Hawke's Bay and Gisborne police are among the least "engaged" with widespread belief they are unable to deliver on promises made to the public by hierarchy and the Government, according to the latest police workplace survey.
Of the 12 police districts throughout the country, only the Northland staff were less engaged than the staff in the Eastern District, which stretches from Central Hawke's Bay to the East Cape, and only 22 per cent of Eastern staff feel they are able to deliver the promised level of service.
Napier MP and Labour Party spokesman on police Stuart Nash, says that if there was one last piece of evidence Minister of Police Judith Collins needs to build a case that police need more frontline staff, the the survey has provided it.
At the same time, Hawke's Bay has seen a huge increase in such crime as burglaries, with 342 reported in July - more than 90 per cent up on those reported in July 2014, the first month of a new recording regime.
Mr Nash said the workplace survey shows only 42 per cent of staff nationally believe their organisation delivers on the promises it makes to the public, an improvement on last year's results, but still the Eastern district result had fallen.