A PETITION has been launched by Shadow Minister for the North Coast Walt Secord and Federal Member for Richmond Justine Elliot demanding an extra 20 police officers on the Northern Rivers to fight rising crime including the threat posed by bikie gangs.

The pair say the number of police officers on the North Coast has dropped from 198 to 178 since February 2012, and they want an additional 20 officers to restore the region to full strength.

Official crime statistics have been falling on the Tweed for the past couple of years across the board.
But Ms Elliot said as a former police officer, she knew you couldn't rely on just statistics.

"What I rely on is talking to locals and they've got real concerns and real fears about the increasing risk of violence and crime in the area," she said.

"What I hear every day is police numbers are dropping and crime is going up."

Ms Elliot said she would be door-knocking residents to gather signatures on The Operation Safer Streets petition which would be presented to State Parliament.

Mr Secord said Queensland laws, including a crackdown on bikie gangs, was pushing crime across the border.

He said the NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell was very Sydney-centric and local National Party MPs, including the member for Tweed Geoff Provest, had talked tough on crime in Opposition but failed to take action after winning office. 

Mr Provest's office has been contacted for comment.