New powers to allow police to search the homes and cars of convicted drug dealers would be trialled in the Orana Mid-Western Police District under a re-elected Coalition government.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and retiring police minister and Dubbo MP Troy Grant announced the pilot program would operate across four regions, as they warned convicted drug suppliers there would be "nowhere to hide".
Nationals candidate for Dubbo Dugald Saunders said the powers would help police "smash organised crime gangs" who ran amok in regional towns including Dubbo, Narromine and Wellington.
The plan would allow law enforcers with a court-issued Drug Supply Prohibition Order (DSPO) to search the homes or cars of convicted drug dealers without a warrant.
An application for the order could be made for any person convicted of a serious drug offence, such as supply or manufacture of an indictable quantity, in the past 10 years and would remain in place for the duration of the two-year pilot program.
"I have been pushing really hard for powers like these to be introduced, and I'm delighted to see the police given the ability to search the homes and vehicles of convicted drug dealers as well as the people themselves," Mr Saunders said.
"Too often police know who is responsible for dealing these drugs, but don't always have the capacity to shut them down.
"Police will now have power to target these individuals if they have reasonable grounds to suspect there is evidence of drug-related crime."
Wellington business owners Rod and Alison Irwin, who met with Mr Saunders, Mr Grant and Deputy Premier John Barilaro a month ago, welcomed the news.
"This is exactly the sort of initiative we have been waiting for," Mr Irwin said in a statement.
"There seems to be a constant stream of re-offending criminals, and these new powers should mean they're off the streets sooner, and not causing dramas for the business owners and residents in town."
Ms Berejiklian said following consultation with the NSW Police Force, the pilot program would operate across Bankstown Police Area Command, Coffs-Clarence Police District, Hunter Valley Police District and Orana Mid-Western Police District.
Country Labor candidate for Dubbo Stephen Lawrence accused the government of "last-minute electioneering".
"Everyone wants to get tough on ice dealers but this smacks of pure politics in the heat of an election campaign," he said.
"I am told the police association has not been consulted about this last minute proposal from a government that has been in power by eight years, that is a real worry.
"Police powers law reform requires consultation with stakeholders and thorough policy work, not last minute electioneering."
Would you like more Dubbo and regional news?
You can now receive updates straight to your inbox from the Daily Liberal. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, sign up to our free or subscriber only newsletters below: