Investigation into drug theft cop Mike Blowers still ongoing

Former senior detective Mike Blowers was jailed for four years and nine months in December 2014. Photo / Michael Cunningham

An internal police investigation into the handling of a corrupt cop, who stole drugs for the woman he was sleeping with, is still ongoing - more than a year after it was launched.

Former senior detective Mike Blowers was jailed for four years and nine months in December 2014 for supplying methamphetamine to a female informant he had an affair with.

Blowers, who was the detective sergeant in charge of the organised crime unit, was charged with stealing the Class A drug from the exhibit locker at Whangarei police station.

In February last year, police began an internal review to examine the steps taken by Northland management who knew about his affair with the informant as far back as 2002, as well as the treatment of one his staff members who blew the whistle 10 years later.

The Herald has previously revealed the detective who raised concerns about his boss was himself investigated before the focus switched to his supervisor.

Police top brass have already admitted mistakes were made in the treatment of the whistleblower.

In a statement to the Herald this week, police said internal investigations into the matter were on-going.

"Following completion of an [criminal] investigation into Mike Blowers, the Northland District Commander instructed a review be undertaken. This review was initially carried out by a Detective Inspector.

"It was then referred to Employee Relations specialists at Police National Headquarters who in turn are reviewing the matter from an employment law perspective.

"This is a complex matter that dates back a number of years and police want to ensure the review is thorough and accurate before it is finalised."

The statement concluded: "No employees are under an employment investigation or performance management in relation to this review."

Auckland-based Detective Inspector Stuart Allsopp-Smith, who led the criminal investigation into Blowers, a 21-year police veteran, would also conduct the internal review.

Blowers had maintained his innocence since his arrest in 2013 but made a shock admission during his High Court trial in October 2014 when he pleaded guilty to supplying methamphetamine over 12 months and a charge of stealing the drugs. He took 34g of the Class A drug from the exhibit locker at Whangarei, substituting salt to disguise the theft.

Justice Geoffrey Venning emphasised the "high level of hypocrisy" of the crimes and said Blowers' actions endangered "the trust that members of the community properly have in our police force".

- additional reporting: Patrice Dougan