Aussie police embark on recruitment roadshow around NZ

Friday, 8 November 2024

Kiwi cops jumping the ditch has become a hot political issue over the past 18 months.

Recruiters for the Australian police force are travelling around New Zealand in an attempt to poach Kiwis to bolster their thin blue line.

The Northern Territory police force has embarked on a recruitment roadshow that started in Auckland earlier this week and will end in Wellington on Monday.

Among those they’re hoping to recruit are “seasoned officers looking for a new challenge”.

Kiwi cops jumping the ditch has become a hot political issue over the past 18 months, with Police Minister Mark Mitchell admitting that New Zealand's financial package was no match for Australia’s offer.

'We cannot compete with that. Australia has got a much bigger and a healthier and stronger high-wage economy than we have,“ Mitchell told RNZ in April.

The current offer from the Northern Territory for officers who have previously served in New Zealand is reflective of how many years they have served in the police force already.

Police Association spokesperson Chris Cahill compares salaries of police officers and nurses and says many are struggling to make ends meet.

For example, a Kiwi officer with five years’ police service could expect to earn a base salary of AUD $86,241 with a $20,000 relocation boost and a housing allowance of $31,214 - that is, a total of approximately NZ$152,316.

In comparison, an officer working in New Zealand in their fifth year of service would have a yearly income of about $91,284.

Queensland police launched a similar campaign earlier this year with the tagline “warmer days and higher pays”, promising officers a NZ$22,000 relocation bonus.

The Northern Territory’s recruitment roadshow is advertised as offering information sessions and “on-the-spot interviews” for those interested in crossing the Tasman.

“We value the diverse backgrounds and life experiences of all applicants - from those starting their careers to seasoned officers looking for a new challenge.

“The NT Police is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds,” a press release announcing the tour says.

According to NZ Police, there is no evidence of “significant numbers of staff moving overseas”.

Sessions have already taken place in Auckland and Whakatāne, and will be in Taupō on Saturday and Wellington on Monday.

Over the past year, 14 former Kiwi cops have already joined the Northern Territory’s accelerated recruitment programme, and six New Zealanders with no prior policing experiences.

“Currently we have 25 New Zealand applicants in the recruitment process, the majority of these are experienced constables looking to advance their careers with the Northern Territory Police,” a spokesperson told The Post.

Queensland police has previously said 322 New Zealand officers applied to work in the state over the past year.

Police Association president Chris Cahill told The Post that while the number of Kiwi cops heading to Australia was “definitely sneaking up”, there had been nowhere near the “avalanche people were scared of”.

“What is very clear is that some of the Aussie states are getting very desperate.

“They’ve all got significant recruitment issues and we’re clearly a clear target audience for them, so I don’t think there’s any chance of them slowing down their poaching tactics.”

According to the Assistant Commissioner of the New Zealand police force, Jill Rogers, “some movement is always expected” with more than 10,000 constabulary employees.

“Our monitoring suggests there aren’t significant numbers of staff heading overseas,” Rogers said.

The attrition rate among constabulary staff remained within the expected rages of 4.5-5.5%, she said.

“New Zealand Police has an excellent reputation for developing police officers with exceptional policing skills, outstanding work ethic and high integrity. These attributes will always be wanted by other organisations.”