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Almost a fifth of police officers recruited from Britain have quit their jobs in New Zealand, but the union representing New Zealand officers still believes it has been a success.
The National Party is questioning whether the British officers brought over since 2003 to fill gaps, mostly in Auckland, knew what they were getting into.
Answers to parliamentary questions by National police spokesman Chester Borrows said of 222 officers recruited to serve in New Zealand, 42 had left.
"Clearly, little has been done to arrest the rate of attrition. You have to wonder if the conditions of work are made clear to them before we put the time and resources into training them," Mr Borrows said.
Police national headquarters said the attrition among the British recruitment was not unusually high. "The ones who have returned to the UK have done so for a variety of reasons, including family," said general manager of police human resources Wayne Annan.
Police Association president Greg O'Connor said the officers from Britain paid their own way, so it was not a drain on taxpayers. While overseas recruitment was always a short-term fix, it had worked.
"Our assessment comes from what young police officers on the streets at the time thought and they all thought it was great to have these experienced [recruits] alongside them," Mr O'Connor said.
Police recruited from Britain are now granted residency in New Zealand as skilled migrants, and can leave the police for another profession.
