Roseneath resident Jacque Ruston wrote to Police Minister Stuart Nash to say the port community felt it was not adequately served by police and called for the station to be manned 24/7.
But Southern police say they are comfortable with how their staff are deployed.
The Port Chalmers police station, about 15km north of Dunedin, is at present staffed by a constable who is relieving its usual sole-charge officer, Senior Constable Steve Tvrdeic, who is on leave.
Ms Ruston said Snr Const Tvrdeic worked hard and did a good job, but she believed the job was too big for one man.
''He's really good; it's just he's quite busy. If you pop in you're quite lucky if you find him.''
Between July 2014 and March this year, 424 crimes were reported in the Port Chalmers area, compared with 285 across the harbour in Portobello, also served by a sole-charge officer.
Of those 424 reports, 165 were theft-related, 141 were break-ins/burglaries, 93 were acts intended to cause injury, 22 were sexual assaults, two were robberies and one was an abduction/harassment or similar offence.
Ms Ruston cited the fact Port Chalmers had nearly 50% more reported crime than Portobello as a reason it needed more police.
She also discussed the numerous traffic incidents on State Highway 88 between Dunedin and Port, frequented by logging trucks.
And in her view, recent high-profile crimes such as the slaying of miniature horse Star over the hill in Waitati earlier this year were further proof of the need for more police boots in the ground in the area.
She also spoke highly of her experience with the knowledge and connections of local police.
''Crime doesn't have any opening or closing hours, and the crime numbers are far too high for our comfort here.
''We have a great police station; all it needs is to be powered 24/7 and we would all feel a lot safer.''
In 2014, police appealed for volunteers to help provide counter service at the Port Chalmers station.
A senior police officer said at the time the sole charge officer was regularly leaving the station to cover a wide area and was finding it difficult to provide the level of presence expected by the community.
Acting Otago Coastal area commander Inspector Amelia Steel, of Dunedin, said no volunteers were serving at the front counter at present.
The proximity of Port Chalmers to Dunedin Central Police Station - about 15 minutes at road speed - enabled police to meet demand, she said.
''We are comfortable with how we have our staff deployed and are confident in how we prioritise our resources.
''Crime volume is only one factor considered in determining appropriate and proportionate resourcing.
''Port Chalmers has officers available 24/7 through our mobile response units such as Public Safety Teams, which are deployed from nearby Dunedin.
''We deploy officers to areas based on demand, which means districts have more flexibility to deploy staff where and when they are needed most.''
