Eastern District Police are standing by their decision not to formally charge a streaker at Saturday night’s All Black game in Napier, but say future decisions will consider the possible wider implications.
Rose Kupa, 25, was arrested and issued with a pre-charge warning after she ran naked across the field at McLean Park during the game against the All Blacks and Argentina.
Eastern District Commander Superintendent Sandra Venables said she had reviewed the action taken by police staff on the night, and believed it appropriate in the circumstances.
“I believe that our staff made the right decision based on the information available to them at the time and given the particular circumstances of the incident. That said, with the benefit of hindsight, we are of mindful of the wider implications in this case.
“In light of that, I expect that in the future, Eastern District police staff will be more aware of the possible implications around charging for this sort of offence and will respond accordingly. We trust our staff to use discretion and good judgement in these circumstances,” Ms Venables said.
Police will be keeping a close watch on the field and the crowd for next weekend’s Ranfurly Shield challenge match at McLean Park on Sunday. The public can expect that any future incidents may not be treated so lightly.
“Our message is that this sort of behaviour won’t be tolerated and there could be serious consequences for anyone trying to invade a sports field while a game is in progress. We will be working closely with our partners to make sure future events in Hawke’s Bay are incident-free,” Ms Venables said.
Pre-charge warnings are used regularly for low-level offending and were a useful tool for police when dealing with a variety of crime and incidents.
ENDS
Media Contact: Eastern District Communications Manager, Kris McGehan, ph 027 222 3638