News

Police Association invents a recruiting crisis

George Hawkins

22.08.2005

The Police Minister dismisses claims of a recruiting 'crisis'

Police Minister George Hawkins is accusing the police union of manufacturing a crisis of recruitment and retention as a bargaining tool ahead of the upcoming wage round.

"The retention rate is at its highest in years and the level of interest in joining Police has gone up 50 per cent in the last year.

"Police have assured me there are more than 200 recruits going through the system right now and I can assure New Zealanders that there have never been so many sworn police officers as there are today," said Mr Hawkins.

As at the end of May, there were 7577 sworn staff and 2349 non-sworn staff in New Zealand Police. This compares with 7027 and and 1740 staff when Labour took office in 1999.

"An additional 265 staff were announced in the latest Budget, meaning that Police staffing has increased by over 1400 under this Government. Over the same period the crime rate has fallen by 13.8 per cent.

"The media and the public should be very wary of repeating unsubstantiated claims from the Police Association about a recruitment 'crisis'. The Association is trying to create public pressure ahead of the pay round.

"It is tragic that the Association's efforts are undermining public confidence in its own members. The reality is that New Zealanders are safer in their homes, their communities and on their roads than they have been in decades."

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