On last night's leaders debate Phil Goff asked John Key a number of direct question's concerning advice that was recently given to Senior Police Officer's.
National plans to halt new Police recruitments... making me wonder why they hadn't informed the public about their decision?
According to the New Zealand Police Annual Report 2011 (PDF), there are currently 11,984 actively serving Police, an increase on last year of 92 Police.
For 2011 there were 218 new recruits. In the same time last year there were 81 and in June 2009 there were 131 recruits… which gives a total of only 430 recruits from June 2009 to June 2011.
John Key claimed in the debate that Police numbers grew by 600, when a fact check shows this to be incorrect.
John Key claimed in the debate that Police numbers grew by 600, when a fact check shows this to be incorrect.
This morning, Stuff reported:
National's law and order spokeswoman Judith Collins this morning said Goff was wrong, though she admitted that the January intake had been delayed until March because fewer people were quitting the force.
"Police will recruit and train new officers next year, as normal. However, low numbers of police leaving the force means there will be a delay in the call-up of the first wing of 2012 only.
Judith Collins is lying about low numbers of Police leaving the force. The current figures show that the amount of Police leaving is about the same as those being recruited.
Collins said the attrition rate was 3.2 per cent, requiring police to train 280 officers to cover the gap, compared to the 6 per cent rate under Labour.
Wrong Collins... page 32 of the report states that in 2009/2010 726 Police left the force while 751 Police started… a difference of only 25 new Police officers.
The average number of Police under National's administration was exactly 11,887.5. This gives an attrition rate of 6.1%. Therefore the amount of Police leaving the force has increased under National.
"Two days out from the election, Phil Goff is so desperate he is plucking statements from thin air," she said.
"There is categorically no plan to put a freeze on police recruiting next year."
A delay in the call-up of the first wing of 2012 is obviously a freeze on recruiting. Phil Goff was right to ask questions, which John Key should have been able to answer.
Police Association president Greg O'Connor this morning said Collins' comments were reassuring, but he would keep a close eye on developments.
"We will be watching and make sure that we don't end up with what we had in the past when police recruitment was deferred [in 2000]. We don't want to go back to that."
O'Connor yesterday said he had not been told of any plans to freeze police recruitment, but there had been rumours.
If Goff thought there really was a freeze, he would have done a press release stating so, rather than alleging something in a debate where he knows the PM would not know if it was correct or not (as an operational matter).
Judith Collins knew that there was going to be a freeze on new Police recruits... she is the one who should have done a press release concerning the matter.
Law and order is an important election issue and Key should have known if National intended to reduce the amount of Police. David Farrars spin continues:
Here’s what Goff actually said:
Just been advised that you’re deferring all recruiting next year, but that this announcement must not be made until after the election”
That's not what was said... here's exactly what was said in the debate:
Goff: John, if Police Officer's are part of the frontline defence, why have Senior Police officer's just been advised that you're deferring all recruiting next year, but that that announcement must not be made until after the election?
Key: Well ah firstly you can sort of make things up if you want to.
Goff: Well is that true? That's what I've been told today, is it true?
Key: Well look, that's an operational matter for them...
Not content with lying about what was actually said in the debate, Farrar then goes on the attack:
Goff lied. There will be recruiting in March 2012. Labour’s campaign has been based on a series of lies and half-truths – on asset sales, on state houses, on welfare and now on the Police.
The attrition rate for the Police under National has been just 3.2% and under Labour was over 6%. So this is in fact a very good thing, as it is far better to retain experienced police officers than recruit as many new ones.
I wonder what other lies Labour will try in the final two days?
Phil Goff did not lie... he simply asked a pertinent question, which Key could not or refused to answer.
Judith Collins has now come out and said that the recruitment freeze is only until March 2012 to try and save face. What National should have done was be open and honest in the first place and informed the public of their intention to recruit less Police to replace the 6.1% attrition rate... which would in fact be a cut in Police numbers.
Farrar reiterates the lie that the current attrition rate is only 3.2% when it has increased under a National led government.
Judith Collins confirmed that there will be a freeze on new Police recruits if National win the election. This means National had no intention of holding to their 2008 pre election promise to increase Police numbers.
