IR-01-24-43655
30 January 2025
James
[FYI request #29515 email]
Tēnā koe James
Request for information
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 11 December 2024. You
requested:
As of December 11th 2024, please provide the progress on the government’s
stated target to increase officer numbers by 500 before November next year.
What have officer numbers increased by since announcing the target?
Between December 11th 2024 and November 27th 2025 , how many wings
are scheduled to graduate? Please provide the maximum number recruits or
capacity in each wing.
Please provide the monthly attrition rate of officers leaving the Police from
January 2024 to November 30th 2024.
Please find attached as Appendix one a document titled ‘Progress towards 500
growth as at 30 November 2024’.
The following graph shows Police’s planned growth towards meeting the 500 growth
target.
Today
Nov 23 FTE + 500
10,711
Nov 23 -
10,211
Dec 24 - 10,168
Please note: The physical capacity at the Royal New Zealand Police Col ege (RNZPC)
allows for 10 wings per year, hence there wil be two months each year where there wil
not be a graduation. This is why some months see expected reductions even as there is a
trend of growth.
Between 11 December 2024 and 27 November 2025, 10 recruit wings are scheduled to
graduate. They are as fol ows:
Table 1: Graduating wings between December 11 2024 and November 27 2025
Start Date
Graduation Date
Wing
Recruits
5/08/2024
19/12/2024
380
68
9/09/2024
6/02/2025
381
74
14/10/2024
13/03/2025
382
79
18/11/2024
17/04/2025
383
79
6/01/2025
22/05/2025
384
76
10/02/2025
26/06/2025
385
17/03/2025
31/07/2025
386
21/04/2025
4/09/2025
387
26/05/2025
9/10/2025
388
30/06/2025
13/11/2025
389
Wing 380 graduated on 19 December 2024 with 68 recruits. The number of recruits given
for Wings 381 to 384 reflect the number of recruits in the wing when they started training
at the RNZPC. Please note that a smal number of recruits may not meet al the
requirements in order to graduate, therefore graduation numbers for each wing may differ
from those given here.
For wings yet to commence training Police does not have a specific maximum size for
each wing. Police have usually recruited wings of up to 80 recruits and are looking to
increase this number. Police are currently working through a range of factors that need to
be considered with increasing the size of wings beyond 80 recruits.
Table 2: Monthly rol ing 12-month attrition rate for Constables from January 2024
to November 30 2024
As at date
Constable attrition rate
31/01/2024
4.7%
29/02/2024
4.8%
31/03/2024
4.8%
30/04/2024
4.7%
31/05/2024
5.0%
30/06/2024
5.1%
31/07/2024
5.1%
31/08/2024
5.0%
30/09/2024
5.2%
31/10/2024
5.4%
30/11/2024
5.7%
Constabulary attrition has for a number of years typical y been within a 4.5-5.5% range.
This is amongst the lowest constant rate for any employer in the country. Police
anticipates attrition rates to trend up due to a significant growth in the number of older
officers many of whom are expected to transition into retirement in upcoming years. This
was a leading reason for the trend observed in 2024.
Please note that as part of its commitment to openness and transparency, Police
proactively releases some information and documents that may be of interest to the
public. An anonymised version of this response may be publicly released on the New
Zealand Police website.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this
decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Paula Te Ata Hil
Director – Recruitment
New Zealand Police
Appendix 1
PROGRESS TOWARDS 500 GROWTH AS AT 30 NOVEMBER 2024
FTE GROWTH
MOVEMENTS
Growth in Constabulary workforce
Showing change in workforce size since the change of Government in November 2023
Constabulary attrition
Recruits at RNZPC
Showing the proportion of Constable employees who left Police each year for
Wing
Start
Graduate
the last decade
380
5/08/2024 19/12/2024
6%
381
9/09/2024 6/02/2025
5%
382
14/10/2024 13/03/2025
Authorised
Authorised
383
18/11/2024 17/04/2025
officer 542
officer 561
4%
Average attrition
Upcoming wings
Attrition in the 12
over the last
Wing
Start
Graduate
months to 30
3%
decade is a rate
384
6/01/2025 22/05/2025
of 4.5%.
November 2024,
574 FTE Constables
385
10/02/2025 26/06/2025
2%
left Police. This
386
17/03/2025 31/07/2025
equates to an
Constable
387
21/04/2025 4/09/2025
1%
attrition rate of
Constable
10,142
10,211
5.7%.
There are currently 307 recruits under training at RNZPC. This includes recruits
0%
on the above wings, as wel as smal numbers whose graduation has been
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
delayed for one reason or another.
After Covid effected trends over recent years in 2023 Constabulary attrition returned to normal
In the last 12 months 10 recruits have left Police before graduation. This
attrition levels, and to date in 2024 remains at the lower end of the typical range.
represents a 98.2% pass rate over this time.
Applicants and graduates
Planned recruitment levels
Nov 23
Nov 24
Showing actual and expect numbers of graduates from RNZPC each financial
Showing the number of people who have applied to become Constables
year this century.
Since 30 November 2023 the Constable workforce has reduced by 69 FTEs. To acheve the growth target Police now needs
each year and the number who graduated from RNZPC.
to grow by a further 569 FTEs.
1,000
10,000
1000
900
9,000
900
800
8,000
800
700
700
7,000
Progress to 500
600
600
6,000
Showing Constable FTE only, i.e. excluding AOs. Future movements are based on the
500
current planned recruitment profile, expected attrition and other movements.
500
5,000
400
aduates
Today
400
4,000
Applicants
Gr
300
300
3,000
200
Nov 23 FTE + 500
200
2,000
100
10,711
0
100
1,000
0
0
2015
2017
2019
2021
2023
2001/2002
2002/2003
2003/2004
2004/2005
2005/2006
2006/2007
2007/2008
2008/2009
2009/2010
2010/2011
2011/2012
2012/2013
2013/2014
2014/2015
2015/2016
2016/2017
2017/2018
2018/2019
2019/2020
2020/2021
2021/2022
2022/2023
2023/2024
2024/2025
2025/2026
Graduates
Applicants
Nov 23 -
10,211
Over this period there has been an average of 593 people have graduated from
The Police Executive have approved additional resources to the Constabulary
RNZPC per year. In the same period an average of 5,708 applications were made a
Recruitment team and the RNZPC to enable wings of 100 from April 2025. This wil
year. This means that for each graduate from RNZPC there has been 9.6
enable the 25/26 year to train the highest ever number of recruits.
applications.
Nov 24 - 10,142
It is possible that the recent application spike wil have a different time to RNZPC and
At this rate the 8,189 applications in the last 12 months wil produce around 850
success rate then standard application periods. For instance a number of these
graduates. Police is working on increasing this number.
applicants currently hold restricted drivers licences and cannot start at RNZPC until
Nov 23
May 24
Nov 24
May 25
Nov 25
May 26
In the three months to 30 Sept 24 Police received 3,507 applications. This is more
they obtain their ful licence. Police is working to assist making this as quick as
than 1,000 above that received in any three month period over the last decade.
possible and ensure success rates remain at standard levels. However, until these
The shaded range is plus or minus 1% difference in attrition rate from projected levels with the same
applicants complete the process it is not possible to be 100% sure what the rates for
recruitment and other movements. RNZPCs physical capacity al ows for 10 wings per year, hence there
this group wil be.
wil be two months each year where there wil not be a graduation. This is why some months see
expected reductions even as there is a trend of growth.
