The chief of Sutherland Police is back on familiar ground, and making sure the community stays safe is top of the agenda.
Superintendent Jason Box is the new commander of Sutherland Local Area Command.
He replaces the now commander of St George, Julian Griffiths, who was in the role for six years after leading the newly-merged shire command.
Superintendent Jason Box has returned to Sydney’s south after being in the boss’s chair in the eastern suburbs for the past eight years.
The shire resident happily took on the reins at Sutherland, where he previously worked as a detective sergeant from 2001-2004.
“I know the area and I’ve got the local knowledge,” he said.
“I’ve been involved in lots of community and sporting organisations for a long time, and my kids play sport here.
“I enjoyed my time year then, and it’s great to be back after all these years.”
The Leader reported earlier this year that the merger of shire commands had caused upheaval, but superintendent Box says he is fortunate to join the command.
“The movement of myself and other commanders has happened across metropolitan Sydney, and Sutherland is performing really well,” he said.
“There is excellent work being done in the shire and I’m wanting to build on that good work.
“The troops are very supportive, productive and enthusiastic.
“I’m very excited to be at this command.”
He says one of his priorities will be to look at the gathering of people in public areas and ensuring high visibility of police.
“There are lots of similarities with the east and the shire, being both in coastal areas that are densely populated with lots of licensed premises,” he said.
“Having people out in the field right across the command, including at all hours of the night – that’s what I want.
“I like to see police out there on foot in built-up areas to reduce crime.
“It’s the basic aspect of policing, and I want to ensure public safety and confidence in giving people peace of mind that police are out there.”
He also encourages strong communication with residents.
“I really like the community engaging with the police,” he said.
“We take the public’s concerns on board and a lot of great information comes from them. They help us out.”
