The Government’s target to recruit 500 extra police officers in two years is facing another delay as a briefing suggests it could be achieved nine months late.
A briefing to the Government in May, obtained by Labour, reveals NZ Police estimated the target would be met in August next year, nine months after the policy’s original deadline and two months later than the Police Commissioner’s revised deadline of June next year.
Speaking to the Herald, Police Assistant Commissioner Tusha Penny acknowledged the briefing but would not provide NZ Police’s latest projections, claiming it was difficult to accurately predict when the policy would be fulfilled.
While admitting NZ Police had been a “bit sluggish” early in its recruitment efforts, Penny suggested there were measures police could employ to achieve the target “a little bit sooner”, including a possible recruitment drive in Australia.
NZ Police’s briefing at the end of May by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to PM Christopher Luxon said the service was projecting the target would be met in August next year as opposed to the “target date of June 2026″.
When the policy was first announced, it had a two-year deadline from late November 2023 to increase NZ Police’s constabulary force from 10,211 to 10,711 by November 2025.
Government ministers had gradually accepted the initial deadline was unlikely to be met after Police Commissioner Richard Chambers indicated June 2026 was more realistic, given his commitment to training standards.
As of July 21, NZ Police had added just 23 extra officers. About 90 recruits were due to graduate at the end of the month.
Associate Police Minister Casey Costello, who was responsible for the policy, said in February she was “even more confident” the target would be reached in November this year amid a boost in applications.
In a statement this week, Costello said projections shifted from month to month based on the timing of graduations and the number of officers leaving or retiring.
“We always knew it was an ambitious timeline.”
Labour police spokeswoman Ginny Andersen condemned the delay as an example of Luxon’s “inability to deliver”.
“Meanwhile, meth use is surging and our communities are suffering,” she said.
“The Government shouldn’t promise what it can’t deliver on.”
In an interview with the Herald yesterday, Penny wouldn’t provide NZ Police’s latest estimate when the target would be reached, saying it was “pretty hard to be accurate” given the variable nature of training numbers and attrition.
Asked whether she could guarantee it would be achieved before the 2026 election, Penny wouldn’t speculate.
About 370 recruits were currently progressing through NZ Police’s 20-week training course, while another 340 would begin training by the end of the year.
That was offset by an attrition rate of 5.4% and an aging workforce, according to Penny.
She acknowledged police had been a “bit sluggish in the beginning”, but a dedicated team had since been set up to improve recruitment efforts.
“There are some things we can do to maybe deliver it a little bit sooner and that’s why last week I was with all the district commanders and asking ourselves the question around what are we doing now that’s working and what are we not doing so we can move things faster.
“We are going to deliver it, but we will get there when we get there.”
One of those measures to boost recruitment could be an effort to poach Kiwi cops now in Australia and possibly Australian officers as well.
Penny said Chambers had asked senior leaders to assess whether an Australian recruitment drive would be useful. A decision hadn’t yet been made.
It followed several attempts from Australian police officials to attract New Zealand officers across the ditch, most recently by members of Northern Territory Police.
While any recruitment drive would likely focus on New Zealand officers, Penny said it was being discussed whether to broaden the campaign.
“We have had a number of conversations that we should maybe say, ‘Hey, bring one of your Aussie work besties back with you’, but that’s in negotiation.”
Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.