Police have implemented a recruiting freeze on non-sworn staff in a bid to cut costs, which critics say will put pressure on the Government’s target of delivering 500 extra cops within two years.

The Police Association say the restrictions are already causing backlogs and delays, and will make it harder for the Government to implement its “tough on crime” policy agenda.

It comes as the Government’s moving to cut costs across the public sector – with ministries on a mission to cut spending by 6.5 to 7.5 per cent before the May Budget.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell said he has been briefed on measures Police are introducing, which he said is to ensure financial sustainability.

“I have made my expectations of Police very clear around financial sustainability and am confident that they can and will deliver on those.”

Police have confirmed cost-saving efforts were implemented late last year and include indefinite restrictions on recruiting non-constabulary staff - “with the exact details of these restrictions changing over this period”.

Mitchell confirmed that frontline cops are not subject to the hiring restrictions and the Government still intends to deliver 500 cops over the next two years.

But Police Association President Chris Cahill says the restrictions amount to a freeze, and looks set to continue into the next financial year.

He pointed out non-sworn staff includes those who answer 111 and 105 calls and the people who prepare police files for court.

”If [these jobs weren’t] being done by non-sworn staff, it would take police officers off the street.”

He says delivering 500 extra police officers during an ongoing hiring freeze of non-sworn staff is like “robbing Peter to pay Paul”.

“Even if you get them, if it means that actually they’re just filling gaps because frontline staff are doing backroom jobs, then you’re not really getting those people on the front-line.”

Cahill said the Government’s other promises around targeting gangs will be harder to deliver without the necessary backroom support.

“We’ve seen this Government come in, they’ve said they’re going to get tough on crime, and they’re doing all these initiatives … they’re all falling on police to deliver.”

He called on the Government to reassess its Policing priorities.

“Obviously they haven’t come to the party with a pay deal at the moment ... and then add in to that we’re looking to lose more staff, it’s not creating an environment in which police feel they’re able to deliver on those promises to the Government.”

Labour’s police spokesperson Ginny Andersen agreed and said recruitment restrictions put pressure on the Government’s promise of 500 extra police officers.

“The rough formula is that for every four police officers, you need roughly one person to make that work -- the current way it works is about that,” she said.

“Otherwise you see police officers off the street doing paperwork. And that’s frustrating for them and also frustrating for members of the public who want to have quick responses.”

Police say as at October 2023 the workforce had 10,778 constabulary staff and 4,794 non-constabulary employees who are divided into Operational – Public Facing, Operational Support and Corporate Support roles.

Briefing documents to Police Minister Mark Mitchell in December, released under the Official Information Act, state the total police workforce has grown by more than 3,600 FTEs over the past six years - including 526 in corporate support functions.

“Forty four percent (232) of this growth has been necessary to enable the same service levels to be provided to the larger overall workforce,” it states.

“These corporate functions will be an important and necessary enabler to support the Government’s priority of recruiting an additional 500 new frontline police in the next two years.”