The number of assaults on New Zealand’s police officers has almost doubled in recent times, amid a climate of violent crime, ram raids, and protests on Parliament’s lawn.

Newstalk ZB can reveal officers reported more than a thousand attacks during 2022, up from 631 the year before, with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins saying any violence towards Police is “unacceptable.”

One officer with years of experience on the frontline, speaking on the condition of anonymity, has revealed the confronting reality of the job.

“I’ve been shot, stabbed, beaten, kicked... you name it, they’ve done it to me”, they said.

“Those stats are terrifying, that’s horrific.”

It comes as the Police Association’s top brass warns the real numbers of assaults are likely much higher, and staff could be tempted by jobs overseas where officers are armed.

“Police are seen as fair game and assaulted on a daily basis... it’s a disgrace”, said vice-president Paul Ormerod.

The Government maintains it “takes the safety of frontline officers seriously”, heralding its nationwide rollout of the Police tactical response model to train and equip staff.

But the National Party and Act claim the figures are ”atrocious” and reflect a “general lawlessness in the community.”

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. NZ Herald photograph by Mark Mitchell

Assaults on Police are reported in two ways - either by offence charges brought against alleged offenders, or staff reporting harm themselves.

Answers to written parliamentary questions by Act show that between October 2017 to March 2023, there were 11,300 offences relating to an assault on Police.

Meanwhile, 1121 assaults were self-reported by staff in the 2022 calendar year, with 32 ending up in hospital – covering the period in which protestors illegally occupied Parliament’s lawn.

That’s compared to 631 reported assaults in 2021, and 577 in 2020.

Incidents reported by staff are categorised as assault if a person has hit, struck, bitten, or spat at an officer, or if a vehicle, object or substance has been projected towards them.

The officer spoken to anonymously by Newstalk ZB believes a “lack of consequence” is the biggest issue, and says many officers “brush off a spitting, gouging or punch.”

“Because of the paperwork involved, health and safety, near-miss s**t - do you charge someone with that? No. The courts won’t do anything”, they claim.

“In terms of using vehicles or firearms towards Police... it’s exacerbated tenfold.”

In a written statement, Police Minister Ginny Andersen said “officers put themselves in harm’s way every day” to protect communities.

“That’s why earlier this year we announced an investment in the nationwide rollout of the Tactical Response Model (TRM) which is a safety system designed to ensure the frontline is trained, equipped, and supported to keep themselves and communities safer”, she said.

Asked whether police officers are becoming more at risk of assaults on the job, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said they shouldn’t have to “put up with” any of it.

”Police do a really difficult job... any violence towards [them] is unacceptable“, he said in a press conference on Tuesday.

“We don’t, as a Government, make decisions about who to charge or who to prosecute, but where the Police do that, of course, they have our full support.”

A Police officer with years of experience on the frontline, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Newstalk ZB the biggest issue is a "lack of consequences."

Police Association vice-president Paul Ormerod said there’s “a lot more going on” than the incidents that are being reported.

“We can’t continue to ignore the dangerous environment officers work in... it’s a sad reflection on society”, he said.

“Police officers don’t go to work with the expectation they’re going to be assaulted.”

Act police spokesperson Chris Baillie agreed, saying the numbers show “a decline in respect”, while National Party counterpart Mark Mitchell claimed “the Government’s been warned for the last five years about its lack of focus on public safety.”

Earlier this year, MPs on Parliament’s Justice select committee were told by the Independent Police Conduct Authority that the policing environment had changed dramatically, and the “major front-of-mind issue” for officers was getting home safely to their families at night.