More Police Patrols — 500 new frontline officers

The Policy: National More Police Officers Plan — 2023 Election →

National and NZ First entered government in November 2023 with a coalition commitment to train no fewer than 500 new frontline police officers within their first two years — a centrepiece law-and-order pledge designed to put more visible police on the street and drive down crime. Budget 2024 backed the target with $191 million over four years for recruitment and retention.

What it does:

• Commits to a net increase of 500 frontline constables by November 27, 2025 (two years from the government being sworn in)
• $191 million over four years allocated in Budget 2024 for recruitment, training, and retention
• New Police College wing opened in Auckland to increase training capacity from 80 to 100 recruits per wing
• Training course extended from 16 to 20 weeks to lift officer standards (temporarily reducing graduate output in 2024)
• Recruitment pipeline streamlined, cutting average wait time from 20 months to 12 months

Where things stand:

The government officially missed the November 27, 2025 deadline. At various points during 2024 the total number of constables actually fell as attrition — driven by an ageing workforce and competitive recruitment from Australian police services — outpaced new graduates. By mid-November 2025, with 10,449 constable full-time equivalents on the books, the net gain of 500 had not been reached.

The deadline was pushed out multiple times: first to mid-2026, then August 2026, then September 2026, according to Treasury analysis. Associate Police Minister Casey Costello defended the target as "ambitious" and argued it had "driven improvements across the recruitment process, from marketing through to the creation of a new training facility in Auckland." Police Minister Mark Mitchell said the delays did not concern him because the focus had remained on standards. Graduate numbers are expected to reach 750–770 in 2026, up from 562 in 2024, which the government says will close the gap.

Labour's police spokesperson Ginny Andersen was blunt: "The government should deliver on that promise, and they've failed to do that." She described the repeated deadline shifts as "an absolute circus" that has put pressure on frontline officers and let New Zealanders down. Critics have also noted a $8 million underspend in the Police budget for 2024/25, raising questions about whether recruitment was resourced as urgently as promised.

What to watch:

• Whether the September 2026 target is met — Treasury's projection still relies on hitting ambitious graduate and retention assumptions
• Attrition rates as Australia continues to recruit from NZ police ranks and a large cohort of experienced officers approaches retirement age
• Whether the extended 20-week training course and Auckland facility deliver the 750–770 graduates projected for 2026
• Any further budget adjustments in the 2026 Budget and whether the $5.5 million earmarked for next year is sufficient