Three jobs are being cut at the Invercargill police station after a decision to centralise the Southern district intelligence group in Dunedin.
The group analyses crime and crash information and supports investigations.
Two civilian staff and one police officer were affected, Southern district commander Superintendent Andrew Coster said.
They were consulted before the proposal was confirmed.
The trio - an analyst, an intelligence support officer and a police officer supervisor - had been offered positions in Dunedin, he said.
''This restructure represents a change as opposed to a reduction in the service to the Southland policing area.''
If the staff did not want to move to Dunedin there was a ''good chance'' alternative roles would be found for them at the Invercargill station, he said.
''Police have a solid process around mitigating the impact for those affected by restructuring ... For the [supervisor], placement within another work group in Invercargill is a straightforward exercise.''
Two field intelligence operator positions filled by police officers would be retained in Invercargill, Supt Coster said.
The ''co-location'' of the intelligence group in Dunedin would allow the police to better service the district's intelligence needs, providing greater consistency and more in-depth analysis of district crime and crash problems.
That would allow the police to decide where police resources were best allocated.
