Orana Mid-Western Police District Superintendent Peter McKenna says farewell

Speaking with the Daily Liberal, Superintendent McKenna reflected on one of his greatest achievements - reducing Aboriginal youth crime in Dubbo through Project Walwaay.

"I've had kids specifically do Aboriginal artwork for me to thank me for caring about them, I've had kids who would previously avoid me or would actually be quite rude or antagonistic, now want to run up and give me a hug," he said.

"Some of these kids have had my personal phone number and I've been able to give them a lift or come and give them a hand at times of trouble."

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Superintendent McKenna said it's been watching this change which has made him the most proud while in charge of the Orana Mid-Western Police District.

"Even the kids when they have done something wrong and have found themselves back in that charge room in the police station for the wrong reasons, you can see and hear from them personally the remorse," he said.

"It's not about not caring for them anymore, it's about them understanding they've not only let themselves down, and you can see how much it affects them."

The district commander began his career as a constable at Castle Hill in 1990 before moving into criminal investigations seven years later in northern NSW. He was promoted to detective sergeant at Forster Police Station in 2002 then inspector in the Manning/Great Lakes area in 2006.

Superintendent McKenna was appointed commander of the Orana Mid-Western Police District in December 2017, where he was tasked with setting up the first regional amalgamation of police command.

It involved the merging of the Orana Police District, Mudgee Local Area Command, Coonamble and Gulargambone from the Castlereagh Local Area Command and Warren from the Darling River Local Area Command.

"Within six months we had significant crime reduction and we had greater resource sharing," he said.

"We were were able to pick up police from the main district centre of Dubbo and get them out to those outer-lying centres like Coonamble and Wellington, and really have a hub and spoke model which was very flexible, and it worked."

"From there we made sure we had the greatest capability we could with things like increasing our proactive crime team, we built a bike squad, we've been very, very focused on high visibility policing around the district and we set a very high tempo for crime prevention and disruption."

The district commander has been involved in a number of high-profile incidents in the region including the hunt for fugitive murder Malcolm Naden under Strike Force Durkin and busts in major operations targeting outlaw motorcycle gangs and paedophiles.

"No doubt crime reduction was always the first thing on my radar, and we've achieved that significantly across nearly every crime category," Supt McKenna said.

"Second to that there is just having a really pro-active, highly productive policing team across the district where we've got a really strong culture of teamwork and making sure that crooks are getting looked up and good people are being protected."

However most significantly, one of his greatest achievements was spearheading an outreach program to cut Aboriginal youth crime in Dubbo.

Project Walwaay was launched in 2019, to ensure Aboriginal youth, identified as being at risk of entering the criminal justice system, receive the full support they require to stay on the right side of the law.

The project is run by the police district and consists of three police officers and an Aboriginal Community Liaison Officer who work in conjunction with the RISEUP programs at PCYC.

"We've had kids who were prolific offenders who really were on a trajectory to full-time incarceration, to never offending again over the last three years," Supt McKenna said.

"We've now got kids who were completely removed from education who are back in school full-time and we've got kids who are now working full-time.

"So they've gone from probably having little prospects and hope of breaking the cycle of that poverty and incarceration, to now being really productive, really respectful young people in the community."

He said it had been "really satisfying" to see a breakthrough in Dubbo, not only to youth and the community, but also to police who he said were now seeing these youths and communities through a new lens.

"Of course not all kids have been success stories, but the good thing about the Walwaay program is the police officers who've embraced it don't give up on those kids.

"Whilst [these kids] have to own the consequences of what they do, the police are there ready to get them back on track at every opportunity."

"It's about building trust and rapport, and that has flown on to the Aboriginal community here with the police."

While leaving the district, Superintendent McKenna said the program was in good hands.

"The team that I have who run this project really are completely self-sufficient now, so it will continue on," he said.

"I've got no doubt the incoming commander will absolutely embrace this because it works.

"On a personal note, I've got to know a number of these kids very closely and I will miss them.

"But it's not only these kids, it's the police officers, it's the community members and friends I've made along the way whilst out here in the Orana Mid-Western Police District.

"I've thoroughly enjoyed my time here, it really has felt like a home to me and whilst I'm about to embrace a new challenge and a new role, this place and the work I've done here with the police will always stay very dear to me."

Superintendent McKenna has been promoted to Assistant Commissioner for the Northern Region and will take over from the retiring Max Mitchell on July 1.

He will take charge of a command which stretches from the Hawkesbury River to the Queensland border and includes the Newcastle City, Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens and Hunter Valley police districts.

"The role is absolutely going to be about supporting those Police Districts so that they can do their best in that crime prevention, disruption and response," he said.

"Of course my own flavour will and it is about being firm on crime reduction, taking on the criminals that would want to do harm to people, ensuring the good people of the community are safe, making sure we're giving the kids and youth of that region a good chance to succeed."