Confidence in NZ Police up - survey

File photo / Sarah Ivey

Public confidence in the New Zealand Police has increased since last year, according to an annual survey.

The NZ Police Citizens' Satisfaction Survey has found public trust and confidence in the police has increased from 72 per cent in 2008/09 to 75 per cent in 2009/10.

Police acting general manager of development Kevin Kelly said the results were positive and reflected the effort staff made by staff.

"You hear a lot of anecdotal commentary about police service and commitment, but these results provide an independent and ongoing measure of how the public perceives us," he said.

Mr Kelly said the increase in trust and confidence had come mostly from a shift from those with "some trust and confidence" to those with "quite a lot/ full trust and confidence" in police.

"It is particularly pleasing to see people feel safer in their communities with improved ratings each year for measures relating to 'safety after dark'," he said.

Mr Kelly said overall people are more positive than last year about their contact with police.

"While the proportion of those feeling either satisfied or very satisfied with police service delivery has remained stable since the baseline, the share of those very satisfied has increased over time."

The survey has been conducted for police annually since 2008, by independent research company Gravitas Research and Strategy Ltd. The 2009/10 results are based on 9311 interviews, drawn from a combination of a targeted sample of people who had called the communications centres and a random sample of the general public.

- NZHERALD STAFF