The 111 FIles: Service focus is on the crime victims

Senior Sergeant Andrew Allerton

The Police Prosecution Service (PPS) is often the forgotten arm of the New Zealand Police.

Our weapons of choice are pens and legislation - which can seem a tad tame compared with the Armed Offenders Squad.

However, everything we do within police has the same end result - which is to hold offenders to account for their behaviour and offending - and that is where the Police Prosecution Service comes into its own. There is no point in fancy forensics or investigations if the case falls over in court and the offender is free to go.

Our role is to support our police colleagues by providing them with a professional, ethical, national service that ensures only those charges that pass the Evidential Sufficiency and Public Interest tests under the Solicitor-General Guidelines make it before a judicial officer of the court.

How can you be sure your Police Prosecution Service is victim focused and doing a good job within the court? Well, nine out of 10 matters we put before the court result in a successful outcome, which means the victims saw a successful ending to their case with the offender suitably held to account.

The PPS play an important part in the Police's National Prevention First Strategy and that puts crime prevention at the forefront of everything we do.

We focus on the underlying causes of offending and victimisation, which ultimately leads to less crime, making Rotorua a safer place.

Senior Sergeant Andrew Allerton is the district prosecution manager - Bay of Plenty South.