Police Commissioner Andrew Coster responds to IPC report on police conduct during Parliament protest last year. Video / Mike Scott
An Auckland cop has found himself on the wrong side of the thin blue line after making the bold call to drive to a police station to start work while his licence was suspended.
The Herald on Sunday can reveal the male officer remains employed by the police despite the prosecution for driving while disqualified.
Superintendent Shanan Gray, relieving Commander of the Waitemata District, provided a brief outline of the saga following Herald on Sunday inquiries.
Gray said the matter was dealt with by police late last year.
The officer had his licence suspended after racking up too many demerit points, Gray said.
“During the suspension period the officer drove his private vehicle to work and was subsequently put before the court for driving whilst suspended,” the Superintendent said.
“The officer has been subject to an employment outcome, which for privacy reasons we cannot comment on.”
When the officer was formally charged, police notified the Independent Police Conduct Authority. The Authority chose not to take matters further, Gray said.
Under the Land Transport Act, driving while disqualified carries a maximum penalty at first or second offence of three months in prison or a fine of $4500.
Demerit points accrue for all speeding infringements aside from those captured by a speed camera, some traffic offences and breaches of licence conditions, according to Waka Kotahi.
They remain active for two years. Once you amass 100 or more over a two-year period, your licence is suspended for three months.
The amount of demerits awarded depends on the seriousness of the offence. For example, 10kmh to 20kmh over the limit results in 20 demerits, while 50 are given for anything over 35kmh.
Using a mobile phone while driving garners 20.
It was not the only time last year that an Auckland officer found themselves in the dock after an unwise decision at a police station.
The officer was subject to an employment investigation but remains with the police. Photo / file
On July 24, then Constable Bo Wang was caught drink-driving after a visit to a karaoke bar.
He then had what his lawyer would describe as a “brain explosion” and concocted a scheme to destroy the evidence.
That same night, he used a colleague’s swipe card to access the Harbour Bridge police station to get his blood samples then take them home and tip them down the toilet, meaning drink-driving charges could not be brought against him.
Wang quickly admitted his offending when it was uncovered by his former colleagues. As a result, instead of drink-driving charges he faced the more serious charges of burglary and wilfully attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Judge Maria Pecotic sentenced Wang to eight months’ home detention, taking into account his early guilty plea and letters of support for his good character. He is no longer with the police.
In 2022, 492 Auckland police staff were the subject of allegations regarding their professional conduct, stemming from 387 separate incidents, police statistics show.
Investigations are complete into 298 of the incidents and allegations were upheld in only 18 cases.
George Block is an Auckland-based reporter with a focus on police, the courts, prisons and defence. He joined the Herald in 2022 and has previously worked at Stuff in Auckland and the Otago Daily Times in Dunedin.
