Budget increase for police and prisons

4.30pm

Police will get an extra $34 million in the next year, taking their annual budget to $960.8m, Police Minister George Hawkins said today.

Areas to benefit from the extra funding will be counter-terrorism ($1m), initiatives to reduce youth offending ($625,000) and issues in the Auckland district ($2.5m).

The counter-terrorism package, announced earlier this week, involved seconding two senior officers to new liaison postings in Washington DC and London to enhance New Zealand's counter-terrorism capabilities.

As well, extra staff at six airports nationwide would be in place by the end of July.

The Corrections Department will spend $10.7 million this year to strengthen prison perimeter security and $24 million over the next three years to bring prisons up to statutory health and safety standards.

"New perimeter fences at Rimutaka, Hawke's Bay, Wanganui and Invercargill prisons will make it much harder to get illegal drugs on to these sites and will provide further barriers against escapes," Corrections Minister Matt Robson said in a Budget statement.

The increase in the prison muster over recent years meant maintenance had lagged behind, putting a strain on some prisons.

Mr Robson said the bulk of maintenance funding would be spent at Wanganui, Auckland, Manawatu and Christchurch Women's prisons.

- NZPA

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