Ice alongside terrorism and domestic violence are the biggest crime issues affecting NSW.

And winning the war on ice will need united effort between the police and the community.

That is the official view of retiring NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione, who raised the ice issue during a farewell visit to Western division and Orana police in Dubbo on Monday.

He said police were only part of the solution.

“We can never arrest our way out of these types of problems … If we’re going to bring about a solution we’re going to have to do it together and that means we have to drive down the demand for the drug and that comes as a result of not just police action but community action,” he said.

He is absolutely right. Ice is a nightmare in Dubbo and the region. 

Dubbo had NSW’s 13th highest rate of amphetamine use and possession in the 12 months to September 2016, according to official statistics, with 223.3 incidents per 100,000 population (1.7 times the NSW average rate) and a 32.6 per cent increase from the previous year.

In the Far West and Orana, recorded incidents of possess/use amphetamines grew an average of 29 per cent each year in the five years to September 2016.

Bogan Shire ranked fifth in NSW with 325.1 incidents per 100,000 (2.5 times the NSW rate) and Gilgandra ranked sixth with 315.3 incidents (2.4 times the NSW rate).

The numbers are horrifying.

The federal and state governments, various anti-drugs groups and others are fighting the war, but it will be long and hard.

The latest front is through community sporting clubs, which are being urged to participate in the federal Good Sports program. Extra funding is now available to give them information, tools and support should they find or suspect illegal drugs are in their clubs.

Parkes Federal MP Mark Coulton says it is a great opportunity for clubs. Drugs need to be tackled at the grass roots level to safeguard children, families and the community.

He is absolutely right.  The war needs whole-hearted community support.

Ice is not just a drug problem. It is not just a crime problem. It is our problem.

Find out what you can do to help beat ice and sign up.