New cops set to cost $252 million

Police have told the minister they expect the Government’s plan for 1800 additional sworn police officers in the coming three years to cost $252 million.

Police Minister Stuart Nash has been vocal about the Labour-NZ First’s coalition promise to recruit 1800 extra sworn cops.

This plan has been described by many, including Nash and Police Association head Chris Cahill, as ‘‘ambitious’’.

Nash has ruled out any special visas, or overseas recruitment drives to fill the roles, and instead plans to recruit from within New Zealand communities, with a push to bring in officers who reflect the country’s diverse communities, including women, Ma¯ori, Pasifika and Asian officers.

Apart from the basic target, details around the plan have been scarce, including exactly how these extra cops will be brought in, and how much it will cost.

Ahead of last year’s election, Labour’s policy of 1000 officers over three years was costed at $180m a year. Nash later said the extra 800 would cost ‘‘significantly more’’, but would not say how much.

National’s pre-election plan for 1125 extra officers was costed at $388m, based on the generally accepted cost of $140,000 per cop, including training and kit.

National’s $388m cost came via advice from NZ Police, which used that $140,000 figure. On Thursday, Police Commissioner Mike Bush said the same advice around costing had been provided.

Based on that advice from police, the Government’s aim of 1800 extra police was expected to cost about $252m over three years.

There were likely to be additional costs associated with extending and upgrading infrastructure and offices.

Bush said the Porirua police training college had the capacity to take the bulk of these new recruits, however, they would have to relocate training in specialist areas. That higher level of training currently took place at Porirua, but would have to go elsewhere once recruitment ramped up.

The call for 1800 new cops was a ‘‘challenge’’ but it was a ‘‘great opportunity’’, Bush said. A new recruitment ad launched at the end of last year led to a month’s worth of recruitment applications in one day, and 2017 marked the most successful year in terms of diversity.

Bush also said police were trialling a small wing of the college in Auckland.

Nash would not comment on the cost of the recruitment plan, saying he was still working through the Budget process and there would be an update in May.

National Party police spokesman Chris Bishop said he hoped the push for more cops did not come at the expense of the standard of recruits or training.

Bush said there had been a couple of changes to physical requirements for police, this included a change to strength tests and swimming tests. The old strength test was geared towards Kiwi rugby-playing men, he said. Now it better reflected the diverse range of recruits, adding that officers were still strong enough to do the job.