STEPH COOKE MP CONGRATULATES NEW OFFICER IN CHARGE AT TEMORA/JUNEE, INSPECTOR ROBERT VERGANO

December 29, 2017

Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke MP today congratulated Inspector Robert Vergano on his appointment as Officer In Charge for Temora/Junee in the Riverina Police District.

Riverina District Commander Superintendent Bob Noble announced Inspector Vergano’s appointment, the first Officer In Charge to be named in the Riverina Police District as part of the NSW Police re-engineering. 

“I’m very pleased that Inspector Vergano has been appointed to this role,” Ms Cooke said.

“I have every confidence that he will bring great experience, understanding and compassion to the role.

“Immediately after the by-election I met with Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys APM and have met with him and Assistant Commissioner Peter Barrie and Superintendent Noble to consistently communicate the community’s strong expectations around more front-line police in our communities and a more proactive approach to policing that engages people in our town and villages, and I’m pleased to be delivering so soon after the promises I made to the Cootamundra electorate during the by-election,” she said.

“The new Officer In Charge model will emphasise proactive policing at a community level and I am confident Inspector Vergano will help realise the full potential of that approach.

“This is the biggest change to policing in rural communities in 20 years, and it really means we now have a model that will work for small communities,” she said.

“Inspector Vergano will play a key role in the operation of that model in Temora and Junee.”

Superintendent Noble highlighted the attributes that gained Inspector Vergano the role.

“He’s a very experienced inspector and he’s got a lot of relevant experience in regional areas,” Superintendent Noble said.

“What he brings to the role is a focus on community policing.

“For the first time we will have a commissioned officer stationed at Temora, who will bring higher delegation of authority to make decisions at a local level to address crime. Inspector Vergano and other Officers In Charge have greater levels of experience which will bring a better quality of decision-making.”

Other Officer In Charge appointments will be announced in January.