Twenty-six new police officers for Bay of Plenty

The Bay of Plenty is to get 26 out of 458 extra police as part of the Government's promise to fund more sworn and non-sworn staff over three years.

Police Commissioner Howard Broad yesterday announced the first allocation of the 1250 extra police as promised in the lead up to last year's election.

The extra staff include 1000 sworn officers and 250 non-sworn officers. Of the 458 extra officers, 186 will go to Auckland police districts, including North Shore/Waitakere, Auckland City and Counties Manukau.

The Bay of Plenty is to get the next highest allocation of 26 but will not get any non-sworn officers.

Bay of Plenty Police District manager Superintendent Gary Smith said he was now deciding which policing areas, including Rotorua, Taupo, Eastern Bay and Western, would get the extra staff.

Rotorua Police Association chairman Scott Thompson said while local police were grateful to have more police, he was disappointed the Bay missed out on getting non-sworn officers.



Mr Thompson said non-sworn staff in Rotorua were already stretched to the limits and more police on the beat created more work for them.

"I am surprised and a bit concerned about the non-sworn staff. They are basically the support staff so our staff can go out and do their jobs. There is going to be an expectation for them to work harder and they simply can't."

While he was pleased there were extra staff, he said Rotorua police still had less police now than it did in the mid 1990s, prior to the axing of jobs in the Bay under the Martin Review.

"We are still not back at the staffing levels we were and that doesn't take into account population increases since then," Mr Thompson said.

Mr Smith was pleased the Bay of Plenty had been recognised as the next district in need behind Auckland.