The Police Minister is sticking to his guns after admitting he didn't even read official advice on increasing police numbers.

Stuart Nash appeared before a select committee yesterday over his plans for 1800 extra police officers.

Official advice suggested those numbers be phased in over five years, not three, as he plans.

But he told Mike Hosking those departments based their predictions on an old enforcement model, where apprehension rates were higher.

"That's not the model the police are now using...so you've got corrections and justice have advice, police have advice, police's advice is that the numbers will drop."

Nash says different agencies give different numbers.

"You know I've had a look at the corrections numbers, I've had a look at the justice numbers, they're trying to justify certain actions but I've had a look at the police numbers and on balance I actually think the police are right."

LISTEN ABOVE AS STUART NASH TALKS TO MIKE HOSKING