July 20, 2020
Recruitment drive increases percentage of Māori cops
The number of Māori police officers has increased by 22 percent over the past three years, reflecting wider diversity across the force.
Speaking to the latest graduating wing at the Royal New Zealand Police College in Porirua, Police Minister Stuart Nash says diversity in frontline Police ranks has been enhanced by rapid growth in officer numbers.
Since 2017 some 2,255 new officers have joined the frontline, while attrition at just 2 percent means the constabulary workforce has grown by more than 1,300 officers – a 14.7 percent increase to around 10,147 fulltime equivalent police.
He said there are more women, more Māori, Pasifika and Asian police officers on the frontline, bringing a diverse range of skills and competencies to modern policing.
Almost half of the growth in the police workforce is made up of female officers. There are now 22 per cent more Māori officers, 41 per cent more Pasifika officers, and 85 per cent more Asian Police officers than at the start of the 17/18 FY.
There are now 1193 Māori officers or 11.7 percent of the total, up from 11 percent three years ago.
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