Budget Leaves 45 Police Areas Scrapping Over Only 8 More Frontline Response Cars To Answer Calls

"Police districts and Area Commanders, struggling to put frontline response cars on the road to answer the public's calls, will receive little relief from today's budget," NZ Police Association President, Mr O'Connor said today.

"It takes 12 police officers to have an incident car on the road 24 hours, 7days a week and that's on the lean side when court dates, annual leave and other absences for things like training and illness or injury are taken into account," said Mr O'Connor.

"The Association welcomes the funding for stab-proof vests and the long overdue and sorely-needed resources for Communication Centres," said Mr O'Connor. "However, we are frustrated that the area of policing that responds to those calls ? the frontline emergency response area - has received a mere token gesture from today's Budget.

"This area of policing needs a significant boost in police numbers to build and maintain public confidence and meet their understandably high expectations of service," said Mr O'Connor.

"Eight frontline response Incident-cars are simply not enough."

ENDS

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