Tukituki MP Craig Foss said the increase of staffing in Hawke's Bay to guarantee a 24/7 patrolling police presence was welcome news.
"20 towns around New Zealand will be resourced to ensure a police officer will be on patrol and on call at all hours of the day," he said. "This will include the Central Hawke's Bay region, with the exact location to be confirmed."
"This will give our community more confidence that help is on hand, and will ensure fewer victims of crime in Hawke's Bay," says Craig Foss.
"All twelve Police Districts are receiving more officers as a result of the Government's investment in policing and I am thrilled to see 68 allocated to the wider Eastern District over the next four years," says MP Craig Foss
"It's not just about the numbers. This investment in policing also means a new 24/7 non-emergency police number as well as new resources targeted at disrupting and dismantling organised crime.
This investment package provides a significant opportunity for Police to address the pressures facing some districts and expand on the work being done to make New Zealand the safest country, Mr Bush said.
The first phase includes the recruitment of 220 constabulary staff. The first wing to include new recruits funded through the investment package, Wing 308, will start on 10 July 2017.
These 80 recruits will graduate in October 2017.
"We are committed to meeting the targets set by Government as part of their new investment in modern policing," Mr Bush said.
One of the targets is for 95 per cent of New Zealanders to live within 25km of a 24/7 Police base by 2022.
"We recognise that our regional communities have different pressures and concerns and feel safer if they know a 24/7 Police response service is nearby," he said.
"Today I am announcing the locations of 20 new 24/7 response bases which means that Police's 24/7 active patrols will expand to cover more than 200,000 additional New Zealanders."
Among the first four bases to be upgraded to a 24/7 response capability during 2017/18
is Wairoa, as well as Kaitaia (Northland), Matamata (Waikato), and Rolleston (Canterbury).
Up to 40 of the 140 extra officers earmarked for regional and rural areas will form a Rural Duties Officer Network.
This resource will be focused on rural issues, building strong local networks and supporting confident rural communities.
"Over the next four years this investment into the frontline will enable us to put an extra 80 police into organised crime," he said.
These will be put into specialised task forces made up of investigative staff, asset recovery specialists and forensic staff. The first task force will be set up in the Western Bay of Plenty in the 2017/18 year.
"A priority for us is to prevent victimisation in families and in the home. We will have 140 new staff to focus on family harm, child protection and adult sexual assault. We want all families, particularly children to be safe in their homes."
The Safer Communities package also gives Police resources to develop a single non-emergency number, a new crime-reporting line, 12 mobile police stations, 20 extra ethnic liaison staff and 24/7 operation of Eagle helicopter.
"All of this makes Police more accessible and more visible so that we can be where people need us, when they need us," Mr Bush said.
District Commanders will now consider where the new staff are best placed within their districts to target and catch offenders, prevent harm and victimisation and provide a more responsive police service to communities.
"More details will be provided in the coming months around some of the work our new and existing staff will be doing in these priority areas."