In the wake of a violent street fight between four juveniles in Dapto, two Illawarra Labor MPs say Liberal's failings have left the region with inadequate police numbers.
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Police are investigating Wednesday's street brawl which was captured on video and posted to social media.
The post drew an immediate and angry reaction from the community, many called the three boys who attacked another boy "cowards", others said there weren't enough police to deal with youth issues.
"Lake Illawarra Police District why are there no consequences for these kids?" one person posted on the video.
Wollongong MP and Labor's Police spokesman Paul Scully said NSW faces a "policing challenge".
"The Perrottet government has failed to meet its own recruitment targets, well short of those committed at the 2019 election," he said.
Mr Scully said a "disturbing trend" during the last 12 months is "the actual number of police in NSW fell for the first time in a long, long time".
Locally, he alleges Lake Illawarra Police District, which covers Dapto, has had an increase of five officers from 2019 to 2022, while Wollongong Police District had a decrease of six.
"That policing pressure is hitting home in the Illawarra," Mr Scully said.
NSW Police told the Illawarra Mercury it was unable to confirm police numbers as the state government is in caretaker mode ahead of the NSW election on March 25.
A spokeswoman said during this time they are unable to comment on issues that could impact the election.
However, they refuted Mr Scully's claim that there had been a decrease in police numbers on Wollongong, stating instead it had been increased by three officers since 2019.
Lake Illawarra had been boosted by nine officers in the same time-frame, they said.
Dapto falls within the Shellharbour electorate, and MP Anna Watson called the violence by the three boys in the video a "coward act".
The MP has received calls from worried parents who fear for the safety of their children in Dapto.
"Every parent wants to know that their child, whether they're walking to or from school, on a bus or a train, or riding a bike, that they're safe to roam around the community and that is not the case," she said.
Ms Watson backed Mr Scully's claims and said a major factor in the level of violence is "because there's just not enough police numbers, we need more".
"I know police are trying to do their best," Ms Watson said. "They've recently been out in Dapto talking to the community about community safety."
Deputy NSW Premier and Minister for Police, Paul Toole, declined to answer the Mercury's questions on this incident and accusations of insufficient police. He instead issued a statement in response.
"The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government is delivering the biggest increase in police numbers across NSW in more than 30 years to increase the ranks of sworn officers to more than 18,000," his statement said.
"More than $583 million has been invested to roll out an extra 1500 police positions across the state, nine of those were allocated to bolster policing in the Lake Illawarra District."
Mr Toole said an extra $17 million has been invested across the next five years in recruitment incentives to strengthen the ranks of the NSW Police.
"We have established a permanent Raptor Squad in the Illawarra specifically, to target and dismantle organised criminal networks," he said.
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Nadine Morton
Nadine Morton covers emergency services and breaking news for the Illawarra Mercury. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Nadine Morton covers emergency services and breaking news for the Illawarra Mercury. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
