"It's always great to have new recruits in the Rotorua area. New cops always inject some energy and come with fresh ideas, which is fantastic."
He said in the first two years, the new officers focused on frontline policing, covering everything from traffic infringements to incidents where people were at serious risk.
"When new cops are deployed they are paired with a field training officer, a more senior officer who supports them through their first months while they get up to speed."
Pewhairangi said the more senior officers appreciated the extra resource as it meant as a team they could attend more jobs and spend more time at each job, which in turn built trust and confidence in police within the Rotorua community.
Long-term Rotorua publican Reg Hennessy, who has been outspoken about central city safety in the past, said more police staff were great as long as they didn't become invisible.
"They have got to be seen."
He said there was a big difference in safety during the summer campaign when more police were walking the streets, but already he felt that had reduced in recent weeks and he could feel negative elements starting to "trickle back".
"We definitely had a good response, even if they haven't got the numbers to do it all the time, they should do a hard out hit for four or five days."
Waiariki MP Tamati Coffey said the growth in local police numbers was concrete proof of the Government's focus on supporting healthier, safer and more connected communities within the Waiariki region.
"We know one of the greatest crime prevention tools is the visibility of police in our community. That's why the coalition agreement between Labour and New Zealand First strives to increase police numbers by 1800 extra officers."
When asked how more police impacted Rotorua, he said: "This boost was greatly needed by our whānau, too many of whom have survived threats of burglaries, assault, illicit drugs and other crimes, without investment in our police force keeping pace."
He said the Government's plan would see police numbers in the Bay of Plenty continue to increase to 125 additional frontline officers, which was up 19 per cent on where local police numbers were when they took office.
But Rotorua MP Todd McClay said his Government also had plans to increase police numbers.
"Under our last budget in Government Rotorua was to get an additional 23 officers over a two to three-year period. We are a busy tourist town with a growing population and our rural communities like Reporoa rely upon police to keep them safe."
McClay said he would like to see more investment in fighting crime at a local level.
"This means that police numbers need to continue to increase at a similar level over the next two to three years.
"Local police did a very good job under difficult circumstances and anything that could be done to help them make people safer in their homes was important."
Rotorua police numbers:
Total staff - 144
Increase of sworn staff in past year - 17
New recruits in past six months - 11
Government Budget promise:
Police budget to increase to almost $300 million over four years
Hiring 1800 new frontline staff
