'A decision to criminally investigate an employee does not mean they are guilty of a criminal offence,' says spokesperson
The number of New Zealand police staff under criminal investigation has steadily increased since 2021, with more than 300 employees scrutinised over the past three years.
This is according to the data released to Newstalk ZB under the Official Information Act, revealing that 333 police employees have been subject to criminal investigations since January 2021.
In 2021, there were 85 investigations, rising to 92 in 2022, and 109 investigations in 2023. The trend has continued into 2024, with 47 investigations filed by September, the New Zealand Herald reported.
This consistent rise in investigations represents a growing scrutiny of the police workforce, with over two per cent of staff investigated since 2021, according to the report.
The figures reveal that 89 investigations led to criminal charges, while two were referred to Te Pae Oranga, an alternative justice process.
The majority of those investigated, 131 individuals, had been employed for more than 10 years, and 44 held ranks of Sergeant or higher. Men made up about 88% of those under investigation.
Chris Cahill, president of the Police Association, commented that while the increase is noticeable, it's not yet a cause for concern.
Cahill questioned whether some of the investigations were related to minor offences, such as traffic violations: "We also need to understand how many of those were traffic offences as well, if that was included in the figures."
According to the association president, they will continue to monitor the rise since 2021 to see if the increase is an ongoing trend.
Meanwhile, Police Minister Mark Mitchell has expressed confidence in the police's processes for managing staff conduct but declined to comment on the rise in investigations.
"The overwhelming majority of police staff do an exceptional job and are committed to keeping our communities safe," he said as quoted by the New Zealand Herald.
Investigations into police staff begin with an assessment of whether an officer's behaviour breaches the Police Code of Conduct, policy, values, or the law, according to the police.
If criminal concerns are raised, a formal investigation is initiated, often overseen by the Independent Police Conduct Authority IPCA, the New Zealand Herald reported.
"A decision to criminally investigate an employee does not mean they are guilty of a criminal offence, simply that there were potential criminal concerns on the information assessed that required investigation," a police spokesperson told the Herald.
In 2020, the New Zealand Police established the National Integrity Unit to focus on preventing and detecting corruption. Since then, the unit has handled more than 600 cases, with approximately 100 leading to further investigation and 14 resulting in prosecution.
