This week’s graduation of new Police recruits marks a significant milestone for the service, with the addition of the 1,000th policewoman since 2017, Police Minister, Ginny Andersen said.
“I want to congratulate the 76 new constables, including 22 policewomen, who graduated from Wing 365. I also want to acknowledge that with today’s graduation, 1000 women have been added to the New Zealand Police service since 2017 – an increase of 57%,” the Minister said.
“Since 2017, female constabulary numbers have grown almost three times as fast as overall numbers. It’s fantastic to see that our Police service is increasingly reflecting what New Zealand looks like.”
She said NZ Police was on track to deliver its growth target of 1,800 additional officers by 30 June this year.
“As a Government, we are serious about giving Police the resources they need to keep our communities safe. With our investment, we have more Police officers out on the street, working and engaging with our communities in order to keep them safe,” said Ms Andersen.
“We know it’s important for our Police staff to look like the communities they serve. I’m incredibly proud of the rapid increase in women joining the Police service since 2017.
“When we came into Government in 2017, there was one full-time equivalent (FTE) Constabulary for every 548 New Zealanders. Five years later, we have more Police in our communities, and there is one FTE Constabulary for every 488 New Zealanders.
“We’re also on track to ensure that 700 staff will be focused on tackling organised crime and dismantling illegal gang operations.”
The diversity across Police is also continuing to improve, with the number of sworn Māori officers growing by 39%, Pasifika by 77%, and the number of Asian officers by 152% since 2017.
“I’m incredibly proud of our Police, and with our investment to increase Police numbers, we have also got a Police service which increasingly reflects a modern, inclusive New Zealand,” Minister Andersen said.
