“If it takes us a little bit of extra time ... then we’ll take that,” Chambers said to MPs, adding that was “probably the community expectation”.
One of the coalition Government’s primary law and order policies was to train 500 new officers in two years, an item agreed between National and New Zealand First.
While there had been much debate on whether the target included police vacancies, the policy promised to facilitate an increase to the police’s overall constabulary staff from 10,211 to 10,711 by November 27, 2025 – two years after the coalition agreements were signed.
The timeline briefly became a source of tension within the coalition when Police Minister Mark Mitchell started referencing the 500 target being achieved in three years.
It’s understood NZ First intervened and held discussions with National before the two-year deadline was re-established.
NZ First leader Winston Peters agreed on the 500-officer target during the coalition negotiations last year. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster often referred to the commitment as ambitious in public comments.
Coster’s recent replacement, Chambers, and Deputy Commissioner Chris de Wattignar today indicated it was more likely the target of 500 would be reached by mid-2026.
Answering questions from Labour police spokeswoman Ginny Andersen, de Wattignar said training numbers would be enhanced in April next year, when police began 100-person training wings.
While he acknowledged the police enjoyed a challenge, de Wattignar described the 2025 deadline as “very ambitious” and accepted it was a “more accurate picture of the target” to say it would be achieved by June, 2026.
“That’s where the projections are taking us at the moment,” he said.
Chambers reinforced his deputy’s position by saying the police would not compromise the quality of the officers they trained and would take longer if necessary.
“We’re going to work very, very hard to do our best,” Chambers said of hitting the target in two years.
“We are not going to compromise, so if it takes us a little bit of time to produce the best-quality officers ... then we’ll take that.”
A police email on December 3, released under the Official Information Act, stated the police’s constabulary staff in mid-Novemebr numbered 10,134 – meaning 576 officers would need to be trained to meet the target.
The email referenced the target being achieved by June 30, 2026.
In a statement, Associate Police Minister Casey Costello said she had received “no indication” in her regular meetings with police that the target was unachievable.
She said she understood the target was “ambitious” but cited an increase in applications to join the police, the “major recruitment campaign” currently under way and the upcoming increase to training wings.
Police Minister Mitchell declined to comment, referring the Herald’s request for comment to Costello.
The Herald has also requested comment from NZ First leader Winston Peters.
In a statement, Andersen said Mitchell’s “hollow promise” had been revealed by police today.
“The coalition relationship is under increasing strain as the list of broken promises just continues to grow,” she said.
“New Zealand deserves to be given straight answers, not this circus.”
Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.
