National promises Auckland public transport police team to keep commuters safe

National would seek to establish a dedicated Auckland transport police team to be present on public transport and at stations if re-elected in November.

An additional 50 sworn officers would be recruited for the team, with National envisioning officers present on trains, buses and ferries, as well as in stations and transport hubs, with a focus on high-risk routes and peak hours.

The role of the officers would be “preventing anti-social behaviour, protecting passengers and transport staff, responding quickly to incidents, and bolstering confidence in safety on public transport”, National said in a statement.

“The purpose will be to deter crime before it happens, and make sure that when a serious incident does occur, it gets an immediate police response.”

If re-elected, National’s Police Minister would write to the Police Commissioner highlighting the importance of visibility on the Auckland public transport network. Funding would then be provided to establish the team.

It would then be up to police to decide on the size, location and timing of any presence on the network, including what stations or routes to be visible at.

Police recruitment has been a focus of the current coalition Government, however, it missed its target of 500 new cops in two years.

National’s new election promise comes as Auckland’s new City Rail Link opened to the public this morning, increasing commuter capacity. The political party says as the city’s public transport network grows, safety measures must grow with it.

There have been several cases of alleged assaults on buses this year, including against bus drivers. In May, video emerged of what was described as a “vicious” attack by a group of youths against a woman on a bus.

“Every Aucklander should feel safe catching public transport, whether they’re heading to work in the morning or travelling home late at night,” said police spokesman Mark Mitchell.

“Police should be where people are. As more Aucklanders use public transport, it makes sense to have more Police on the network.

“A visible police presence helps deter offending before it occurs, reassures passengers and transport staff, and ensures rapid intervention when something does go wrong.”

The City Rail Link is now operating. Photo / Corey Fleming

He said Auckland Transport staff “do important work keeping the network running safely”, but they don’t hold the powers of sworn police officers, like the ability to make an arrest.

“Aucklanders deserve the confidence of knowing that when they step onto a train, bus or ferry, Police are close and ready to respond if needed.”

National would allocate an additional $7 million per year starting from Budget 2027 to fund the initiative.

“Police will be explicitly resourced to establish this team, with funding to recruit an additional 50 officers to fulfil this function,” a National policy document said.

“Consistent with their independent operational role, Police will retain full decision-making powers on the size, location, and timing of any police presence on Auckland’s public transport network, including which stations and routes have more visible policing.”

The party pointed to international examples of police teams on public transport networks, such as the British Transport Police, comprised of more than 3000 constables who have a presence across the British rail network, including the London underground.

National said an expansion of the initiative to other centres around New Zealand would be considered if it succeeds.

The Government missed its commitment of delivering 500 new police officers in the first two years in office, which was November last year.

Police data shows, as of March 31, there were an additional 269 constables compared to November 2023, with more in the recruitment pipeline.

Information from the Police Association shows that as of August 24, there had been an increase of 352 officers since the Government was formed.

Jamie Ensor is the NZ Herald’s chief political reporter, based in the press gallery at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. He was a finalist in 2025 for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.