‘It’s just out of control’

Damage inflicted by vandals on a pop-up COVID-19 testing clinic at Warriewood’s Rat Park.
Image credit: NSW SES Pittwater/Warringah Unit. 

A Northern Beaches councillor is calling for an increase in police resources across the Peninsula over claims officers are taking hours to respond to requests for assistance. 

Councillor Vincent De Luca says his campaign has been sparked by accounts from locals that calls to the Dee Why Police Station are going unanswered and officers are responding hours after incidents are reported.

“Residents continue to complain that when they’re reporting serious crime, the cops aren’t coming straight away. They’re coming three hours later or the next day and it’s unacceptable,” Councillor De Luca tells Peninsula Living.

“People have also put on social media that they contacted police and the phone just rang out.

“It’s just out of control.”

His calls follow an alleged incident at Dee Why Beach recently, where a group of teenagers reportedly threatened to kick an Australian fur seal, known as Reg, while intoxicated.

According to local Dani Adams, she and her partner had a verbal altercation with the youth when they stepped in to protect the seal.

She claims after two calls to the Dee Why Police Station and waiting 40 minutes at the site, police did not show.

“I’m disturbed as we were threatened with physical violence,” Ms Adams said on social media.

“Still no show by the police [40 minutes later], very disappointed.”

In Warriewood, there are claims police did not respond for three hours after an attack by vandals on a pop-up COVID-19 testing clinic at Rat Park football oval was reported in January.

In three separate incidents, vandals slashed through ropes and emptied sandbags used to secure a marquee being used by NSW Health.

According to the Pittwater unit of the State Emergency Service (SES), who lent the marquees to health workers, the biggest of the tents had to be thrown out due to extensive damage.

“At one stage I called the Dee Why Police four times, and it rang out every time,” local Dooley Ellis, who managed the temporary testing centre, says.

Fellow local councillor Pat Daley says he has also noticed police ‘stretched to the limit’ recently, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdown. 

A spokesperson for NSW Police told Peninsula Living, on average, an extra 26 officers from other command areas were deployed to the Northern Beaches each day during the lockdown.

She said police stations experienced a ‘significant increase in general phone enquiries around COVID-19 public health orders’ in December and January, encouraging locals to call 000 for urgent assistance.

“Inquiries are ongoing regarding vandalism at a COVID-19 testing site at Warriewood and police are appealing for anyone with information that may assist investigators to come forward.”