Budget 2005: Police to get extra staff

Police will get an extra 245 staff, taking numbers to more than 10,000 for the first time, but the Police Association has slammed the Budget announcement as a token gesture.

The Budget package boosted police spending to $1.03 billion, an increase of $73.6 million on last year.

The extra staff include at least 100 sworn officers, bringing the total to about 7630.

Police Commissioner Rob Robinson said most of the new officers would be in frontline roles, with most going to Auckland and the upper North Island.

But Police Association president Greg O'Connor said the announcement did not go far enough. The association has been running a campaign called "Fund the Frontline" to get 540 extra police in the next two years, and yesterday's announcement was considered a "token gesture".

"This area of policing needs a significant boost in police numbers to build and maintain public confidence and meet their understandably high expectations of service," said Mr O'Connor.

The 100 extra sworn officers would be enough to staff just eight "frontline response incident cars".

Police Minister George Hawkins said the Government had increased police funding every year, amounting to more than $200 million in six years.

"Increased resources have given police the tools to deliver the lowest crime rates and road tolls in decades," he said.

Police said they had received about 95 per cent of what they had bid for in the Budget.

Last week, in a pre-Budget announcement, $45.5 million over four years was assigned to the police communications centres after a scathing report on the 111 emergency service.

Other Budget announcements include: $9.4 million ($41.3 million over four years) for investigation, response and organised crime work; $2.7 million ($11.6 million over four years) for youth initiatives; $7.5 million ($14.6 million over four years) for overseas deployment; $3 million for rifles.

National Party law and order spokesman Tony Ryall said the extra 100 police would not be felt on the streets.