Budget provides substantial boost to front-line staffing

This year’s Budget provided a substantial boost to front-line staffing and funded more new vehicles, the implementation of stab-resistant body armour, replacement of the Remington rifle, and the introduction of new fingerprint technology ...



Commissioner Rob Robinson says the $46 million funding package for new initiatives includes provision for additional staff mostly in front-line roles in metropolitan Auckland and the upper North Island.

"The new funding will allow approximately 60 new investigation and response staff, 24 organised crime group members, 36 youth aid and youth development team staff and 15 in a range of roles including liquor licensing, commercial vehicle enforcement, and prosecutions."

Funding will also continue for approximately 39 communications centre, professional driving, and prosecutions staff originally funded for the 2004/05 finanical year only.

"The additional 100 or so staff for communications centres announced on 11 May are also included in the total Budget package."

Rob says detailed planning at the district level will determine final distribution of staff and resources but emphasis will be placed on maximum front line service delivery. "This is not ring-fenced funding, it is flexible funding for use in the best way we can to ease pressures and maintain service delivery," he says.

Sixty new sworn investigative and response staff will go into upper North Island districts. Forty-eight will go into Metropolitan Auckland, two into Northland and five each into Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.

"While the Executive were unanimous in their support for the allocation of most of the new resources to meet demand pressures in the upper North Island, every police district will receive some additional resources and staff, albeit in modest numbers south of Taupō.

"We have been given 95 percent of what we bid for and the recruiting and training of the additional staff will be a challenge for everyone.

"We need to train about 450 sworn staff a year to account for natural attrition. Training a further 150 sworn staff on top of the 450 will mean the College will be humming during the year ahead."

Rob says the increase in funding is one of the most significant in NZ Police’s recent history. "It is a good start to fixing the problems that have been highlighted in recent times."