The Tenterfield police force has been beefed up thanks to a new Probationary Constable joining the ranks last week. Nicholas Batgaley, who hails from the Tweed-Byron area, is a recent graduate of the Goulbourne Police Academy where he spent 16 weeks in training.
PC Batgaley, 23, put Tenterfield on his list of preferences and was delighted that he has landed here. “It’s quite nice,” he told The Town & Country Journal. “I love this area.”
The young recruit has visited Tenterfield on holidays in the past. He will be living in police housing in town and has already been “out and about” on police business. Sergeant Chris Belson is also pleased that a constable from Gosford is lending a hand in Tenterfield until another permanent officer is placed.
Crime incidents in Tenterfield
The additional police service coincides with several break-and-enter incidents plagued the shire in recent weeks, with a number of large items and even vehicles stolen.
At around 1.15am on Tuesday 26th August, three people were caught on home security cameras breaking into a home in Rouse Street. They broke in through a front window and window screen before locating a set of car keys belonging to a Camry sedan which was garaged at the back of the property. The car was driven 10 kilometres away and later located by police, badly damaged and likely will be a write off. The owner of the stolen car is Joy King, an 86-year-old long-term resident of Tenterfield. She told The Town & Country Journal that many other older people she knows live close by and Joy is concerned about their safely should any of their homes be broken into. Police investigations continue.
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