Commissioner under pressure over flawed 111 system

Police Commissioner Rob Robinson announcing the 111 shake-up. Picture / Fotopress

The Government is defending embattled Police Commissioner Rob Robinson after a scathing report said the police 111 emergency service put the public at potential risk.

The report was so damning that the Government was spurred to announce it would spend $45.5 million over four years to improve police communications centres in a bid to restore public confidence.

The independent report, written by top police officers from Australia, Canada and Wales, made 61 recommendations, identified multiple problems with the police communications centres, which handle the 111 calls, and warned that more lapses would occur unless urgent changes were made.

But Mr Robinson said the decade-old centres were "world-class" and he had no intention of resigning over the report, which also found serious problems with governance and leadership of police communications.

Mr Robinson said he accepted responsibility for the criticism, but he appeared to be underplaying the report, saying in the vast majority of cases police responded well to calls from the public.

He repeatedly highlighted two positive findings in the report - that centre staff were dedicated and that the technology was world-class.

When asked if he thought the report portrayed the situation as worse than it actually was, he said it was "provocative".

"I believe the service which is being provided today is certainly adequate and in most cases good and in very many cases of a high quality. I receive bouquets from satisfied members of the public."

One of the report's authors, Chief Superintendent Michael Corboy from the New South Wales police, said the report was accurate and he would not exaggerate the situation.

The report is the latest problem to plague Mr Robinson, who has had to contend with the police pornographic email scandal, having one of his most senior commanders and two former policemen facing serious charges, and an inquiry into police culture.

Police Minister George Hawkins last night defended Mr Robinson, but avoided directly affirming that he had full confidence in him.

Police Association president Greg O'Connor said the report should be a wake-up call to Mr Robinson.

The report was initiated last November after a series of failures with the 111 system, including the case of Auckland student and model Iraena Asher.

A distressed Ms Asher called for help from Piha but police sent a taxi rather than a patrol car, and it went to the wrong address.

Ms Asher has never been found.

Her sister Angelique told TVNZ's Close Up programme last night that the report would not take away her family's pain.

Yesterday, seven months after Ms Asher went missing, the review panel said the police communications centres were not providing an adequate level of service, people had lost confidence in the centres' ability to respond to emergencies, and the panel was "very concerned" about the potential risks to public safety and frontline police.

The report found evidence that available police cars were either not logging on or not making themselves available for jobs.

It also found a "disturbing" lack of understanding of the purpose of the centres among staff, and poor staff morale and training levels.

Mr Robinson said police would act on the report's recommendations and had already set up a national communications centre advisory board, which would oversee the performance of the centres.

The report notes that although the centres' problems are critical, they are "readily" fixable.

The Government's $45.5 million will be used to pay for about 100 extra staff, enhance training systems, provide extra radio channels and improve management systems.

National, Act and New Zealand First are calling for Mr Hawkins to resign.

National's police spokesman, Tony Ryall, said the report was a "bombshell" and Mr Hawkins and top officers had let the public down.

Mr O'Connor said his association would monitor the implementation of the panel's recommendations.

"It took a tragedy to get something done, but at least now something is done."