Three new probationary constables have started work in Ballina today as Mayor Sharon Cadwallader rejects suggestions the town has a worse crime problem than other communities.

Cr Cadwallader travelled to Richmond Police District headquarters in Lismore this morning to welcome the latest recruits before they began their duties.

Their arrival comes at a particularly timely moment, following two serious knife incidents in Ballina on Sunday and a major police operation targeting weapons, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour at shopping centres last week.

Cr Cadwallader said the additional officers were another step towards addressing longstanding concerns about police numbers.

“Absolutely, it’s heading in the right direction,” she said.

She said changes including paying recruits while they train and giving them greater opportunity to nominate where they would like to serve were helping attract people into the force.

Cr Cadwallader said she asked the new constables whether being paid to train had influenced their decision to join and was told it had.

She also welcomed changes giving recruits greater opportunity to serve in the region where they wanted to work rather than potentially being sent across the state.

Two of the new Ballina officers had also completed the advanced driver training required to conduct police pursuits, she said.

‘It’s not just Ballina’

The arrival of the new officers follows a confronting weekend in Ballina.

A 22-year-old man was seriously injured after police say he was struck in the lower leg with a machete during an incident in River Street about 7.55pm on Sunday.

About six hours earlier, police were called to Ballina Central following reports a man had threatened a shopper with a large knife outside Coles.

The incidents followed a two-day police operation at shopping precincts in Ballina, Lismore and Goonellabah which located four knives, three of which were seized.

Cr Cadwallader backed the use of police weapons-scanning powers at shopping centres.

“I think it’s a great thing that we can get as many weapons off the streets as possible,” she said.

She said a visible police presence also helped retailers, their employees and shoppers feel safer.

But the mayor rejected suggestions the recent incidents meant Ballina had a worse crime problem than elsewhere.

“It’s not just Ballina,” she said.

“Ballina certainly isn’t void of the violence and isn’t void of anti-social behaviours and things like that. It is across the board.

“Is Ballina worse than any other place? No. Our statistics are not telling us that Ballina is any worse than anywhere else.”

Cr Cadwallader also believes exposure to violence through social media, YouTube and other online platforms may be contributing to an escalation in violent behaviour.

She acknowledged there had been problems in the past with insufficient police numbers to respond to the volume of calls.

“We know that we haven’t had the police numbers to deal with the amount of callouts, people waiting for extended periods of time to get a response,” she said.

But she believed changes being made within policing, combined with additional recruits, were improving the situation.

Those changes included specialist responses to mental health incidents and arrangements designed to prevent frontline officers being unnecessarily tied up accompanying people to hospital.

Cr Cadwallader also pointed to the appointment of a full-time officer dedicated to Alstonville, saying community policing was about more than enforcement.

“It’s about connecting with the community, not just policing,” she said.

“Having a police presence in the community, being part of the community, not just there as a law enforcement agent.”

‘I can understand people feeling that way’

Cr Cadwallader said she understood why people directly affected by crime could believe the region was not receiving sufficient policing resources.

“If you’re being impacted personally, I can understand people feeling that way,” she said.

However, she said she was seeing considerable work being done to address vacancies and improve police numbers.

Cr Cadwallader said policing, like the Defence Force, could take a significant personal toll on those doing the job, contributing to vacancies and sick leave.

She said the arrival of fresh recruits was therefore particularly welcome and urged the community to support young officers entering what could be a difficult profession.

“The communities we live in are great communities,” she said.

“There’s just this element … and that’s what policing will continue to have to deal with.”

Cr Cadwallader said she maintained a close relationship with senior police, including NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon, and believed Ballina’s policing needs were being heard.

Photo: Richmond Police district Superintendent Dave Roptell, Probationary Constable Weston, Mayor Cadwallader, probationary constable Pridham and Member for Page Kevin Hogan