Police officers say some of their colleagues have resorted to using food banks to get by. Illustration / Andrew Louis.

Diary of an officer: Why police are moving to Australia

Author: Jaime Lyth,
Publish Date: Sat, 30 Mar 2024, 9:10AM

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES SUICIDE

Frontline police are warning the force could soon reach a tipping point as officers move to Australia for higher-paying jobs, thousands of dollars in sign-on fees, accommodation and relocation costs. Jaime Lyth reports.

After rejecting the Government’s pay offer in September 2023, New Zealand police were presented with the same offer on March 9. Amid a cost-of-living crisis and demanding conditions, they called it “insulting”, “disgusting” and “demoralising”.

Another offer came on Thursday, which Police Association president Chris Cahill told staff in email that he did not believe it would be possible to negotiate for more so if it was rejected, it would go to arbitration.

Of the 200 police officers who resigned in 2023, 50 are already part of the Australian police force. Another 70 are understood to be waiting to leave New Zealand.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell has promised 500 extra police officers over two years but has put indefinite restrictions on recruiting “backroom” staff.

Crossing the Ditch

Former NZ police officer Chaenelle recently moved to Australia’s Northern Territory with her partner and two children.

“We’ve got a 16-year-old and a 14-year-old and we felt like we would be able to give them more opportunity by coming over here.

“And we can set ourselves up for our future because the money is exceptionally better.”

Chaenelle’s partner makes just under $100,000 - that’s more money training as a police officer in Australia than he got as a fully trained one in New Zealand.

“After he leaves training he gets a 28 per cent increase in his pay. It’s significant, especially with paid overtime.”

The family are staying in a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home for free as part of their incentive to move over.

She was a detective constable in Porirua alongside her partner, who had been with the police for 17 years as a detective sergeant.

“He was upset with the abysmal offer.

“We felt things were going backwards with police and also just in New Zealand in general.”

Chaenelle said she was “heartbroken” about working conditions for her colleagues in New Zealand.

Police feel let down by the Government's recent pay offer. Illustration / Andrew Louis.

“We thought things were going to change and we were going to have a bit more support there from the Government, especially with [Police Minister] Mark Mitchell being quite vocal about being a [former] police officer.

“But it’s been verbal support only.”

While working in New Zealand, Chaenelle was assaulted by a criminal and required surgery and time off work.

“They got a discharge without conviction because of their age.

“The sentences probably don’t seem appropriate for the crime that they’ve committed.”

‘You haven’t walked a mile in our shoes’

One officer, who didn’t want to be named, recently wrote a letter to the Government detailing a week in the life of a police officer.

He said he had not received a response (apart from an automated acknowledgement) since he sent it two weeks ago.

“Negotiating a fair pay increase ... could be difficult if you haven’t walked a mile in our shoes,” he wrote.

“[On] Monday I attended a double fatality vehicle crash, where it took three hours to remove the bodies from their mangled metal casing.”

He said the mentally taxing shift included three and a half hours of overtime.

“It’s not something you can share with your family.

“We don’t have time to even sit down with counselling teams when we might feel like we need to,” he told the Herald.

He included stories from his colleagues in his letter, writing of missing wedding anniversary dinners because of being stuck at work doing unpaid overtime.

Queensland Police launched a campaign in 2023 to attract more New Zealand officers, offering a better lifestyle and pay.

One colleague told him he had lied to his daughter and said he couldn’t take her to swimming practice because he was unwell; in reality, he could not afford the petrol to get there.

“He’s trying to be a single parent and raises his two kids while living on this police wage, which is not doable. He’s actually moving to Australia.”

To stop New Zealand police from crossing the Ditch, frontline officers needed a pay rise and to be paid overtime, and an improvement in their resources, he said.

“We want to stay here, we really do love this country and we love doing the police work here.

“Police officers with so many years of experience and rapport are leaving because they have no choice.”

‘A desperate situation’

Another police officer who didn’t want to be named said front-line officers were underpaid and undervalued in New Zealand.

“Why do you think so many cops have jumped ship and gone to Aussie? Because they get extra pay.”

Many police had voted for a change in Government to improve working conditions, he said.

“Everyone’s feeling the pressure ... you’ve got constables who are having to go to food banks. That’s obviously a desperate situation but that’s what it’s coming to.”

The officer and his partner - who also works in the public sector - regularly struggle to make ends meet.

“We live fortnight to fortnight because we can’t put money aside, because one of the salaries covers the mortgage, the other one covers all the bills and food and then we’ve literally got nothing left.”

He said many police were impacted by the public sector pay freeze introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We fail to meet [public] demand because we are under-resourced because staff are undervalued, taking a lot of sick leave, taking a lot of time off because we’re overworked.”

Sworn police officers do not get paid overtime and instead get time off in lieu.

“We’re dealing with society’s worst and a lot of stuff that the community doesn’t even hear or know about.”

Because police aren’t allowed to protest, their options for speaking up are limited he said.

“I know for a fact that there was a number last year of sworn staff out on the street who have taken their own lives.

“One of those was a colleague of mine, who has a wife and kids but obviously it’s got too tough for him and he’s taken his own life.”

SUICIDE AND DEPRESSION

Where to get help:

- Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7)
- Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
- Youth services: (06) 3555 906
- Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234
- What’s Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm)
- Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7)
- Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737

If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111

Jaime Lyth is a multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald, focusing on crime and breaking news.