The huge visitor surge into Jindabyne during the snow season has required the building of separate ensuite accommodation for up to 20 officers as part of the new police station complex opened in the Snowy Mountains town.
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The population of the area, including surrounding townships and resorts, grows from about 4000 to about 18,000 during the peak of the snow season.
A recent report by the NSW government also projected the Jindabyne-Berridale and surrounding Snowy Mountains area would be home to around 45,000 people by 2040 as the new "activation precinct" reaches its potential.
Construction of the new $14 million Jindabyne Police Station complex began in February 2022 and comprises a police station, accommodation, boat shelter, and garage for police vehicles and snowmobiles.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said the opening of the new station was a significant day for the local community.
"The new purpose-built station provides state-of-the-art facilities and new technology, enhancing police responses, particularly during the peak seasons," Commissioner Webb said.
About 20 staff, on rostered rotation with the sister station at Cooma, will work at Jindabyne's new station including the specialist alpine search and rescue team, which will keep their snowmobiles and 4WD vehicles in a purpose-built garage ready for rapid deployment when needed.
Officers stationed at Jindabyne have a huge and diverse patrol area, which takes in Lake Jindabyne, the heavily forested high country and the snow resorts.
Monaro district Superintendent John Klepczarek said he felt like "a proud dad" at the Wednesday opening ceremony.
"The new accommodation is really high quality; we call in 10 secondees from around NSW every snow season and the old police accommodation was pretty awful, with mould on the walls and other issues," he said.
"The new station has new custody facilities with CCTV and livescan digital fingerprinting, we have an operations rooms for the alpine team to set up in during an extended search and we've got a proper conference room where the station can network in with other stations and services.
"But importantly, we want this to be a shared facility that our partner agencies like the SES, ambulance and firies can use, too because in those difficult situations where we're out searching for people missing in the snow or in the bush, it's always a joint effort; we're always working together."
The area was now growing as a summer and winter destination, and the facility will enable officers to meet the policing needs of the local community and its visitors more effectively.
"We have more than one million tourists visit the snowfields over the snow season and with the popularity of Thredbo as a mountain biking destination throughout the year, this fit-for-purpose facility will help bolster our response capabilities, during all seasons," Commander Klepczarek said.
