Lynn Harmson, Lyn Ward, Member for Orange Phil Donato MP, Bruce Adams and Margaret Adams.
Members of the Forbes Neighborhood Watch Committee met with Member for Orange Phil Donato MP at his Forbes office, on Thursday 3 April, to hand over a petition filled with 2,760 handwritten signatures asking for a 24-hour Police Station and extra police for Forbes.
Mr Donato was grateful for the hard work put in by the committee to collect the signatures, unfortunately a petition needs 10,000 signatures in order to be debated in Parliament. However, the fact that this petition has over 500 signatures, means it will cause a written response from the Police Minister.
Mr Donato said, “Forbes is a considerable sized regional town which deserves to have a 24-hour police presence to ensure community safety.”
Neighbourhood Watch relies entirely on volunteers working together with the aim of minimising preventable crime, improving security and reporting crime activity. The Forbes Branch had been holding regular committee meetings and had been in operation in excess of 30 years.
President of the Forbes Branch, Lyn Ward has sadly announced, “Forbes Neighbourhood Watch has folded due to a lack of members. Forbes residents have been rightly concerned about the rate of crime and the lack of police presence in the evenings, but after being unsuccessful in attracting new members, the previous committee consisted of a handful of members, the eldest being 96 years and the youngest in their late 60’s.
Both Lyn Ward and Phil Donato want the Forbes community to stay vigilant and keep reporting crime and any suspicious activity.