7690 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Police

7690 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Police: How, if at all, do the ministries, agencies and departments for which the Minister is responsible, define ‘frontline’ staff and ‘back-office’ staff?

Hon Mark Mitchell: I am advised that there is no public sector definition of frontline and back-office. However, as at December 2023 77% of staff at the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) had an external-facing or statutory role necessary to meet the SFO’s mission statement to disrupt and deter serious fraud and corruption through prevention, investigation and prosecution. I am advised that Police’s workforce is divided into operational and corporate employees, based on the type of work they undertake and the nature of the service that they provide to the public. Operational employees are those who deliver services directly to the public or contribute directly to the delivery of those services. This includes traditional policing roles such as preventing, responding to, and investigating crimes, crashes, and other harm. It also includes roles such as taking emergency (111) or non-emergency (105) calls from the public, Intelligence Officers, or staff in File Management Centres who prepare cases before they are sent to court. Employees at the Royal New Zealand Police College who are responsible for training police recruits and providing other training courses are also included in this group. Corporate employees are those who ensure that operational employees have the resources, tools, and systems they need to do their jobs. This includes functions such as finance, property, fleet, information communications technology (ICT), human resources, policy and Ministerial Services.