce staff hours in order to save costs.
Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) spokeswoman said the organisation "consulted with staff, NSW Police, the Public Service Association and other stakeholders around the operating hours at a number of cell locations".
"We assessed the feedback from stakeholders and have now suspended the review," the spokesperson said.
"CSNSW is committed to maintaining an operating model that ensures effective service delivery."
CSNSW had previously said proposal was based on Wagga's police cells having "fewer than two fresh custodies each day" at an "approximate cost [of[ up to $6,000 per day."
Wagga MP Joe McGirr earlier this month asked Police Minister David Elliott for a guarantee that the city's officers would not be taken "off the beat" to guard and transport people in custody.
Dr McGirr gave a qualified welcome to CSNSW suspending its staff review.
"If the suspension of the review means that there will be no changes as they were proposed, and police numbers were not going to be affected, then I would welcome that," Dr McGirr said.
"It goes back to the basic principle that we don't want police not policing; we have got enough issue with numbers without them doing other duties."
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Mr Elliott, who visited Wagga on Thursday to announce new equipment for the Volunteer Rescue Association, said the government hadn't "made a decision yet on whether Wagga will be a part of" CSNSW staff changes.
"The priority is to make sure we minimise disruptions to both the police, but also Corrective Services. We've had a trial and I'll be continuing to work with Joe [McGirr] to make sure we get a suitable outcome for Wagga," Mr Elliott said.
"We want to minimise the time police are transporting inmates, but we also have to accept the fact that NSW is a huge state, Corrective Services can't be everywhere, and police are by far the bigger agency.
"It's no good having a corrections officer located somewhere for three weeks when they only may be doing one transport a month or so. So we have to make sure we balance the taxpayers needs with the operational needs of corrections and police."
NSW Police Association Southern Region executive member and Murray Police District Sergeant Roger Campton said CSNSW's decision was "great news for our members at Wagga and the community in general".
"This decision allows Police to continue their core duties of keeping the community safe," he said.
Labor shadow police spokesperson Lynda Voltz said Wagga police officers faced a "particular problem" from any move reduce Corrective Services staff as they would need to help transporting mental health patients who required security, as well as prisoners.
"It puts a huge burden on police who shouldn't be responding to these services," she said.
"[Mr Elliott] is certainly dodging the issue. People have a real problem with politicians won't answer questions.
"It's quite simple: the minister should come clean on what his plans actually are for the transportation of prisoner and to ease, particularly in regional NSW, the burden it places on police."
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