This has been a testing week for Police, with two important reports from the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA).

 

The reports closely scrutinised police policies and procedures, first in relation to the shooting of Navtej Singh in Manurewa on 7 June 2008, then over child abuse files, stemming from a backlog of cases in the Wairarapa.

 

Police deal with 700,000 critical incidents and more than 5,000 child abuse reports a year. The majority are dealt with extremely well, often in complex and quickly-changing circumstances.

 

Where the standards expected by the public and Police may not have been met, we move emphatically to make improvements. We strive for a culture of continuous improvement. Many recommendations in both IPCA reports had already been identified by Police and implementation was underway before the reports came out.

 

I came into the role of Commissioner with plans for reform that included a focus on criminal investigations and the protection of our most vulnerable citizens.

 

The safety of a child is paramount in child abuse cases. In all 2752 files we audited during Operation Scope, the safety and protection of the child had been attended to and secured.

 

To find cases which were not dealt with to the highest standard was disappointing. Many steps have already been taken to improve our service. Our system is not broken but we wish to make sure we do our absolute best for children at risk. The IPCA's detailed reviews helps us do this.

 

Police staff in general, particularly our investigators, have made a big commitment to the safety of our young and vulnerable citizens and work hard to make sure offenders are held to account.

 

Across Police, we have achieved a fundamental shift in recent years over how we deal with family violence, including child abuse. I am confident this work is contributing to a reduction in crime in the longer term.

 

We will work through the IPCA's recommendations on our policies and procedures. Child abuse must be prevented. Police are part of the solution and we are determined to do our job to the highest standard.