Police Commissioner Mike Bush, of Wellington, yesterday confirmed details regarding the distribution of 1800 new officers, funded through a $298.8million increase in Budget 2018.
Eighty-eight new police officers will join an existing 557 in the Southern district, encompassing Otago and Southland, representing an increase of 16%.
Of the 1800 new police nationally, 1280 would be deployed around the country to each of the 12 police districts, of whom 200 would have a specific focus on preventing crime related to gangs and drug-related offending, Mr Bush said.
A further 520 would be national roles focused on organised crime, breaking national and international drug supply chains and training local teams.
The boost for the South was welcomed by Southern District Commander superintendent Paul Basham.
``The extra staff will allow us to introduce innovative new approaches to impact on crime, while also strengthening our existing police networks across urban, regional and provincial locations.''
