Mr McVicar told the meeting he had received strong support from Napier people when he established the Sensible Sentencing Trust 13 years ago and he was hoping for their support again in his bid to enter parliament as the Napier candidate and no 3 on the Conservative party list.
He said he supported the police but did not apologise for making a political issue out of the concerns over resourcing issues they faced locally.
He said the eastern police district led the way in serious crime statistics.
"This is a debacle and it's only going to get worse," he said.
"I won't live in a country that's allowing this to happen."
The Conservative's Tukituki candidate, Stephen Jenkinson, said he had been told over the weekend by a reliable source that planned cuts would extend across the police district, including into the Waipukurau station, which would lose a sergeant and a constable from its roster of six staff."
"Basically we're all being fobbed off until after the election when these things will be implemented," he said.
Former Napier policeman Angus Dallow, who now runs a McDonald's outlet in Gisborne, spoke of his frustration in not being able to get police to attend an incident at the restaurant when he had a run-in with a man who had previously been trespassed from the property.
Mr Dallow was concerned staff cuts would further affect the police's ability to do their job.
Simon Cowan, the father of Phil Cowan, who disappeared in a suspected drug-world killing in 2001, spoke of his family's anguish through its dealings with the criminal justice system.
The police's positive focus on prevention was at risk from staff cuts, he said.
"This is crazy and must be changed to keep us all safe.
"If we want to save money let's reduce the number of MPs," he said.
Mr Craig outlined the Conservative Party's law and order policy, which included ensuring criminals serve their full sentences and prioritising the needs of victims.
Ms Rankin said she had huge respect for Mr McVicar, who she had worked with on-and-off over several years "organising trouble for one government or another".
Police management did not attend the meeting, but in a statement last week Eastern District Commander Superintendent Sandra Venables said there would always be a police presence in Napier and there were no plans to reduce frontline staff numbers.
"The Napier station is an older building and will have to be replaced with a facility suited to the needs of modern policing some time in the future.
"Similar era stations have been replaced in other areas of the country.
"It is common knowledge that we are looking at a proposal to be involved in a joint emergency services centre on the site of the Napier Fire Station in Taradale Rd, but no decision has been made regarding that yet," Ms Venables said.
Those attending the meeting unanimously passed a resolution which included a request to the government that the Napier police station remain open 24 hours a day and not be combined with other emergency services.