The Insurance Council of New Zealand says the country doesn’t have enough police. It says New Zealand needs 600 more police over the next two years to “provide the level of service that New Zealanders deserve and expect”.

While CEO Chris Ryan believes the local police force is “one of the finest in the world”, he says it is under-resourced and over-stretched.

NZ insurance companies pay out more than $20 million a month – about $250 million a year – in claims as a result of criminal activity, and Mr Ryan says this represents “only the tip of the iceberg and only the reported crime from insured New Zealanders”.

The shortage of officers is “empowering criminals and making things worse”, he said.

The situation requires “a broad political solution based on common sense, not political point-scoring”.