Police complaints drop year-on-year

Disgraced former Whangarei policeman Mike Blowers during his High Court sentencing for supplying and stealing methamphetamine. Photo / File

Four Northland police officers have breached the thin blue line while on duty and have been charged with criminal offences during the past 11 years.

Complaints against Northland officers have continued to drop over the same time period with police implementing training in ethics and service excellence.

The most high profile case involved Detective Sergeant Mike Blowers, who was jailed after admitting supplying methamphetamine, as well as stealing meth from the evidence lock-up at Whangarei Police Station and replacing it with rock salt to disguise his theft.

Two officers have been charged with common assault, while the other exceeded the 100km/h posted speed limit.

Of the four officers charged, one was dismissed, one resigned and two are still serving and their cases are before the courts.

Figures released to the Northern Advocate, under the Official Information Act, have also showed complaints to the Independent Police Complaints Authority about Northland officers was the highest in 2004 when there were 152, with 39 complaints upheld. Last year, there were 65 complaints to the IPCA about Northland officers, with none upheld, and so far this year there have been seven.

Northland District Commander Superintendent Russell Le Prou said it was a good sign that complaints against police in the region had continued to drop.

"The thing that gives me the greatest comfort is that there has been a drop from 152 complaints in 2004 to just seven so far this year," Mr Le Prou said.

Since 2004, Northland police had introduced a Code of Conduct and training in the areas of ethics and service excellence. Complaints were now dealt with by inspectors, senior sergeants or sergeants, depending on the nature of the complaint.

"All this has led to a drop in the complaints we have received, as the staff are now fully aware of the standards they must reach and that every contact with a member of the public counts," he said.

Trust and confidence in Northland police was reasonably stable.

"In the case against Michael Blowers, any negative publicity would have been balanced by the fact that police took the matter seriously and Blowers was arrested, prosecuted and then sentenced for his crimes."

Nationally, in the past year, 30 police officers have been convicted or accused of serious charges.

Labour police spokesman and Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis said police should be more open about allegations faced by their staff. He said while people deserved the right to privacy, the police needed to be more transparent.