New Zealand Police cut two dozen jobs in its file management unit last month, in a restructure that disestablished, created or shifted more than 60 positions, while the Transcription Services team that has feared its jobs were at risk as police introduced AI tools was largely spared.
A restructure document of more than 100 pages, dated July and released to RNZ on Tuesday, shows police were aiming for a more nationally co-ordinated, flexible service that can "leverage digital and automation efficiencies". The changes took effect last month.
Front-line file management and transcription services national manager Sarah Hutchings said artificial intelligence was not a factor in workforce reductions in the review. “Artificial Intelligence was not a factor of workforce reductions in this review,” she said. She said the new technology would achieve clearer accountability and more efficiency, and that “those efficiencies were a result of the review, and financial savings were made. Those savings didn't come at the loss of any Transcription Services staff.”
Police have been introducing AI tools to speed up investigations for about two years, and the transcription team's fears date to that period. In mid-2024 the force tested the translation tool Whisper AI on intercepted Chinese-language phone calls in the Auckland cult homicide investigation. When transcription staff heard officers in the regions were using it, they raised job fears and contacted the Police Association. "There was wider disquiet across Service Group," an internal report said.
The restructure document itself anticipated further change: "As these technologies become fully embedded, they will directly influence the size, structure, and skill mix of our workforce," it said.
The alarm sounded again in early 2025 after a six-month Whisper trial that internal reporting said was blighted by officers breaking the safeguards around its use. Staff raised concerns about use outside the terms and conditions, perceived accuracy issues, and the Criminal Justice Support Unit having to take time from its core work to check and reformat transcripts. A ban was imposed on transcribing English and on translating te reo Māori and Pacific languages, which another report said was “not driven by concerns about technological risk, but rather by the potential impact on specific roles”. Whisper use was largely suspended for about six months.
When leadership moved to reintroduce it and lift the ban on transcribing English, a Transcription Services manager emailed: "Last time this happened, it caused a panic amongst our team and concerns over job security." A senior staffer complained that the High Tech Crime Group had "clearly" not done enough to alert transcription staff that Whisper was back.
Police said they take a considered approach to adopting new technology, weighing operational need, risk, legal requirements and policy considerations, and that they engaged with the Police Association before, during and after the restructure. They told RNZ on Tuesday: "We appreciate there has been some uncertainty about what the future of AI in the police will look like." They earlier said: "We acknowledge there may be some anxiety from Transcription Services staff because these tools have been approved for use."
On Monday police began using new AI from taser-maker Axon to transcribe many interviews. This year they have moved to add a second translation and transcription tool made by Facebook parent company Meta, and are using new AI tools from European law enforcement to help with child exploitation investigations.
Police Association president Steve Watt told RNZ on Monday that police had "reassured us that it was simply a trial and that no jobs were under threat as a result of the technology that they were introducing". "Obviously, as that develops and evolves, that may change and it's just important that police keep us informed and up to date." The association has about 280 members in the restructured unit and said AI came up in its talks with police about the changes. The PSA union said it had not been able to establish instances of consultation with police about Whisper or any other AI transcription tools.
Hutchings said in a statement that the modernisation programme for Transcription Services “allows us to understand how we better use technology to be more efficient at our jobs”. She said people were still needed to transcribe accurate, quality statements, such as for court.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Police cut two dozen file management jobs while shielding the transcription team, yet their own restructure document says embedding the technology will "directly influence the size, structure, and skill mix" of the workforce. The workforce question is deferred, not settled.
- The internal reports and staff emails give a rare public account of how AI adoption lands inside a government agency: job insecurity, disputed accuracy, and safeguards breached during a trial.
- For anyone whose evidence passes through police transcription, police say people are still needed to produce accurate, quality statements such as those used in court.
Background
New Zealand Police is the country's national police service, and like other public agencies it has been adopting digital and automated tools across its back-office and investigative work. Public sector restructures in New Zealand routinely disestablish and create positions at the same time, and unions representing police staff are consulted during those processes. The arrival of AI transcription and translation tools has made the question of which roles survive such reviews a live one for the staff involved.
Key Perspectives
Sarah Hutchings, NZ Police national manager for front-line file management and transcription services: says "Artificial Intelligence was not a factor of workforce reductions in this review", and that the financial savings from the review did not come at the loss of any Transcription Services staff.
Stuart Mills, manager of intercept and technology operations: wrote in a March report that "There was a recognition that automating English transcription could affect positions traditionally responsible for this work."
A Transcription Services manager: emailed leadership that reintroducing Whisper and lifting the English ban had previously "caused a panic amongst our team and concerns over job security".
Steve Watt, Police Association president: says police "reassured us that it was simply a trial and that no jobs were under threat", but that this may change as the technology evolves and police must keep the association informed.
PSA: says it has not been able to establish instances of consultation with police about Whisper or any other AI transcription tools.
What to Watch
- The modernisation programme for Transcription Services, which police say will examine how they use technology more efficiently. Any role changes would surface there.
- Whether the Police Association is kept informed as tools such as Axon's transcription AI are extended to more interviews.
- Whether the accuracy and safeguard problems recorded during the Whisper trial recur as more tools come into use.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedNZ Police cut two dozen jobs in its file management unit last month.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “RNZ can now reveal police cut two dozen jobs in their file management unit last month”
- SupportedThe restructure disestablished, created or shifted more than 60 positions.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “in a restructure in which more than 60 positions were disestablished, created or shifted.”
- SupportedThe Transcription Services team was largely spared from the job cuts.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “Transcription Services has been largely spared from the job cuts”
- SupportedTranscription Services staff feared their jobs were at risk as police introduced AI tools.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “Documents show their Transcription Services team has feared that their jobs are at risk since 2024.”
- SupportedHutchings said, “Artificial Intelligence was not a factor of workforce reductions in this review.”RNZ New Zealand Headlines: ““Artificial Intelligence was not a factor of workforce reductions in this review.””
- SupportedHutchings said the review’s efficiencies and savings did not come at the loss of Transcription Services staff.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: ““Those efficiencies were a result of the review, and financial savings were made. Those savings didn't come at the loss of any Transcription Services staff.””
- SupportedPolice tested Whisper AI in mid-2024 on intercepted Chinese-language phone calls during the Auckland cult homicide investigation.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “They had tested translation tool Whisper AI in mid-2024 on intercepted Chinese language phonecalls during the Auckland cult homicide investigation.”
- SupportedAfter transcription staff heard officers in the regions were using Whisper, they voiced job fears and contacted the Police Association.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “when Transcription Services heard police in the regions were using Whisper in mid-2024, they voiced job fears and contacted the Police Association”
- SupportedAn early-2025 six-month Whisper trial was blighted by officers breaking safeguards around its use.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “The alarm sounded again in early 2025 after a six-month trial of the technology that was blighted by officers breaking the safeguards around its use .”
- SupportedA ban on English transcription and translation of te reo Māori and Pacific languages was imposed because of the potential impact on specific roles, not technological risk.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “A ban was imposed on transcribing English - and translating te reo Māori and Pacific languages - "not driven by concerns about technological risk, but rather by the potential impact on specific roles"”
- SupportedPolice began using Axon AI to transcribe many interviews on Monday.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “Police on Monday began using new AI from taser-maker Axon to transcribe many interviews .”
- SupportedWatt said police had reassured the association that the technology was simply on trial and no jobs were under threat as a result.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “Association president Steve Watt told RNZ on Monday that police "reassured us that it was simply a trial and that no jobs were under threat as a result of the technology that they were introducing".”