18484 (2026). Hon Ginny Andersen to the Minister of Police

18484 (2026). Hon Ginny Andersen to the Minister of Police: Why were there fewer constabulary staff working in Investigations in Northland in March 2026 compared to October 2023?

Hon Mark Mitchell: I refer the Member to the attached table, which shows the active constabulary full-time equivalent (FTE) staff members for the Northland Investigations group between 31 October 2023 and 31 March 2026. The apparent reduction in Investigations FTE over this period reflects a change in reporting arrangements rather than a reduction in investigative capability. In 2023, all investigation staff in Northland were reported centrally through Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) leadership. Later in 2023, reporting lines were changed so that a number of investigators were reassigned to area-based reporting through Area Commanders. As a result of this change, those staff are no longer recorded within the district-level Investigations grouping, even though they continue to perform investigative roles. The actual number of constabulary investigators in Northland did not decline over this period. This is also my response to Written Parliamentary Question 18485 (2026).