‘Struggling’ in expensive city
An 89c can of baked beans for dinner and a rental next to the Mongrel Mob: such are the realities of Auckland life for new police, according to an anonymous sergeant.
In a letter published by the Police Association, the Auckland officer, whose name was withheld, said police recruits in Auckland were applying to leave en masse because they couldn’t afford to live in the city. Auckland’s prohibitive house prices meant staff faced a long commute to and from work, on top of working unpaid overtime, they said.
The sergeant said young officers were also being asked to deal with high-risk incidents on a daily basis, despite having less than 12 months of experience.
‘‘Barely a late or night shift will pass when we are not arming-up to attend some jobs.
‘‘And because a large number are from outside Auckland, as soon as jobs are advertised near to where they come from, they are applying to leave.’’
A couple of staff were sharing a house in an east Auckland suburb ‘‘next to a Mongrel Mob address’’, and couldn’t afford to move out, the letter said.
‘‘So even when they finish a long day, they are calling in jobs relating to gang activity.’’
The officer said they had staff members bringing in 89c tins of baked beans for their dinner because they couldn’t afford anything else.
‘‘The Government needs to accept this: if we can’t retain the staff we are recruiting, we will never actually have the 1800 new staff, because they will simply be replacing those who are leaving for pastures new, less stressful and more financially and lifestyle rewarding.’’
It comes after the police union, the Police Association, rejected a Government offer of a 2 per cent annual pay rise for three years.
The union is also calling for paid overtime, as exhausted officers work up to 12-hour shifts.
Police Association president Chris Cahill said on Thursday the union ‘‘applauds this letter’’ from the anonymous officer.
‘‘It’s a really well-crafted way of explaining exactly the issue that members are facing, particularly on the front line, and particularly in areas such as Auckland,’’ Cahill said. ‘‘It’s just a really expensive place to live and that’s why the offer was rejected.’’
About 99 per cent of sworn police officers and about 75 per cent of nonsworn police staff belong to the union. Sworn police officers are not legally able to strike.
The union’s negotiating team is due to meet with NZ Police again next week.
Inspector Wendy Spiller, Counties Manukau East area commander, recently told Stuff in a feature series on O¯ tara that the biggest challenge for officers policing the area wasn’t the crime, but being able to afford to live there.
Police Minister Stuart Nash said: ‘‘Last month the Commissioner of Police confirmed that the three Auckland policing districts will receive 346 extra frontline officers, over and above existing staffing levels of 2604 officers,’’ Nash said.
‘‘The extra officers are on top of those who are replaced as part of normal attrition.’’
Almost 700 extra officers had gone through the Royal NZ Police College and been deployed since the Government took office.