5. Police Resourcing—Numbers Safer Communities Community Policing and Crime RatesIAN McKELVIE (National—Rangitīkei) to the Minister of PolicePolice Resourcing—Numbers Safer Communities Community Policing and Crime Rates5. IAN McKELVIE (National—Rangitīkei) to the Minister of Police: What announcements has the Government made about increased police for rural and regional New Zealand?Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister of Police): This Government's half-a-billion-dollar Safer Communities package is focused on ensuring that police are accessible to all New Zealanders when they need them. That is why the package includes 140 new sworn officers who will be dedicated to serving just our regional and rural communities. This will bolster staff in up to 20 regional stations to 24/7 capability. Regional communities will also benefit from the new police to fight organised crime and investigate serious crimes such as child abuse and family violence.Ian McKelvie: How will this boost in police numbers make police more accessible for rural communities?Hon PAULA BENNETT: Police have made a commitment that 95 percent of New Zealanders will live within 25 kilometres of a police presence 24 hours a day 7 days a week. This does not mean police sitting behind a desk at a station 24/7; it means police out on the streets patrolling in their cars and ready to come to the assistance of people who need it.Kelvin Davis: When she stated last week I think the timing was about right" for her announcement how safe does she think those of us who live in the Far North felt in our communities with a 140 percent increase in robberies last year when we needed the police?Hon PAULA BENNETT: Under this Government we have seen nearly a thousand equivalent police in the last 8 years—600 of them came from previous Minsters and we introduced 354 through technology advances which freed up more police on the front line. So the time was about right to bring in more police at this stage.Kelvin Davis: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The question was "how safe does she think those of us who live in the Far North felt" not just a relitigation of her policy.Mr SPEAKER: Well if the member could make that the question instead of the lead-in that would make it easier. If the member asks the question again because it was a confusing question in the way it was asked—I will allow Kelvin Davis to ask it again and we might get the answer.Kelvin Davis: When she stated last week "I think the timing was about right" for her announcement how safe does she think those of us who live in the Far North felt in our communities with a 140 percent increase in robberies last year when we actually needed the police?Hon PAULA BENNETT: I am going to repeat my answer because I am answering the first part of it: the timing is right. This Government has committed 600 new police on top of the equivalent of 354—Kelvin Davis: That wasn't the question.Hon PAULA BENNETT: Your question was whether or not the timing was right and the timing was right for this introduction over 4 years which will make a huge difference to those up in Northland and will ensure that they have more police on the beat. Ron Mark: How many of the 880 sworn officers fought for by the Hon Judith Collins and announced by her will be based in Waipukurau Woodville Pahīatua Carterton Martinborough and Featherston by June 2018—and even by June 2020?Hon PAULA BENNETT: The deployment of officers is a matter for the commissioner.Ian McKelvie: In what other ways does the Safer Communities package help rural communities?Hon PAULA BENNETT: This package includes funding for 12 new mobile policing units to provide policing services on the move to where they are most needed in those very small rural communities and towns. Police will also establish the rural duties officers network recognising that in many of our rural communities they have different crime issues—and addressing some of those as well.Ron Mark: What confidence should residents in Rangitīkei have in her plan for improving safety in the community when statistics show that from 2008 to June 2016 there were 215 burglaries in Taihape for only three arrests and 35 cars were stolen for only three arrests the last of which was made in 2013?Hon PAULA BENNETT: With this new announcement with a half-billion dollar investment and with more than 1100 new police staff I am told that all districts will be getting more officers on the beat and that will make a difference.Ron Mark: In her full and detailed briefing that she received from the police about the need for an extra 880 sworn officers and where the needs lay can she now tell the House precisely which towns are going to receive those extra police or do we all expect them to end up in Auckland as normal?Hon PAULA BENNETT: OK one more time for the member and if he listens carefully—all 12 districts—Ron Mark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Is sarcasm the norm for this House?Mr SPEAKER: It is something that frequently infiltrates the House. On this occasion I can understand it in that the question now being asked is very similar to a question that was just answered by the Minister. But the member has got every right to ask the question again and I will invite the Minister to answer the question again.Hon PAULA BENNETT: Thank you. I was very specific in that all 12 districts will be getting more police. So we are making an absolute obligation to do that. The deployment of police officers is absolutely at the discretion of the police commissioner and it is not for politicians to be deciding where our police force should be around the country. I can honestly stand here in this House and say that I do not know at what numbers where police will be deployed over the next 4 years. [Interruption] Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! Mr Mark I need substantially less interjection once the questioning has finished. If the member wanted to use a supplementary question to ask that he could have done so."