Majority of police ambivalent about jobs

File photo / NZH

Nearly 70 per cent of police are "ambivalent" about their jobs, a survey shows.

The 2010 New Zealand Police Workplace Survey, released to the Sunday News, shows 67.1 per cent of the 9820 staff surveyed are ambivalent, 37 per cent believe bosses do not deal appropriately with harassment, bullying or discrimination complaints and 35 per cent fear reprisal if they do raise such behaviour with management.

As well, 16 per cent were "disengaged" from their job and 17 per cent "engaged". The highest level of police engagement is in Counties/ Manukau, and the lowest in Tasman and Canterbury.

This is well below the State Sector benchmark of nearly 24 per cent.

The survey also found women are more engaged than men, and Pacific and Asian people are more engaged than other ethnicities.

Police Association president Greg O'Connor said the findings were "disturbing" but he did not believe staff were unhappy.

"They are driven by a desire to get out there and catch crooks and make a difference and nothing frustrates them more than if they think they're being impeded in that," he told the newspaper.

Police HR manager organisation development Alan Cassidy said the results were similar to the 23 other state sector agencies the study compared police staff with.

However, he admitted improvement was needed.

- NEWSTALK ZB, NZPA