The waiting list for recruit placements in Dunedin is two years, and there are already nine people ready to take jobs that become available.
Dunedin-Clutha area commander Inspector Dave Campbell said there were presently 20 too many staff in Dunedin, according to a complex calculation used to determine how many staff were required in each police area.
The overstaffing had been evident for more than a year, and would be addressed by natural attrition over the next 18 months.
"As our current attrition rate is only one or two a month, I expect it will be another 18 months or more before we start sending people away to the police college for training to fill local vacancies," he said.
It was an unusual situation, and one that had come about by several unusual "opportunities" over the past year to 18 months, alongside the move to increase police numbers.
It had worked well for Dunedin, after the creation of eight new community policing roles; and allowed five constables to work with the CIB in spaces left by staff who were in Christchurch for the Bain trial.
Dunedin police groups on section (patrol officers rostered on any given shift) had been bolstered by extra staff over that time, with some groups having up to 12 people in them.
Group numbers would gradually be reduced to nine officers; a set level for several years.
Each group had to manage its own staffing levels, including making provision for leave and dealing with illnesses.
There were no minimum numbers set for groups, but there needed to be more staff working night than day shifts.
At times of major events, there could be leave bans put in place, and at any time group numbers could be supplemented with staff working from, for example, suburban stations, dog patrols or road policing.
At peak times, there were shift overlaps.
It might be expected that overstaffing would be absorbed sooner, but it was not that simple, because when local staff retired or were transferred, some of those vacancies were filled by staff transferred from other areas rather than by new recruits.
Also, three former police officers wanting to rejoin, and six people who had completed all pre-entry tests and character checks were waiting for vacancies in Dunedin.
There were about 50 people at various stages in the recruiting process, but some of those wanted to go to other parts of the Southern Police District, and others would not complete the process or would change their minds, Insp Campbell said.
