Calls to Wagga police are slipping through the cracks, according to local comedian Dane Simpson.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It is an issue the Riverina Police District Commander said he wanted to know about.
It comes after the city’s iconic entertainer said he had spent 40 minutes trying to contact the station, after his father’s home had been ransacked.
Mr Simpson shared his frustration in a performance on Friday night.
While the anecdote received a chuckle and murmurs of agreement from the crowd, he said it was no laughing matter.
“It’s scary,” Mr Simpson said. “An answering machine would do a better job.”
Mr Simpson’s said his brother had recently been driving past their father’s home when he saw the door ajar.
“Dad was on holiday at the time,” Mr Simpson said. “He came and got me from work and we went around to check it out.”
A quick walk through revealed their father had been robbed.
As the situation was not life-threatening, the brothers chose not to call triple-0 and instead, dialled the station.
“It just rang out … so I kept ringing,” Mr Simpson said. “If it was my own place, I probably would have given up.”
He said it was a troubling thought.
“Imagine the crime not being reported,” Mr Simpson said.
“Are crime stats down during noon and 1pm cause ‘Gary’ is on his lunch break?”
Speaking frankly, the region’s police chief Superintendent Bob Noble said the re-engineering program had increased the reach of the district, which now managed double the number of stations it had previously.
“It has been my fear that the extra volume of calls to Wagga would mean some were being missed,” Superintendent Bob Noble said.
“We want everyone who calls to get through to a human being.”
Anyone experiencing similar issues calling the station is urged to share their anecdote with the Riverina Police District “eyewatch” Facebook page.
“Feedback like this is important,” Superintendent Bob Noble said. “I’d like to know about it so I’m in a position to fix it.”
Alternative numbers used to contact police include Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 and the Police Assistance Line on 131 444.
If the situation is an emergency, dial triple-0.