Earlier data, supplied to the Herald, indicated there had been a net increase of 1576 constabulary staff - sworn staff - between October 31, 2017 and November 30, 2022.
Mitchell earlier said this appeared to show there had been large staffing boosts in some Auckland and Wellington stations, while other regions saw no change or even lost staff. He maintained this backed up reports he received from frontline officers outside main centres that they felt under-resourced.
Anderson and Police Association president Chris Cahill rebutted this, explaining the data did not provide a completely accurate picture of how station staffing levels may have changed in the past five years, noting that staff listed as being in Wellington’s national headquarters could be based elsewhere in the country and others based in the two cities would be addressing crime on a national level.
In this year’s Budget, there was an allocation for an initial $50.8 million for population-based funding increases to ensure the gains of the past five and half years weren’t lost in terms of police numbers.
The new funding will ensure the current ratio of at least one officer to every 480 New Zealanders was maintained. The ratio in 2017 was one to 544, Anderson said.
