Mosgiel residents are ''struggling to understand'' a police proposal to move four criminal investigations officers from Mosgiel to Dunedin.
Residents have created a Facebook page named ''Save Mosgiel Policing'' and are circulating a petition in an attempt to keep the four officers.
Mosgiel resident John Freeland said it was difficult to see how police operating from Dunedin could offer the same service level to Mosgiel.
''Personally, I think it's a pipe dream,'' he said.
''I'm struggling to see how they will be able to fulfil their promises.''
Otago Coastal Area commander Inspector Jason Guthrie addressed the Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board last Tuesday, outlining reasons behind the move.
They included ''the prioritisation of high-risk cases'' and ''centralising resources'' in Dunedin.
Insp Guthrie said police were confident the service level in Mosgiel would not suffer.
''In fact, it's likely to improve,'' he said.
A full team in Dunedin would be better equipped to deal with ''high-risk cases'', such as child protection and sexual abuse cases, Insp Guthrie said.
The move was standard practice across the region and the Mosgiel model was ''an anomaly, a hangover from previous operations''.
Mr Freeland said that he thought the Mosgiel community would miss out on officers with local knowledge.
''Everyone knows them [the police officers]. We've known them for years.
''It's their individual patch and they have the local knowledge. They are on the ground, live in the community and know the community.
''They will be taken out of their roles and not put in the same ones [in Dunedin] so, unless you have a magic wand, the service won't be the same.''
Police have extended a two-week consultation period for another week until Friday.
