Police frontline staff are facing "big decisions" ahead of the Police Minister's latest pay offer, with one officer telling Newstalk ZB they feel “undervalued, unsafe and underwhelmed”.

The Government has been under increased pressure to make an acceptable pay offer to police as negotiations stall, with officers calling the most recent offer “insulting”, “disgusting” and “demoralising” amid a cost-of-living crisis and demanding conditions.

After rejecting the Government’s offer in September last year, police were presented with the same offer last week. It included a wage increase of $5000 from November 1, 2023, and wage increases of 4 per cent from September 1 this year and July 1 next year.

One police officer texted Mike Hosking on his Breakfast show this morning claiming their district is 50 staff members short and up to three officers leave every week just from Auckland Central police districts.

"New staff [are] already talking about big decisions coming up for them after the upcoming pay round. [If] it's not substantial enough [then] they can't afford to live - especially in Auckland," the officer texted Hosking.

"Recruit wings aren't being filled, retention not being considered, we are bleeding staff - frontline staff feel undervalued, unsafe and underwhelmed. Also, look at the clawbacks on offer again, frontline staff suffer the loss. Executive won't engage with us, [The] Police Association have 1200 submissions from sworn staff that they are all treating this rather lightly."

Hosking read the text to Police Minister Mark Mitchell, who was being interviewed alongside Labour MP and former police minister, Ginny Andersen. Mitchell said from a government perspective, they were aware of the issues are were not taking them lightly.

"These all were issues raised with me as the incoming minister, and the first thing we have to do is we do have deal with them. We are working as hard as we can in good faith with the association on an offer," he told Hosking.

"But believe me, we've picked this up from the former Government, who refused to deal with it, and all those issues were briefed to me as the incoming Government."

Mitchell told Hosking the latest offer would be presented to police “as soon as possible”.

"I briefed the Cabinet on Monday...the midnight candle is burning and we're working hard on this."

Police Association president Chris Cahill told Hosking this morning that frontline staff were "struggling" in the latest working conditions - which included payment negotiations that met cost of living challenges, as well as a hiring freeze to all backroom staff.

Cahill said no money is available for the force, which is wrestling with a large budget deficit. Inflation is driving up the price for operational costs such as petrol, and questions loom over whether the funding model for police is correct.

"You've got to be really careful. It's easy to say we're not hiring more backroom staff, but... these are the people who are answering 111 calls, they're dispatching officers to jobs," he said.

"So there's all these pressure points occurring around police at the moment.”

The Police Association are expected to receive an improved offer to come from the Government in the coming days, Cahill said.

"Let's see if we can get some progress there, because...there's a hell of a lot of work to be done and we shouldn't be looking around for money."