Police survey shows cops aren't trained to do their job

Police have released their annual workplace survey, carried out by IBM, which details how officers across the country feel about their jobs. Photo / File

Almost 60 per cent of police officers feel they do not have adequate training for the work they are required to do.

Police have released their annual workplace survey, carried out by IBM, which details how officers across New Zealand feel about their jobs.

In addition to 59.8 per cent believing they aren't adequately trained, 68.8 per cent said officers weren't appointed to their positions based on merit.

Only 39 per cent said the organisation is interested in the views and opinions of its staff.

A majority, 55.6 per cent, felt the level of work-related stress they experienced in their jobs was unacceptable.

Just 42.3 per cent agreed that NZ Police delivers on the promises it makes to customers, and 53.4 per cent disagreed that day-to-day decisions demonstrate that quality of services is a top priority.

All of NZ Police's approximately 12,009 employees were invited to participate in the survey, and it had a response rate of 70.3 per cent.

In regards to police delivering on the promises made to customers, 42.3 per cent of staff agreed this was the case, a drop of 9.2 per cent from last year.

The belief that stress levels are unacceptable, quality of service not being a top priority and a lack of understanding of how performance is measured all increased from 2015.