Kempsey Shire has one of the worst crime rates in the state, and now Member for Oxley Michael Kemp wants NSW Police to fight back with an extra set of eyes in the sky.
Mr Kemp has launched a community petition calling on the NSW Government to expand its PolAir-Remote Drone program to the Mid North Coast.
The call follows the results of the NSW Police drone trial in Moree, where the technology has been credited with helping reduce crime by around 50 per cent, assisting police with more than 100 arrests, the recovery of 70 stolen vehicles and the location of six missing people.
The Moree trial began on 8 January this year, when NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland told local officials it would run for six months. Even then, Assistant Commissioner Holland made clear the drones were unlikely to stay confined to Moree, saying that if the trial proved successful, “it will be spread out to other locations across NSW”. The two drones, based at Moree police station, are remotely piloted from the NSW Police Force Aviation Centre in Bankstown.
According to 2025 BOCSAR crime statistics, Kempsey Shire ranked second in NSW for motor vehicle theft and third for break and enter dwelling offences, a grim scorecard Mr Kemp says locals cannot keep accepting.
“People want to feel safe in their homes and on their streets, and our police need every tool available to them to keep our community safe,” Mr Kemp said.
“This technology can give police an extra set of eyes in the sky when they need it most, and the results in Moree speak for themselves.”
The Mid North Coast’s sprawling geography is part of the problem, according to Mr Kemp.
“Communities across the Mid North Coast are spread across a large area. A remotely operated drone could give police the ability to quickly cover difficult terrain, track offenders and provide critical information to officers on the ground.”
“Every time we can reduce the need for a dangerous pursuit, or give police more information before they enter a property, we are making policing safer for everyone.”
Mr Kemp said the petition would show the strength of local support and is calling on the NSW Government to make the Mid North Coast one of the next locations considered for the program.
“We cannot simply accept these crime rates as the status quo. We need to be proactive, we need to give our police the tools they need, and we need to do everything we can to make our communities safer.”
Given the government’s own comments back in January, a state-wide expansion may already be on the cards regardless of the petition’s outcome. Not everyone agrees the drones deserve full credit for Moree’s improved numbers, though. Aboriginal Legal Service acting CEO Sharif Deen has pointed to a $13.4 million “targeted response” package the NSW Government funnelled into Moree from March 2024, which included youth bail accommodation, support services and continued police attention, well before the drones arrived.
Mr Deen told NITV’s Living Black that community members had reported feeling anxious under the program, and that the drones appeared to be used mostly in areas of Moree with a high proportion of Aboriginal residents.
Mr Deen said he expected the technology to be rolled out next in “places like Walgett, Bourke and Kempsey, places where there is a high proportion of Aboriginal people,” which he described as “the first likely targets” for expansion.
Residents can sign the Mid North Coast petition at https://mailchi.mp/19f8c9a75b2f/drones-mnc.
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