Chris Cahill: Police Association President on the delay in training more police officers

There’s a warning from the Police Association that the wait for more cops will hurt the force. 

The Government wants 500 more cops by the end of next year. 

But new commissioner Richard Chambers says to ensure proper training, June 2026 is more likely. 

Association President Chris Cahill told Ryan Bridge the delayed timeline will have an effect. 

He says they are already moving staff across different roles, leaving some jobs undone. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Police officials are warning they might not be able to
meet the government's election promise to train five hundred new
officers by the two year deadline, which is November twenty
seventh next year. The Police Commissioner, Richard Chambers told Parliament's
Justice Select Committee he's refusing to lower the quality of
trade just to meet the target. Chris Carhill is the
Police Association Prison he's with us this morning. Chris, good morning,

(00:21):
Good morning, Ryan. How do you feel that to me
sounds like a reasonable response. I won't do this, rush
this and get just any cop on the beat.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Yeah. Well, at least he's been honest for a change.
We've always said it's going to be an incredibly big ask.
We didn't think they could. You need to recruit five
hundred officers a year just to maintain the status quoe,
just to deal with the numbers that are leading. So
this was going to require seven hundred and fifty a
year to get to that level. We said we couldn't

(00:51):
do it. Police said during especially during pay round negotiations,
they could. And so at least he's been honest and
we certainly agree you shouldn't lower the standards.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
Does it matter if they miss it by six months.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
It does have effect in that they've already moved staff
into new roles such as the beat staff across New Zealand,
and they've had to come from other roles that now
aren't getting done. So it does hurt other parts of policing.
But I'd still rather wait for six months they get
low standard and recruits. Yeah, yeah, longer in consequences.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
Exactly and undermine all cops. You know what I mean.
Some funding apparently has gone to that was meant to
go to the recruitment has gone towards the orkand Central station.
Do you know anything about that?

Speaker 2 (01:34):
Well, one, it shouldn't because one should be recruits, that's
personnal budget. Now there should be capital expenditure. So be
disappointing that that has happened. But if they have funded
some of the new roles so that they could backfill
some of the others, that would be valuable. But look,
there's a lot of issues with money and police and building,

(01:56):
so I think it's going to take a lot more
than just a few own recruits to fund the building
problems in New Zealand Police.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
Chris, thank you very much for your time. I always
appreciate it. Chris Can'hill Police Association president on News that
the government, well, they may still meet the deadline. Police
they say they are going helpful eather to try and
do that, but there is a probably more substantial chance
they will miss it by at least six months. For
more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live to

(02:26):
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