Minister must prioritise standards over numbers

The New Zealand National Party

The Police Minister must ensure that police standards are not dropping under his watch, National’s Police spokesperson Brett Hudson says.

“Reports today that Police vetting failed to pick up a gang affiliation raises serious questions about the processes in place.

“The risk is that the Minister, in an attempt to push through as many graduates as possible before the election to keep his promises, has compromised on standards.

“The New Zealand Police provide an essential service to New Zealand and require support, but not if it comes at the cost of standards that help ensure our Police are ready for the job facing them.

“This is a basic issue and should have been picked up.

“I would expect some serious questions to be asked of the Minister and assurances provided to make sure that this issue is not repeated again.”

/Public Release. View in full here.