The meeting with Nowra Police Station’s Crime Prevention Unit was primarily made up of worried elderly residents and those with young families who said they were tired of continued crime issues.

Shoalhaven Local Area Command officers helped residents understand who to contact when instances arose.

A concerned resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, initiated the meeting with local police after he became aware of the number of people “living in fear in their houses”.

He said people in the area were afraid to leave their homes and believed police response times were not up to scratch.

According to the resident, the meeting gave those who attended a better understanding of policemen’s work to kept the community safe.

“People weren’t aware of what the police are doing out here. They are doing their best, but their numbers are so few they can’t have a policeman at every house,” he said.

“It’s up to the community to be more proactive. We need to be their eyes and ears so we can accurately direct police to suspicious activity.”

The meeting allowed residents to co-ordinate a community pride group with police which will soon be set up and run in a similar fashion to a community watch group.

Another community engagement meeting will be held later in the year at the local primary school in hopes to engage more residents with the crime prevention group.