There are serious crimes that did not even exist or would not have been possible until recently. Photo / NZPA
The job of policing has changed significantly from when I was a young constable, some 40 years ago. The evolution is set to continue as we not only increase police numbers but also change our shape and expand our skill-set.
It is important to me as commissioner for the public to have trust and confidence in its police service. That's why I want to share some of our thinking as we increase our numbers by 20 per cent over the next few years.
Offending no longer just occurs on the street or in people's houses. Drug deals are done online, stolen goods are sold on social media, and scams are promulgated through multiple new communication channels.
Less than 5 per cent of the internet is accessible through public search engines like Google. Beneath the surface, the dark web enables the trade and financing of drugs, weapons, child pornography and other illicit products and services.
Effective 21st century policing requires additional expertise. Visible police who patrol our streets and respond to calls for service will always be at the heart of our business but we need to do more and think differently.
Some of the detail around how and where new staff will be deployed is still being worked through. We know our communities will certainly see a stronger and more visible "uniformed" presence as additional officers begin to land in community policing and investigative roles across the country. But we are also increasing police numbers in specialist areas such as cybercrime, financial investigations, and technical covert and communications support.
About 250 of these roles will be what we call authorised officers – specialists who hold specific constabulary powers relevant to their tightly focused field of expertise. These will navigate the dark web and help rescue children from abuse. They will gather the financial information and evidence needed to restrain cash and assets from gangs. And they will analyse covert communications to stop those who would threaten and do harm to our country and citizens.
Fundamentally they represent a broadening of the police's traditional capability. Think of it as our digital frontline.
This digital frontline works with domestic and international partners, reflecting the borderless nature of their environment. The new reality is that offenders are now able to do real harm to people they have never met, in places they have never been.
In 2016, anonymous threats were made to the lives of children in a number of New Zealand schools from what appeared to be a local phone number. These threats caused significant fear and disruption to numerous children, parents and teachers but there was no offender to arrest – he was sitting in Israel behind a laptop.
It was the result of our specialist cybercrime investigators that led to his identification and eventual arrest by Israeli authorities.
But just as we can fall victim to criminals overseas, so can New Zealanders offend against people in other parts of the world. About six months ago, a local man was identified with objectionable child abuse material on his computer.
Our computer forensic and specialist investigators who work to combat online child exploitation and abuse subsequently identified the location of the victims and shared their investigation findings with our partners in the Philippines. As a result, three children aged 4, 5 and 7 were rescued from a life of "abuse on demand", which had been live-streamed to international subscribers by the parents.
We are also stepping up our efforts to combat organised crime, with hundreds of new detectives to be trained with a focus on gangs, drug supply and organised criminal networks. Like any business, the strength, resilience and motivation of these criminal groups is largely driven by financial considerations, so we also need to target the money.
The police's Financial Crime Group is getting more forensic accountants and financial investigators, and has the goal to restrain more than $500 million in criminal cash and assets by 2021, with a decent chunk of this to be returned to the Government's coffers.
There are numerous recent examples of gangs having their assets stripped through the work of this team, including strikes against the Head Hunters Motorcycle Club in Auckland and Christchurch in which gang pads, houses, motorcycles and other luxury items were confiscated, and cases brought against key gang leaders.
There are other serious crimes that did not even exist or would not have been possible until recently. That's why police will continue to develop the capability they need to devise smart and innovative ways to address the challenges of our changing times.
• Mike Bush is the New Zealand Police Commissioner.