Government must keep its promise for 500 extra cops – Editorial

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers (front) with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Photo / Dean Purcell

Editorial

THREE KEY FACTS

• Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has admitted the target of 500 extra officers by November is unlikely.
• Challenges include a tight job market, inefficient recruitment and increased attrition.
• Police Minister Mark Mitchell is emphasising the Government’s commitment to the target without compromising recruit quality.

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers yesterday admitted what many had already assumed to be true: that reaching the target of increasing our police force by an extra 500 officers by the end of November, two years after the election, was unlikely to happen.

The reality is, what some said was an ambitious target and had political motivations was always going to be unlikely at best.

We knew the number wouldn’t be met on time.

Newstalk ZB had already revealed a November briefing to Chambers that projected it would not be met until June next year.

Yesterday, however, Chambers told TVNZ’s Q+A that the police were still working to get “as close to that” extra 500 as they can by the end of the year.

He referred to a “tight” market and recruitment processes that appeared sloppy and could be more efficient.

Just last month, the Herald reported on some of the challenges, which included a lower applicant success rate and an increasing attrition rate.

Attrition for the police constabulary workforce has increased over the past year to 5.5%, above the decade-long average of 4.5%. Those who have friends and family in the police know also of the strong pull from Australian recruitment campaigns, which have been cited by officials as being a significant factor in Kiwis leaving the force.

Looking at the numbers, as of April 14, the police said there was a total of 10,175 fulltime-equivalent (FTE) police constables. There were also an additional 76 recruits due to graduate at around that time who are now joining their comrades.

The Government’s commitment was for 500 above the 10,211 police employed when the coalition agreements were signed in late 2023.

Comparing the two, our thin blue line is simply flat.

Yesterday, Police Minister Mark Mitchell told reporters the delay in reaching the target shouldn’t be described as a failure by the Government.

But this was a key election policy and an important part of the coalition’s agreement. People have not forgotten the promises politicians made when many cities around the country were experiencing a spike in youth and gang-related crime.

We’d had enough of our storefronts being ram-raided, the carjackings, the stabbings and downtown assaults. We wanted the Government to do something about it and we wanted more cops.

Mitchell and Chambers have both said they are committed to reaching the target and will not compromise on the quality of recruits to do so.

Ultimately, a Government’s first priority is to keep its citizens safe. This was a policy designed to do that and a promise the coalition must keep.

The June 2026 projection will come around sooner than we and the Government think. If the target isn’t met by then, expect it to become a hot election topic.

Sign up to the Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.