Police search abroad for staff

Police are again looking overseas for staff, blaming a tight labour market for a shortage of recruits.

Up to 100 of the 600 recruits this year will come from overseas.

The move follows a $50,000 recruitment campaign two years ago that netted 76 British police officers to fill a shortage in Auckland.

More than a dozen of the recruits have since returned home. Among those was an officer who was found to have altered information on his application. He quit before facing disciplinary proceedings.

Police Minister George Hawkins at the time described the British recruitment as a "one-off initiative".

But the Office of the Commissioner yesterday confirmed it was planning to recruit 80 to 100 officers who had expressed an interest in policing in New Zealand.

Police are also looking at changing the recruitment policy that requires applicants to hold New Zealand citizenship or residency.

An exception was made for the British recruits, and the officers were employed on talent visas.

Wayne Annan, police general manager of human resources, said the 80 to 100 overseas recruits would probably go through police college in April.

He said 3000 officers had expressed an interest in working in New Zealand.

Most were employed in Britain, Canada and Australia but a small number were from the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark.

"We have huge interest from overseas, just huge, but it's not our preferred recruiting option."

Mr Annan said other initiatives were under way, including approaching schools and universities for potential recruits.

He expected a strong public reaction to the police decision to recruit more overseas officers.

"It's a difficult issue that we face," Mr Annan said, but "we - along with a raft of other industries in New Zealand - are looking at the way in which we employ people and approaching things in slightly different ways than we have in the past."

He said police numbers were up to full strength and there was no question of a recruiting crisis.

"I think it's a feature of the labour market, really.

"It's hard for any employer to recruit at the moment."

Mr Annan said 80 recruits would enter police college in October and 100 each in January and February.

Staff were needed on the West Coast, at Queenstown, Wairoa, Gisborne and in the Far North.