NZ Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says there is no trade off when it comes to prosecuting serious crime and is standing by his approach.
Coster has been the subject of a number of pointed attacks by the National MP, Simon Bridges, over gang numbers, policing with consent, and police pursuits.
Things heated up at Select Committee on Thursday, when Bridges opened by asking Coster if police still arrest criminals in New Zealand.
Andrew Coster and Simon Bridges in Select Committee. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Coster told Morning Report there's "no basis for that narrative".
"We are doing more to target organised crime and criminals than we ever have in the past.
"Last year we seized more firearms, restrained more assets, and laid more charges for dealing manufacture and importation than we have in the year before, so I welcome the debate, it needs to be based in fact."
Both Bridges and National Party Leader Judith Collins have used NZ Police gang numbers to point to a rise in the number of gang members in NZ.
Coster said gang numbers are going up, but the numbers the National Party is using is not an accurate representation of the growth.
"They're not statistics. I think it's important to say statistics have a sort of validated methodology that we can be confident in, this list was created for intelligence purposes."
Coster said the NZ Police are keeping an eye on gang numbers and are on reducing the harm from gangs.
"It's not a criminal offence to belong to a gang. However, we know that gangs are involved in organised crime and criminal activity at a very much higher rate than other parts of our community and that's the concern and that's what we're focused on."
He said he's avoided personal debate around his performance, and he does welcome the attention, but it needs to reasonable.
"I welcome the scrutiny of what police is doing, and I think it's really important that when we're talking about that, it fairly reflects the work that our people do out there every day which is frankly outstanding. And so, as long as it's fair and even then, we welcome to the debate."
