Probe into guardians for at-risk prisoners

Annette King

The Government is investigating claims that security guards with serious criminal records have been monitoring suicidal inmates held in police cells.

Police sometimes hire security guards to manage inmates in station cells, but New Zealand First MP Ron Mark yesterday questioned how well they were vetted after recent incidents at Wellington Central police station.

He understood that in one case a gang member with "a long record including serious offences against women" had been hired to watch over a suicidal female inmate.

Prisoners deemed a suicide risk are supposed to receive 24-hour supervision while in cells.

A second security guard with a history of "serious offending against children" had also watched over the woman.

Mr Mark said the events had occurred in the past month.

He said the case highlighted a lack of standard procedures around the hiring and vetting of security guards and temporary non-sworn police staff.

Mr Mark said the Wellington Central cases also highlighted shortcomings in the granting of security guard licences.

Police Minister Annette King said she expected police to follow good hiring and vetting procedures. She would act on any information Mr Mark passed on.

"I'm sure the Commissioner of Police will want to know about it and appropriate action ought to be taken," she told Parliament yesterday.

The Government has recently come under fire over police use of temporary non-sworn officers - civilians with only basic training - performing some tasks.

The number of temporary police, who were recently given a uniform to clearly differentiate them from sworn officers, has risen from 15 in 2004 to 330.

A spokeswoman for the Wellington police district said staff were looking into Mr Mark's claims.

- NZPA