An internal survey, allowing police to rate their workplace, reveals fewer officers believe they are getting adequate training and recognition - but still feel more inclined to make suggestions about how things could be done differently.
The survey was designed to rate feedback and make improvements.
The 2014 NZ Police Workplace Survey for the Bay of Plenty district found Western Bay of Plenty Police staff rated second lowest in the district across all questions with 60 per cent, compared with 59 per cent the Eastern Bay and 69.4 per cent in Rotorua.
Less than half of Western Bay officers responded positively to questions about their work conditions and only 43 per cent felt they have learning and development opportunities within NZ Police.
However, questions about their colleagues and supervisors ranked highly, and more than 71 per cent responded well to questions about respect and integrity in the workplace.
Only half of Bay of Plenty police agreed they received recognition for doing a good job, and less than half felt they were getting the training they needed to do the job.
They were also less likely to believe any change would come based on the results of the survey. Even so, the results showed improvements in staff involvement and co-operation between teams.
Waikato and Bay of Plenty Police Association regional director Wayne Aberhart said the survey results were not unexpected, particularly given the "negative-budget" police staff worked within.
Mr Aberhart said while lots of things may have added up to make some staff feel "disquieted" or dissatisfied, greater engagement by managers in recognising how staff were feeling and displaying a willingness to address concerns made a big difference to turning around negative attitudes.
"Open and frank communication is vital and a regular pat on the back for doing a good job goes a long way towards improving how staff feel about themselves, their job, and their work environment, and helps to improve morale," he said.
Western Bay police area commander Inspector Clifford Paxton said the Police Workplace Survey helped provide valuable insight.
"It is well known that engaged members are productive members and we need to continue to work to provide an environment which is healthy, where staff are happy and where they want to come to work to do a good job."
Details
The latest nationwide Police Workplace Survey asked 8707 police staff to rate their satisfaction with the organisation's vision and purpose; their engagement with the job; communication; their colleagues and workplace respect and integrity.
The biggest impact was an 8 per cent drop in response to the question "I get recognition when I do a good job".
Positive results compared with the previous year showed police were feeling 16 per cent more encouraged to "provide ideas and suggestions to improve the way things are done".