Police call-taker 'helped gang boss'

A police communications worker with access to the national intelligence system has been charged with helping a senior member of the Head Hunters gang to avoid arrest.

The call-taker, a non-sworn member of police, had been under surveillance at the Northern Communications Centre since the end of February until her arrest on Tuesday.

She is jointly charged with another woman with helping David Dunn avoid arrest, knowing that he had committed a crime of conspiracy to deal methamphetamine. Dunn has been described as a senior member of the Head Hunters.

The communications centre employee, who has interim name suppression, was also charged with possession of a pipe for the purpose of consuming meth-amphetamine.

She appeared in the Auckland District Court this week and was granted bail.

The woman was identified during a police surveillance operation. It is understood she is friends with Dunn and knew he was wanted.

Police appealed for public help to locate Dunn this month. His photograph was published in the Herald "Crimescene" column on March 1.

A warrant to arrest Dunn was issued when the police surveillance operation terminated at the end of February. The woman was then put under surveillance in her job.

Dunn was caught in Taihape on Tuesday.

The woman started work at the communications centre last April and is currently on special leave, said police.

As a call-taker, the woman had access to police data held in the National Intelligence Application.

The system holds information on a person's criminal convictions and whether they are wanted by police. The system also provides police with facts on a person's associates and addresses where they are known to be.

"She has obviously been working up there [at the police communications centre] and that's no good as far as we're concerned," said one officer.