Simon Power MP
National Party Justice & Corrections Spokesman

11 October 2007

Report Confirms Decline In Police Recruiting Standards

The independent report into police recruitment standards confirms what National has been saying all along – that the Government has allowed standards to slip, says National’s Justice & Corrections spokesman, Simon Power.

“This is an indictment of Labour’s desperation to somehow find the 1,000 extra police to meet their confidence and supply agreement with NZ First.

“It is clear that recruitment standards have been dropped to try to meet that target.

“The report says the determination of minimum standards process is ‘ad hoc’, and that those sitting the recruitment tests are not doing as well as they used to: ‘Overall, the changes in pass marks in examination support the claim that there is a decline in performance and it could be attributed to the changing standards …’

“It quotes Professor John Hattie as saying ‘there is evidence that the minimum criteria on the Reasoning tests has declined’, and that that decline ‘is more likely related to decisions about the standards/Guidelines/Rules of entry’.

“It is clear there are areas where change is necessary.

• There appears to be no attempt to determine the extent of the knowledge, skills and abilities required of recruits.
• There appears to be no process of confirming that the range of assessment methods covers the necessary knowledge, skills and attributes.
• There are no processes to ensure assessment methods are consistent.
• Four of the 14 assessment methods used to support the recruitment decision ‘do not appear to meet baseline standards’.
• Five of the 14 tools used to assess applicants ‘lack sound mechanisms’ to ensure the quality of recruits is national consistent.

“The public can hardly be assured that standards are being maintained when there are so many inconsistencies in the tests.

“National will continue to monitor the minimum entry criteria to make sure standards are kept up to scratch, bearing in mind the continuing increases in violent crime.”

ENDS

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