The public will get their say on a restructuring of the Dunedin police service.
A report on options for restructuring the service has been received by the Southern police district commander, and the district management team will decide on a final option by the end of this month.
Police are looking to form three new six-person proactive policing teams in the Dunedin-Clutha police area.
The teams would be similar to those set up in other parts of the country, including in Invercargill, as part of a national push to a more intelligence-led, proactive and community-based approach to police work.
Plans for the Southern police district also include establishing a second proactive policing team in Invercargill, and boosting the size of a smaller team in Central Otago. Officers required, including the 18 needed in Dunedin-Clutha, will be drawn from the existing pool.
It is understood that some positions are likely to be disestablished.
Intelligence-led policing has been credited for higher crime resolution rates in recent crime statistics, but Dunedin community boards in suburbs where front-line police numbers are thought likely to be cut are worried.
Southern police district commander Superintendent Bob Burns said the working party, made up of police staff from within the district, considered the spread of staff across the area, their workloads, the number of emergency and other calls received and crime and resolution rates, and provided a "very thorough" report.
Once a decision on the preferred final configuration of the service was made, it would be opened for consultation internally among police and with the public.
That process would happen during November.
The intention was to have the proactive policing teams in place and operating by early next year, he said.
