May 19, 2005

Extra Police resources great news, says Mayor

North Shore City's Mayor George Wood is delighted by the Government's Budget announcement today, which will see more funding for more Police.

The Government announced the funding of 265 more Police staff in today's Budget, injecting $172.9m over four years into the service.

"I'm pleased to hear the Police Commissioner say that most of the staff will be in front line roles with the bulk going into metropolitan Auckland and the upper North Island. That's music to my ears. I feel like the Government has finally listened to the community on this issue," says Mayor Wood.

Mayor Wood says he is pleased that the emphasis for the new staff will be on frontline service delivery. "The fact that 100 extra staff are to be deployed in call centres will go a long way towards regaining public confidence. These extra staff will also take the pressure off frontline officers by dealing with routine telephone inquiries in a more efficient manner."

George Wood says funding for extra staff to focus on organised crime is also a positive move and he is pleased that substantially more money will go into purchasing new equipment. "This is a good news story for every Police officer and for the communities around New Zealand."

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