Speak out on staffing crisis, police union tells Robinson

Pressure continues to mount for the country's top policeman to speak publicly about the state of resources and the need for more frontline officers.

In the latest edition of the Police Association magazine Police News, president Greg O'Connor questions why Commissioner Rob Robinson insists on assuring politicians and the public that there are plenty of frontline police when that is not the reality.

Mr O'Connor said he would not usually criticise the commissioner.

However there was a stark difference between reports from police officers, right up to district commanders, that they were desperately short of frontline police and the minister's comments that there were adequate resources.

He said Mr Robinson's failure to acknowledge the problem had damaged the credibility of the Office of the Commissioner and there appeared to be a "blockage" getting the message to the minister that there was a resourcing problem.

"The commissioner needs to stand up to the Government and decide his priorities and advocate for more ... staff to go on the frontline ... and not just a hundred, but thousands."

The Police Association has begun a campaign called "Fund the Frontline" to get 540 extra police in the next two years and boost the number of sworn police officers from 7238 to 10,000 by 2010.

The pressure for Mr Robinson to speak publicly about police resources follows prolonged criticism of the police over at least 1000 unallocated files in South Auckland, including nine rape cases, and repeat problems with the 111 system.

Despite this pressure, Mr Robinson has refused to discuss the matter, saying he does not want to be drawn into a political debate.

But National Party leader Don Brash said Mr Robinson had responsibility as a neutral public servant to speak out.

"The minister is saying, 'Yes, everything is fine,' while his own frontline police are saying, 'We are under too much pressure, we can't cope' and the police commissioner is silent."

Dr Brash said there were three possible explanations. They were that the minister was not telling the full story, or the commissioner did not have contact with his own troops at the coal face, or the commissioner had more resources and was deploying them in ways that were not dealing with crime.

On National Radio yesterday, Police Minister George Hawkins said the police always asked for more resources than they got.

"I think the police commissioner, like all other chief executives, always asks for more, but I think we've got it about right."

Mr Hawkins would not expand further on this comment, saying it was a Budget issue.

However, his statement did contradict comments he made in Parliament in February when National MP Tony Ryall asked him if he had ever asked Mr Robinson whether he had enough resources to provide safe 111 services.

Mr Hawkins replied then: "If the commissioner needs more resources, we will make sure that he gets them."

- additional reporting NZPA