STAFF shortages are putting the lives of local police at risk, with only one crew able to be deployed across the Tweed in the early hours of the morning, a senior officer revealed.

"I worry about (the officers) because if there's a serious crime incident the nearest support could be up to an hour away,” the officer said, referring to the time it takes to drive from Byron Bay where back-up would need to come from.

The officer said the high number of staff on stress- related leave or restricted duties because of post traumatic stress disorder was to blame.

"Other commands might only be five 'gun-carrying' police down from a staff of 300 or so,” the officer said.

"The Tweed Byron Local Area Command would be about 35 'gun-carrying' officers down, in a command of 165.”

The Police Association of New South Wales has voiced concerns about staff levels in the Tweed.

The officer blamed the high number of officers suffering PTSD on the average age of those in the command - about 40 years - and their length of service, which would be far longer than those in metropolitan stations that typically have more junior police.

Tweed Byron Local Area Command Superintendent Wayne Starling declined to comment.

In January, Police Association northern region executive member Brett Henderson-Smith said the association had no idea how staffing decisions were made because there was no transparency.

As recently as April, the Tweed missed out on new police as 178 recruits were assigned to commands across the state.

The move prompted Tweed Shire Council to write a letter to the NSW Police Minister about a lack of new recruits being allocated locally.

Tweed MP Geoff Provest said at the time the local command wanted experienced officers. But the senior officer denied this and claimed the command wanted the junior officers to provide more balance and "energy” to its force.

Mr Provest said this week he would lobby for more recruits if the command wanted his support.

He said local police were achieving excellent crime- fighting results and that he had recently made a request for new Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys to speak with the command.