111 call system in for shake-up

Police Commissioner Rob Robinson has signalled a major shake-up of 111 communication centres following a review prompted by the mishandling of emergency calls.

Mr Robinson has received a draft report by an independent panel led by New South Wales police superintendent Michael Corby.

The report shows "there is a fair bit of work to be done", he said.

The review was launched after police admitted they had mishandled a call from distressed Auckland woman Iraena Asher at Piha last October.

Communications centre staff sent a taxi to collect Ms Asher after she expressed concern for her safety.

The taxi went to Paihia Rd, Onehunga, instead of Piha Rd, Piha, and Ms Asher has never been found.

The case sparked a stream of criticisms about the system.

That chorus intensified over the handling of a 111 call by the wife of Te Puke farmer Peter Bentley, who was attacked at their rural property last Labour Weekend.

Maggie Bentley hid in bushes with a cordless phone for more than an hour waiting for police to arrive.

The case of murdered youth Jeremy Frew, who was stabbed to death in Wanganui last November, was also included in the review.

One of the teenagers accused of killing Jeremy, 16, had been charged with assaulting another man, Daniel Gray, 80 minutes earlier.

Mr Gray rang 111 looking for police help after he was attacked but was told by the Auckland-based operator that Somme Parade, Wanganui, did not exist.

He spelled the name of the street from a sign but had a broken jaw and police say he had difficulty explaining his location. He was told to call back later.

The international panel was asked to review the northern, central and southern communications centres and draw up proposals on workload, staffing and technology.

Members were also asked to look at management of the centres and the interaction with police districts.

Mr Robinson said the "key issue" was interaction between communications centres and police districts.

"It has to be hand-in-glove, and to that end the new arrangements will see district commanders being responsible and supporting the national manager of the communications centre."

Deputy Commissioner Steve Long said detailed discussions had taken place about the link between district managers and communications centres "to make sure there's enough police staff available to do the jobs".

Mr Long would not comment on whether the review panel had recommended more staff for the centres, but he noted that police were recruiting "flat out", particularly for the northern communications centre.

Police Association president Greg O'Connor said the comments were "alarming" and appeared to indicate police managers would make the communications centre issue "someone else's problem".

"All I hear through [those comments] is that instead of making it a comms centre problem we'll make it a district problem and blame the poor old district commanders when there is a failure."

The other members of the external panel were Superintendent Ruth Purdie from North Wales, Acting Deputy Chief Emory Gilbert from Toronto Police and Kevin McKenna from PricewaterhouseCoopers.