The Hunter's police are already overstretched and overworked with a rapidly growing population in Maitland and the Lower Hunter, but the mass security expansion of the Cessnock Gaol will make matters worse according to a Hunter MP.
NSW Police Association figures say NSW and the Hunter region have the lowest police to population ratio across any Australian state.
The figures also revealed in rural areas such as some places in the Hunter, are doing the same job as those in Newcastle, but with about 80 less officers.
Cessnock MP Clayton Barr says in doubling the size of the gaol, the police presence needs to be doubled as well.
"If our police officers are up there taking care of other crimes in other areas then what they are unable to do is look after our local community and that's not a criticism of the police themselves, these guys, our local cops work harder than any other cops across the state and that's a statistical fact. But they need to have the human resources and the numbers of police required."
Police say they're regularly being called to investigations and new crimes within the Cessnock facility rather than dealing with community matters.
"The size of the Cessnock gaol is bigger than any of the government reports have ever considered, the increase of 1,000 prisoners is bigger than any other increase across the state so the impact on Cessnock is going to be felt greater than it has ever been felt anywhere in NSW," said MP Clayton Barr.
He adds police numbers are just one of the issues which must be addressed with the jail expansion.
"The impact on Cessnock is going to be felt greater than it has ever been felt anywhere in NSW before and yet this government refuses to acknowledge that there are any needs for any extra support in Cessnock. Not just police, but social services, road infrastructure, health infrastructure, the list goes on and on and on."
