Headline: 252 fewer cops – another broken promise from National
New Zealanders have been deprived of 252 frontline cops thanks to Anne Tolley’s inability to meet her own targets, says Labour’s Police spokesperson Kris Faafoi.
“In 2008 National promised to boost frontline police to ensure that, by 2011, there was one officer for every 500 New Zealanders. If it had honoured that promise there would be 252 additional cops on the beat today.
“Instead, statistics for July 2013 show the Government is making the job harder for cops, with one officer to every 514.5 people.
“National’s cop to citizen ratio is getting worse every year. Not only is it stretching its resources on the street, but it has also failed to meet its own pledge to keep pace with population growth as well.
“This is a clear example of the thin blue line getting thinner,” said Kris Faafoi.
“These increases are not going unnoticed, and they are not isolated. Police Minister Anne Tolley is asking cops to do more with less across the board.
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