As stated by Commissioner Richard Chambers:
New Zealand Police is celebrating a record-breaking year with 100 former officers rejoining in 2025. Last year was by far the largest year in history for rejoins, with more than double the previous record number when 40 officers rejoined in 2023.
"I'm thrilled that we had 100 former officers return to constabulary positions in 2025. So many former staff deciding to get back in blue highlights what a positive, rewarding and unique career being a police officer is.
"Our rejoining officers are telling us they made the decision to come back because they missed supporting their communities and the camaraderie of working on the frontline. They're reenergised with an even greater appreciation for the important work Police does every day.
"Experienced officers are worth their weight in gold. They've brought back years of institutional knowledge, strengthened our capability, and filled critical skills gaps for specialist roles across the country.
"16 of the 100 rejoins are detectives. It takes a lot of dedication and specialist training to become qualified for this role."
Most former officers who have been away for less than seven years are eligible to rejoin instead of having to go back through the full 20 weeks of training at the Royal New Zealand Police College.
"In addition to the 100 officers who rejoined there are also 41 rejoins still working their way through our application pipeline or waiting for a vacancy in a specific role or area.
"We have seen how rejoins are bolstering our frontline and made a conscious effort to attract and recruit them. This included our creative marketing late last year where we targeted those that moved to Australian police jurisdictions to get them to come home.
"While we have had some success from targeting officers in Australia, the majority of last year's 100 rejoins had moved away from a policing altogether for reasons such as trying a new career or because of family commitments. It's great to see them returning to the service after a short break with a newfound passion for the role.
"The wealth of knowledge rejoins bring with them has been critical for supporting the 788 new police officers that graduated last year.
