Police have announced the roll out of 880 new staff and 24/7 stations. Photo / File
Police Commissioner Mike Bush has today announced where 880 new frontline staff will be based around New Zealand.
The increase in frontline staff is part of the $388 million investment in police announced by the Prime Minister in February.
The investment will see an increase of 880 sworn and 245 non-sworn staff over four years.
Bush said sworn staff will be recruited over the next four years from July 2017, with approximately 220 new additional recruits added per year.
"We have carefully considered where the additional 880 staff should go and where they will make the most difference," he said.
"Our allocation model has taken into account changing crime patterns, increased demand and population growth."
Northland will be allocated 66 officers, Waitemata 73, Auckland City 72, Counties Manukau 91, Waikato 101, Bay of Plenty 69, Eastern 68, Central 67, Wellington 62, Tasman 24, Canterbury 70, and Southern 37.
The remaining 80 officers will join organised crime teams.
"These will be put into specialised taskforces made up of investigative staff, asset recovery specialists and forensic staff," Bush said.
"The first taskforce will be set up in the Western Bay of Plenty in the 2017/18 year."
Bush said the investment package provided a significant opportunity for police "to address the pressures facing some of our districts and expand on the work being done to make New Zealand the safest country".
"We are committed to meeting the targets set by Government as part of their new investment in modern policing," he said.
One of the targets is for 95 per cent of New Zealanders to live within 25km of a 24/7 police base by 2022.
Bush recognised that regional communities have different pressures and concerns and felt safer if they knew a 24/7 police response service is nearby.
"Today I am announcing the locations of 20 new 24/7 response bases which means that police's 24/7 active patrols will expand to cover more than 200,000 additional New
Zealanders," he said.
"The first four bases to be upgraded to a 24/7 response capability during 2017/18 will be
Kaitaia (Northland), Matamata (Waikato), Wairoa (Eastern) and Rolleston (Canterbury)."
Following the first four would be Kaikohe/Kerikeri, Warkworth/Wellsford, Taumarunui, Te Kuiti, Thames, Balclutha, Dannevirke/Waipukurau, Dargaville, Helensville, Stratford, Motueka, Wanaka, Marton, Alexandra, Southland Rural, and Tasman RuralBush revealed that up to 40 of the 140 extra officers earmarked for regional and rural areas will form a Rural Duties Officer Network.
That network will focus on rural issues, building strong local networks and supporting confident rural communities. Bush said of the new officers, 140 would focus on family harm, child protection and adult sexual assault.
"A priority for us is to prevent victimisation in families and in the home," he explained.
"We want all families, particularly children to be safe in their homes."
The government's package will also allow police to develop a single non-emergency number, a new crime-reporting line, 12 mobile police stations, 20 extra ethnic liaison staff and 24/7 operation of Eagle helicopter.
"All of this makes police more accessible and more visible so that we can be where people need us, when they need us," Bush said.
District Commanders will now consider where the new staffs were best placed within their districts to target and catch offenders, prevent harm and victimisation and provide a more responsive police service to communities.
"More details will be provided in the coming months around some of the work our new and existing staff will be doing in these priority areas," said Bush.
"I'm confident having additional resources in these areas will provide a better policing service for regional New Zealand."
Police Minister Paula Bennett welcomed Bush's announcement.
"In February this year we announced a $503 million dollar package for 1125 more police staff, including 880 more frontline officers over the next four years," she said.
"All 12 Police Districts will receive more police... Police and Government have a goal of making New Zealand the safest country and this investment will contribute to that.
"Now that the Commissioner has allocated these staff, it is up to the District Commanders to work through which areas within the district they'll be based in."
Bennett said police recruit applications were at "an all-time high" with twice the number of applicants over January and February 2017 as there was over the same period in 2016.
"I know the police are a hard working team and I look forward to seeing more like minded, hard working, committed recruits going through Police College over the next four years so we can get these officers on the beat," Bennett said.
"Police have worked hard since the announcement to work out where the greatest need for these officers is," she said.