New Zealand Police is a huge organisation, with 12 districts and up to 12,000 staff. It is impossible for changes to be fully implemented overnight.

We are all aware of the operational changes that have taken place. This has not always been easy but the results – a fall in recorded crimes of over 20 per cent in the past four years – have shown that Police is going in the right direction.

And it is heartening to see that staff engagement has increased significantly in the past year, following this period of change.

The Police workforce is also continuing to change. It is becoming increasingly diverse. Last year 30 per cent of recruits were female and I support the recently announced drive to recruit more talented women into Police.

The new Police Women’s Advisory Network will also play an important role in ensuring female officers are given opportunities to further their goals, and that they are encouraged to develop leadership and management skills so that women are truly represented at the Executive table.