Increased Police presence will improve safety

Paula Bennett – 

Supplied Content (Edited)

The announcement by Police about where the additional 880 sworn officers will be stationed means over 200,000 more New Zealanders will be covered by a 24/7 Police presence.

All New Zealanders deserve to feel safe in their homes and communities.

That is why we have committed to having 95% of New Zealanders covered by a 24/7 Police presence.

Safer Communities Package

In February, the government announced the ‘Safer Communities’ package of 1125 more Police staff over the next four years.

The $503 million package includes 880 sworn officers, 140 of them specifically designated to regional and rural communities.

The Safer Communities package means that New Zealanders will benefit from knowing there is an officer available around the clock. Police have worked hard since the announcement to work out the areas which have the greatest need for these officers.

I am confident that having additional resources in these areas will provide a better policing service for regional New Zealand.

Police Stations named

The Police stations which will now have a 24/7 officer on duty include:

Alexandra, Balclutha, Dannevirke (Waipukurau), Dargaville, Helensville, Kaikohe (Kerikeri), Kaitaia, Marton, Matamata, Motueka, Rolleston, Southland Rural, Stratford, Tasman Rural, Taumarunui, Te Kuiti, Thames, Wairoa, Wanaka, Warkworth (Wellsford).

Decisions on the exact location of some police bases are still to be made.

Police Commissioner Mike Bush has also announced the number of staff going to each district across the country.

Police and Government have a goal of making New Zealand the safest country and this investment will contribute to that.

Now that the Commissioner has allocated these staff, it is up to the District Commanders to work through which areas within the district they will be based.

Specialist Areas

Police have also allocated a number of new staff to other specialist areas including 80 officers to build on Police’s ability to disrupt and dismantle organised crime.

The Safer Communities package also includes a single non-emergency phone number, 12 mobile police stations, around the clock access to the Eagle Helicopter and funding to support Corrections and Justice.

I know that the Police are a hardworking team and I look forward to seeing more likeminded, hardworking, committed recruits going through Police College over the next four years so we can get these officers on the beat.

Rising Recruitment Applications

It is great to see Police recruit applications are at an all-time high with twice the number of applicants over January and February 2017 as there was over the same period in 2016.

Staff Allocations over four years: