Number of Central police earning big salaries skyrockets

An extra 103 staff were paid six figures in the Central Police District last year. More staff now earn above $100,000 than below $80,000. Photo/FILE

The number of police staff earning more than $140,000 in the Central District almost tripled in the last year.

The increase in top salaries coincides with a period when a stretched police budget and frontline staff shortages around the country have been labelled a "crisis" by the police's representative body

Police remuneration figures obtained by the Wanganui Chronicle reveal the number of Central District staff paid in excess of $140,000 rose from 16 to 44 between the 2015 and 2016 financial years - a rise of 28 staff, or 175 per cent in one year.

There are now more police staff earning above $100,000 (341) in the Central District than there are earning less than $80,000 (285).

In 2015, three Central District staff earned above $160,000. Last year, 10 staff earned in excess of this figure.

The Central Police District covers Whanganui, Taranaki and Manawatu.

Whanganui MP Chester Borrows said he didn't care how much police were paid.

"I care whether they turn up to jobs," Mr Borrows said.

"I don't give a stuff what rank they are if they're prepared to attend the jobs... I've got a big issue if they're all bosses sitting behind desks and no one's out on the street."

Mr Borrows said he was concerned rural police were being moved to urban areas, and said he didn't think they were in touch with smaller communities.

"If you are a complainant living in Waverley or Stratford or Opunake and you've got an urgent matter but all the staff likely to attend live in New Plymouth or Whanganui, then your 'golden hour' is lost, and that's my big concern."

The golden hour is a term given to the immediate period after a crime is reported, when the chances of identifying a culprit is highest.

Mr Borrows said police have had a "huge impact on crime" recently.

"The police are more highly paid, there are more of them and they are better resourced than they have ever been before... Crime's fallen through the floor pretty much."

Police deputy chief executive for people Kaye Ryan did not specifically address the Central District remuneration figures, but said in a written response to Wanganui Chronicle the change in remuneration figures was due to several factors.

"The dollar figures should not be read as the actual salary range of employees," she said.

Ms Ryan said remuneration levels were affected by an annual 2 per cent pay increase for most police staff as per the collective agreement and a holiday pay remediation project which resulted in payments to some staff.

Ms Ryan also said there was one extra scheduled fortnightly payday in 2015/16 due to the dates involved, which resulted in annual salaries being around 4 per cent higher.

An article in the Police Association's December 2016 magazine entitled 'Staff crisis affects duties' said: "The constant pressure of running a frontline section on minimum numbers in provincial areas is creating risks for staff."

"In Central District, some vacancies are not being filled and the reduction of one-, two- and three-person stations means there is no dedicated cover for some areas... [This] stretches their resources and means back-up can be up to half an hour away."

Nationwide, 39 per cent more police staff were paid more than $100,000 in 2016. Another 1286 police staff received six figures, rising from a headcount of 3307 to 4593.

Labour Police spokesman Stuart Nash said the Police Minister should take the figures "very seriously".

Deputy Prime Minister and Police Minister Paula Bennett's office did not respond to a request for comment.

See the full remuneration figures for all New Zealand Police districts below: