Snr Const Uerata said he knew nothing about Corowa before his relocation, but after only two weeks is already enjoying his time here and thinks it’s a great little town.
Police stations at Corowa and Howlong have welcomed much needed reinforcements in recent weeks to bolster their ranks after a difficult start to the year.
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New recruits Senior Constable Hayden Uerata and Constable Melissa Baillie (Corowa), and Senior Constable Lee Fulton (Howlong), joined local police on February 16.
Sergeant Steve Marshall has welcomed them after the first month of the year brought multiple road crash deaths and an uptick in local crime with vandalism and thefts on the rise.
“We’re not at full strength, but we’re almost there and better than most regional towns,” Sgt Marshall said.
“What’s exciting is all my officers live in the town that they police, particularly Rorey McNamara who’s born and bred in Howlong.
“It’s proof the NSW Police recruiting drive to ‘be a police officer in your hometown’ has merit."
Snr Const Uerata and his partner Const Baillie both came from country postings and are excited to be part of the Corowa community.
Snr Const Uerata said Corowa was a chill town compared to other locations and he’s enjoying being back in the countryside.
“I started in Tamworth, and my time in the police force has revolved around being in a country-oriented setting,” he said.
“From Tamworth I went to Narrabri and then the east coast where I spent six years, but I always wanted to venture back to the country.
“I knew nothing about Corowa, but it's a country location and I thought, ‘Why not?’.”
Const. Baillie says her favourite part of the job is engaging with the community and helping those in need; “No day is the same and that's what I enjoy about it.”
Const. Baillie has been an officer for four years and said she always wanted to join the police force, and while life and circumstances didn’t allow it early on, the late career change has been beneficial.
“It was just the right time in my life,” she said.
“I think being a mature age person has been beneficial in some of the jobs that I've had to do.
“There’s so many friendly people around town here and there's quite a lot we like about it.
“I love the heritage of Corowa, and the river.
“We didn't realize how much we missed the country.”
Sgt Steve Marshall was one of Snr Const Fulton’s instructors at the NSW Police Academy.
Snr Const Fulton, from Albury Police Station, has been a resident of Howlong for several years, with strong ties to the community already through his kid’s involvement with the Howlong Spiders.
He was a mechanic by trade before joining the force and said he was tired of working on the tools all the time and looking for something more enjoyable.
“It’s something that’s always interested me,” he said.
“I’ve always been around the emergency services environment; growing up with Dad in the police, and I’ve been in the RFS since I was 19.
“After graduation I was stationed at Mt Druitt, near Sydney, and then Albury for the last four years.
“I saw a need to work out here where I can make a difference for the town that I’m living in rather than working at the bigger stations.
“I’ve enjoyed engaging with the community and getting feedback from people saying they're happy to see me and that I’m doing a good job.”
His arrival only months after Constable Rorey McNamara's permanent placement will bring Howlong up to full strength, plugging the hole left by Senior Constable Russell Morris’ retirement.
"We are building a really strong team here, with a mix of youth, experience and great communicators,” Sgt Marshall said.
“I'm looking forward to the future; it will only get better."
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