The Richmond PD recruit intake has fallen from eleven probationary constables in May to eight, with the new officers starting Monday —three fewer than it received from the previous police academy class in May.
The smaller allocation comes as the latest BOCSAR figures show Ballina recorded the highest percentage increase in retail theft of any local government area in NSW.
Retail theft rose by 147.7 per cent. Overall property crime increased by 22.8 per cent, with non-residential break-ins up 95.3 per cent and fraud rising by 49.3 per cent.
Richmond PD recruit intake amid regional shortages
Those concerns come amid broader pressure on regional policing across NSW.
A NSW parliamentary inquiry report , released in March , found the force was 2,472 officers below authorised strength in September 2025, while 1,696 officers were absent on workers’ compensation or sick leave.
The inquiry found police shortages disproportionately affected regional and rural communities, where officers must cover greater distances with limited resources.
It warned that higher workloads contributed to officer burnout and recommended the NSW Government maintain a strong focus on filling regional vacancies.
Richmond Police District covers a large part of the Northern Rivers through stations at Alstonville, Ballina, Bonalbo, Casino, Coraki, Evans Head, Kyogle, Lismore, Nimbin, Tabulam, Wardell, Woodburn and Woodenbong.
Ballina and Lismore are the district’s two 24-hour police stations.
Officers attached to the district can also be deployed to communities served by its smaller, non-24-hour stations.
The eight new officers are members of Class 369, which graduated from the NSW Police Academy on Friday as the largest attesting class in 14 years.
A total of 353 probationary constables will begin work at police stations across NSW on Monday.
Despite the smaller Richmond Police District allocation, Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said the government was “putting more officers where the community expects them—on the frontline”.
The probationary constables will undertake 12 months of on-the-job training and distance education before completing an Associate Degree in Policing Practice and being confirmed to the rank of constable.
Main Image : Eight Class 369 probationary constables have been allocated to Richmond PD. © NSW Police Force