Assistant Commissioner Joe Cassar has been named the NSW Police Southern Region Commander.
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NSW Police Force Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys has announced Assistant Commissioner Cassar's appointment.
The Southern Region Command takes in a huge area from Wollongong in the north to the Victorian border in the south.
It includes local regions South Coast and Lake Illawarra along with Monaro, Murrumbidgee, Murray River, Riverina and the Hume police districts.
Assistant Commissioner Cassar joined the NSW Police Force in 1987 and was initially stationed in Goulburn and Wollongong, performing general duties.
He achieved his detective designation in 1992 and has worked in both local criminal investigations and specialist criminal investigations, including the Homicide Squad, Drugs Squad and Child Abuse Squad.
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He was promoted to Inspector in 2005 at the Eastern Beaches Local Area Command and in 2008 played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Alcohol Licensing Enforcement Command.
I certainly have an appreciation of how diverse the Southern Region Command is.
- NSW Southern Region Commander, Assistant Commissioner Joe Cassar
Assistant Commissioner Cassar was promoted to Superintendent in 2011 and spent time at the Cabramatta, Shoalhaven and Wollongong Local Area Commands before joining the Capability, Performance and Youth Command as Assistant Commissioner in 2017.
Assistant Commissioner Cassar said his time at Wollongong and what is now the South Coast Police District gave him a great exposure to the issues facing regional NSW.
"I certainly have an appreciation of how diverse the Southern Region Command is," he said.
"I am really excited about the prospect of returning to the region and making a positive impact on the local community."
He said one of his main focuses will be on ensuring his people are match fit.
"We will have a strong focus on capability and performance throughout the entire region," he said.
"We need to make sure we have the best people in place to tackle emerging crimes and ensure the safety of our community."
He took command of Southern Region on July 1.
His appointment comes the same week as the announcement of nine new officers for the South Coast Police District over the next 12 months, including one specialist child protection register officer.
Further north and five new officers will also be joining the Lake Illawarra Local Area Command, as part of the first allocation of the NSW Liberals and Nationals $583 million investment in extra police assigned to local stations and specialist areas to protect communities and fight crime.
