Ginny Andersen has again demonstrated that she is out of her depth as Police Minister, National’s Police spokesperson Mark Mitchell says.

“Questioned in Parliament today about her belief that New Zealanders feel safer, Ms Andersen told the House that New Zealanders feel safer because the Government has nearly delivered 1800 more police officers.

“The Police Minister seemed completely unaware that 173 of the 311 police stations across New Zealand have either not received new staff, or have lost staff, since 2017.

“Under Labour 69 stations have lost frontline police officers and 104 stations have received no new staff in five years.

“Everywhere I go, I speak to frontline officers about whether they feel the benefits of the investment in new police and the feedback is clear. They do not.

“Front line police are facing record lawlessness, with 33 per cent more violent crime, a 61 per cent increase in gang numbers and a more than 550 per cent increase in ramraids.

“It has become clear that the bulk of the 1800 new police have not gone where they’re needed most, leaving stations in provincial and rural New Zealand to fend for themselves.

“What is also now clear is that Ginny Andersen is the fourth in a line of Ministers of Police that are at sea and completely out of touch.”

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