Inappropriate emails sent to police from Parliament

As police officers wait to see if they will be punished for potentially objectionable emails on their computers it was revealed today the source of several emails was a Parliamentary worker.

Police launched an inquiry in April after an audit uncovered more than 5000 pornographic images and video clips on the national police computer system.

Today Parliamentary Service General Manager Joel George said the NZ police audit into the emails found one source was a single parliamentary email address.

The address belonged to a Parliamentary Service employee who could now face disciplinary action.

Mr George said the emails were inappropriate but did not contain objectionable material. No further comment would be made as the matter was being investigated.

The police audit found inappropriate images on the computers of 327 police staff -- including a superintendent and three inspectors.

Up to 40 officers are awaiting their fate as the classification of more serious images were still to be determined.

About 15 images had been sent to chief censor Bill Hastings to rule whether they were objectionable -- such as depicting child pornography, sexual violence, bestiality, necrophilia or extreme violence -- or inappropriate.

How the images are classified could determine how staff are charged or disciplined.

Many staff involved -- about 280 -- have accepted an alternative resolution process, where they accept they stored inappropriate material and attend a one-day educational workshop.

Of 5000 images about 2000 were emailed to police from external sources, including 783 from private businesses, 81 from the public sector including Parliament, 20 from academic institutions and 17 from media.

- NZPA