Stuart Nash
MP for Napier
Police spokesman

MEDIA STATEMENT

1 September 2016

Under funded, under resourced. What did you expect Minister?

If there was one last piece of evidence Judith Collins needed to build a case that Police need more front line staff, the Police Workplace survey has provided it, Labour’s Police Spokesman Stuart Nash says.

“The Police workplace survey shows that only 42% of staff believe the Police deliver on the promises they make to the public, which is a 9% decrease on last year’s survey. Over 55% of staff say that they have an unacceptable level of stress in their jobs.

“Another curious fact is that over 60% of Police staff don’t believe the organisation is interested in their views and opinions and nearly 70% believe that people aren’t promoted on merit.

“In some Police Districts, the findings are even more worrying. In the Tasman District, only 28% of staff believe Police deliver on the promises they make to the public, down from 50% last year, while in the Eastern District only 22% do. In the Far North almost 40% of Police staff felt disengaged with their work.”

“The interesting thing is the longer the tenure, the greater the level of disengagement. Of those who have served over 10 years, 21% feel disengaged, and only 20% feel engaged. This is a real worry because these are the experienced officers who know how to get the job done.

“The survey also shows what we already know. That our Police are committed to the work they do and feel a sense of commitment to their job. So, these results tell us that staff want to deliver on their promises and are committed to crime prevention and resolution, they simply don’t have the resources to deliver.

“The Minister needs to stop under funding and provide Police with the money needed to employ more front-line staff to fight crime and arrest criminals,” Stuart Nash says.

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