More money in Budget for extra police and victim support services

Sensible Sentencing Trust Tauranga spokesman Ken Evans. Photo/file

Funding for 1800 more police officers and extra victim support services as part of this year's Budget package has been warmly welcomed by Bay of Plenty police.

Yesterday's coalition Government budget package for more police includes another 700 police officers dedicated to fighting organised crime.

Police Minister Stuart Nash said Budget 2018 included $298.8m in new operating funding, and $17.8m, capital for New Zealand Police over the next four years.

Another $159.7m of new funding would be provided in 2022/23, Nash said.

"These increases enable the recruitment of an extra 920 officers and 240 support staff to maintain and build on the 880 officers and 245 support staff announced in Budget 2017.

"We're going after the gangs to an unprecedented push to disrupt the supply of drugs in our communities," he said.

Budget 2018 also provides tools and support for 21st century policing, including the latest technology to combat organised and serious crime.

Victim support services also get $13.5m extra operating funding over the next four years so victims of crime and trauma can access long-term support services.

Tauranga Sensible Sentencing spokesman Ken Evans said funding for 1800 extra police nationwide and increased support for victims of crime and trauma was "great news".

"It's great to see the Labour-coalition Government listening to what the Sensible Sentencing Trust has long been asking and fighting for, which is long overdue," he said.

"We have known for some time that police have been very stretched and have to prioritise their resp response to first and 1800 more staff nationwide will help a lot."

Extra police would only help to prevent crimes from happening, and ultimately reduce the number of victims in our community, Evans said.

Evans said the trust was also pleased with the increased support for victims of crime and trauma which again was desperately needed and long called for/

Waikato Bay of Plenty Police Association regional director Scott Thompson said the association commended the Government for its serious investment in extra staff.

Thompson said he was very pleased the extra staff investment was fully costed rather than having to repeatedly "'rob Peter to pay Paul" to pay for any funding shortfall.

More police would mean staff were safer and ultimately so was the community, he said.