The more people who have seen George Hawkins running the police, the fewer who have wanted to join. George Hawkins is no Uncle Sam, National's Police Spokesman Tony Ryall said today.

The $1 million advertising campaign to recruit new police is four times what was spent last year and will only maintain existing numbers. Mr Ryall says this is because of the damage done to the police force by George Hawkins.

"The $1 million campaign the Minister has launched isn't even new money - it's funded from the existing police budget.

"Mr Hawkins should have checked his facts before claiming that the police force would be 'bigger and better than ever before' by numbering 7,200 by June next year. The police said in May that the recruitment campaign would aim to 'maintain' staffing levels.

"The blame for the recruitment crisis in police lays squarely at the Minister's feet. This campaign is aimed at making up the numbers he cut. The $1 million should be going into reducing violent crime, not television ads," Mr Ryall said.

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