Challenging Perspectives - Police and Maori attitudes toward one another, April 2000
Challenging Perspectives - Police and Māori attitudes toward one another, April 2000
A summary document prepared for Te Puni Kōkiri and New Zealand Police
By Bev James
Introduction
In 1997 NZ Police and Te Puni Kōkiri commissioned research from Victoria Link on Perceptions of Māori and Police. This research comprised two complimentary but separate components:
- Māori Perceptions of the Police, by Pania Te Whaiti and Michel Roguski from He Parekerekere, which sought information on Māori attitudes towards the police; and
- Police Perceptions of Māori, By Gabrielle Maxwell and Catherine Smith from the Institute of Criminology, which examined police views about their behavior and attitudes toward Māori.
This summary document provides an overview of the two research reports. However, the document is not intended to be a substituted for reading the two reports. This document is necessarily brief and selective in the information it presents, and consequently a full understanding of the issues can only be obtained by reference to the research reports themselves.
This document outlines who was involved in the research, how it was done, and the main findings. Section 2 explains the background to the research, and section 3 provides a general introduction to the two studies. This is followed by more detailed discussion of each study in sections 4 and 5. The final section focuses on policy implications of the research.
Table of contents
1. Introduction
2. Why the research was done
3. About the two reports
4. The Māori Perceptions of the Police Report
An Institution inimical to Māori
Negative police perceptions of Māori
Māori distrust of police
Factors influencing Māori attitudes towards the police
5. The Police Perceptions of Māori Report
Attitudes towards and treatment of Māori
Views on Māori political aspirations
Relationships between Māori police offices and other police officers
Responses to proposed responsiveness policies and strategies
6. Policy Implications
7. Police Responsiveness Proposals and Progress
Background
Strategies implemented so far
Current Work & Proposals
Bibliography
