Fund the Frontline 

Our campaign to have Government recognise and provide the funding necessary to replenish a severely depleted frontline 
NZPA Home Page
2005 Coalition Agreements

WHAT WAS THE ISSUE
 In February 2005, the Association began to voice our member's concerns of a serious lack of frontline police to provide the level of service that New Zealanders deserve and expect.  

WHAT DID WE DO

After a disappointing 2005/06 budget resulting in only 60 extra frontline police (that equates to 5 emergency response cars) the Police Association began taking this serious issue to the main political parties.

THE RESULT
 The Police Association secured commitments from all main political parties to increase the numbers of sworn police officers prior to the 2005 election, and an agreement (driven by NZ First) has been reached by the new coalition Government to:

  • Budget for police numbers to be increased to provide another 1000 police staff over the three budgets of this term with a view to achieving number of police officers to population ratios comparable with those in Australia by 2010.  

WHAT WE SAID ABOUT THE COALITION AGREEMENT:

1000 Police over the next 3 budget years are welcomed with expectation that all will be sworn police officers destined for the frontline......this was confirmed by the new Government on the 8 December 2005.

 

IT'S CONFIRMED - All 1000 Police will be Sworn Police!

Minister of Police and NZ First Law and Order Spokesperson confirmed that ALL 1000 extra police "staff" will be sworn Police Officers and include the 250 Community Constables promised in the 2005 budget. An additional provision will also be made for the non-sworn staff required to support those new Police Officers. 8 December 2005

Police Association Comments...

Police Minister and NZ First Media Release...

 

 

The promise to increase NZ's Police to Population ratios 

- lest we forget!

We have a duty to provide the NZ public and visitors to our country with the safety, security and service they expect and deserve.

Our campaign to have Government recognise and provide the funding necessary to replenish a severely depleted frontline resulted in two promises from the new coalition government:

Promise 1:

Budget for police numbers to be increased to provide another 1000 police staff over the three budgets of their term in power. 

Promise 2: 

Achieve ratios comparable with those in Australia by 2010.

ARE THESE PROMISES BEING MET? 

With the first tranche of new police officers underway for 2006/2007, it is pleasing to see funding in the recent 2007/2008 budget to both sustain this tranche and bring on board the second tranche of officers. 

A CAUTIOUS APPROACH REQUIRED

We need to attract quality recruits and retain those already in the job.

A June 2006 survey conducted by UMR Research, asked New Zealanders whether, overall, did they think it was better to relax the recruitment standards to increase the number of people eligible to join the Police, or to increase the pay of police officers. 59% thought it better to pay police officers more, while only 28% thought relaxing recruitment standards better and 13% were unsure. (UMR survey results.)

"Our role and goal as an Association, is to get the right number, of the right people into Police and most importantly, retain them. Paying decent salaries not reducing recruiting standards, is the key to this," Police Association President Greg O'Connor said. 

The Police Association is confident that New Zealand Police can find the extra 1000 new police from promise 1 and 1400 from promise 2. 

"The best recruiters are existing police officers. If they feel well paid, well resourced and appreciated for the work they do, they will attract and recruit good people into Police.”

In 2011 we are hosts for the Rugby World Cup, let's hope we have our numbers sorted by then!