An escalation of crime rates in the Narrandera and Leeton shires has prompted Member for Murray Helen Dalton to invite NSW Police Minister David Elliot to meet with locals.

“We urgently need a 24-hour police presence in both Narrandera and Leeton police stations,” Mrs Dalton said.

“We can’t have a police station empty late at night. Criminals don’t take a rest from committing crimes.

“I rang the Police Minister on Tuesday to let him know we have a major problem in this region.

“He told me he has assigned his staff to look into it.

“He needs to come out here and listen to what locals have to say.

“I have been inundated with very concerned residents”.

NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research data indicates there has been a three-fold increase in reported robbery in Leeton over the last four years, which break and enter crimes have jumped 162 per cent in Narrandera this past two years.

“The actual number of robberies might be much higher,” Mrs Dalton said

“People are telling me they’ve stopped reporting crime, because they know the police have to travel from Griffith or Wagga to attend to the matter,” Mrs Dalton said

One Leeton resident, Rita Valenzisi, came to Mrs Dalton’s office to tell how their family safe had been broken into and robbed.

“It seems everyone has a story,” Mrs Dalton

“The police are doing their best, but they are under resourced.

“A full-time police station is urgently needed”.