National's police spokesperson has slammed Labour for creating what he says is a "permissible environment" for offenders who have "lost respect" for officers.
It comes as two police officers spent the night in Auckland City Hospital after being assaulted while attempting to make an arrest.
Police said a driver failed to stop in Glen Innes just after 6pm on Tuesday and was followed back to a property in Mount Wellington.
Police arrested one person at the property while a second hid from police. That person resisted arrest and assaulted two police officers in the process.
In an update on Wednesday, Auckland East Area Commander Inspector Rachel Dolheguy said the two officers have been released from hospital this morning.
Insp Dolheguy said the offender "lashed out", attacking officers with a heavy object.
"One officer was knocked unconscious, and both suffered head wounds. This incident highlights the extreme propensity of violence some people are prepared to use against our Police officers," Insp Dolheguy said.
"Thankfully both officers were discharged this morning and are now at home with their families. We are working closely with them to oversee their welfare.
"We are understandably concerned for our colleagues and wish them a speedy recovery."
A 24-year-old man will appear in the Auckland District Court on Wednesday facing a number of charges, including resisting police and two counts of aggravated wounding.
National's police spokesperson Mark Mitchell told AM on Wednesday assaults on first responders are happening "way too often".
"There has been a big increase in assaults on police. There's a big increase in assaults on all our first responders actually and our corrections officers," he said.
"Quite simply, it's a symptom of the fact over the last six years there's been a loss of respect for figures of authority and certainly for our police and it manifests itself like this when you have police officers out there trying to keep the community that they serve safe... so I hope they're okay."
Joining AM's Ryan Bridge in St Heliers on Wednesday, Mitchell said serious crime, like the assault on police officers in Mt Wellington, is on the rise because of the "permissible environment" criminals are living in.
Mitchell said enough is enough and a change of Government is needed.
"This is a daily occurrence. It's not often reported in the media, but our police officers are being assaulted almost daily and not only that, they're dealing with six firearms incidents a week," he claimed.
"It's all symptomatic of the last six years, you've had a Government that has created a very permissive environment for these youth and juvenile offenders to operate."
Watch the full interview with Mark Mitchell in the video above.
