Police Public Sentiment Snapshot Polling

Police publish their official public sentiment polling which is conducted as part of the New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey (NZCVS) and is run nationwide through the Ministry of Justice. This collects information about New Zealand adults’ experiences of crime.

Since 2021 - the Ministry of Justice and New Zealand Police have collaborated to incorporate a Police Module into the NZCVS. The purpose of the Police Module is primarily to gain an understanding of New Zealanders’ experiences with, and perceptions of, NZ Police.

Previous Police Module reports can be found here.

Between NZCVS reporting cycles, Police also undertake occasional Public Sentiment Snapshot Polling.

These polls typically explore contemporary issues which Police believe may be of concern to the public, build deeper understanding of previously raised issues within NZCVS, or help Police to understand the public’s priorities between different issues.

They also provide feedback to Police within a much shorter timeframe than the more robust NZCVS reporting cycle. This polling information forms just one of many inputs into Police decision making.

Public Sentiment Snapshot Polls are conducted using a very different methodology to NZCVS, so numbers cannot be compared directly to NZCVS results where similar questions might have been asked.