National Party police spokesman Chester Borrows says only 12 per cent of the 1000 new police are going to the front line.
But Police Minister Annette King says the claim is ridiculous and Mr Borrows appears to count only a fraction of officers as front line.
The Government
promised 1000 new police as part of its post-election deal with New Zealand First.
"She's been crowing for ages about how she's boosting the number of 'front-line' police - in her own words, responders, general duties' staff - by 1000," Mr Borrows said.
He quoted the Police Association saying the reality was that in most rural areas numbers of officers on general duties and other primary response police units (who handle violent crime and disorder) had not increased.
Also recent figures showed 45 (or 12 per cent) of 387 new front-line police were responders, general duties.
Police said 65 staff (20 per cent) were to be posted to headquarters and service centres and the remainder were to go into youth and family, analysts, recruitment, support services and investigation support.
"The reality is that, despite what Labour has been saying, very few police have been added to the front line," Mr Borrows said.
"National pointed out last year that only 32 per cent of the first tranche went to the front line, and now it's dropped to only 12 per cent for the second tranche."
Ms King said Mr Borrows' interpretation was "absolute nonsense" and his definition of front line was too limited.
"I dispute Chester's comments and I think it's an insult to our community constables, our family violence officers, our youth aid, our investigative positions, our child abuse officers, our road policing - they are all doing front-line duties and they really resent being labelled as not being front line.
"This is nit-picking and what he is trying to do is undermine the fact that we have managed to recruit and employ many, many more police officers."
- NZPA
