Kiwi police are moving to counter Aussie ‘poaching’ of their officers amid what they say is interest from the other side of the Tasman Sea.
NZ Police’s Assistant Commissioner Deployment Jeanette Park says four Australian officers began a 10-week training stint at the Royal New Zealand Police College (RNZPC) on May 25.
Standard training takes 20 weeks but the new course accounts for the skills and experience of their Australian recruits, NZ Police says.
NSW, NT and Queensland police forces, among others, have a similar scheme in place for recruiting experienced officers from overseas (including New Zealand).
(A NZ officer explains why pay and housing led him to join Qld Police; click here for the video link)
Media reports say that NZ Police announced that in the two years up to October 2025, it received more than 670 vetting requests from Australian police forces and that 212 cops had quit to move to Australia; click here for that story.
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But seven of those recruited officers have since returned home, NZ Police also say.
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“The course is offering fit-for-purpose training by recognising transferrable skills and applying them to the New Zealand policing environment,” asst-comm Park says.
“By focusing on key areas, training will take 10 weeks instead of 20 so the officers will be out on the frontline making a difference in our communities sooner.
“These officers will be huge assets to New Zealand with years of experience under their belts.”
She says the four officers came from Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia and were recruited during a campaign in Australia late last year.
“As well as encouraging former New Zealand officers to rejoin, the campaign showed there was interest in a pathway for experienced officers coming to New Zealand,” she says.
“Since the campaign launched, we had seven officers rejoin and almost 40 expressions of interest from Australian police officers who have never worked for New Zealand Police before,” asst-comm Park says.
“Many of those said that going through 20 weeks of training was a barrier to making the move.”
She says the result of that feedback was their Accelerated Policing Course which she believes could be a game-changer for recruitment.
“(NZ Police) are already planning to run the accelerated course again early next year,” she says.
“This could also support us to recruit staff from other comparable policing jurisdictions in future.”
In May, an independent review into NZ Police identified integrity, investigative skills, competency, frontline support and ageing technology and stations as issues facing the force.
The review argues for greater specialist capability in an age of digital and international crime, and say the service is ‘struggling’ to deal with increasingly complex crimes; click here for more about the review.
Police officers outside New Zealand wanting to learn more can visit www.newcops.govt.nz.
EARLIER STORY: Strong Kiwi contingent at QPS graduation
