Restructuring affecting front line: Police Assn

Mike Thomas
Mike Thomas
Restructuring of services is to blame for the under-resourcing of front-line police officers in the South, New Zealand Police Association Southern region director Mike Thomas says.

The comments follow a two-yearly survey of about 5000 association members, which found 86% thought front-line general duties officers were under-resourced when responding to emergency calls.

‘‘The Southern district has gone through quite a number of restructures over the last two years, such as the DCC [District Command Centre] and FMC, the file management centre,'' Mr Thomas said.

‘‘They've been reasonably successful, but what they do is they move staff around.''

Budget constraints over the past few years meant non-sworn officers had been used to staff the initiatives, he said.

As a result, the service had been stretched.‘‘I'm not against new initiatives, because they've been really successful.

‘‘But it does tend to impact that front line as we pull that staffing resource away.''

The shortages have come at a time when police needed to be stationing more officers, not fewer, he said.

‘‘Especially in the Otago Lakes area, there's been an increase not just in the general population, but also in the tourist population, and that's also impacting on staffing.

‘‘There's been no increase in staffing to match the population increases.''

While reported crime was dropping, the ‘‘course of service'' in certain areas had been increasing, Mr Thomas said.

More than half of members felt staff working to combat organised crime and drugs and non-sworn support staff were under-resourced, but they thought resourcing for the intelligence and road policing sectors was about right.

 

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement