STATEMENT: Commissioner of Police

The Public Service Commission has released the Performance Improvement Review (PIR) of NZ Police.

I requested the PIR last year and asked it focus on integrity and conduct, as well as ensuring NZ Police was well-placed for the challenges we face now and in the future.

It is the first such review of the organisation since 2012 and was aimed at providing an independent view of the organisation and constructive guidance on how to improve.

The PIR points to the challenges Police face in the years ahead, both internally and operationally. I am confident that with the right focus we can meet those.

Many of the issues highlighted by the reviewers were not new or surprising, but have been long-standing problems and some will not be quick fixes.

In many areas, we are facing problems that have built up over many years.

The findings have also given me confidence the direction taken over the last year is the right one.

As I had hoped when I asked for the review, the report identifies areas where further work is needed to be able to better support the frontline and deliver to communities.

Police has considered the findings and recommendations and developed an Implementation Plan, which is also being released.

While some issues will require more immediate attention, a key part of the response is the decision to do a 10-year Police Capability Plan. That will consider what Police need over the medium to long term to ensure we are well-placed to deliver.

Those recommendations that link to public trust and confidence, such as integrity and standards, have been prioritised in that plan, as have recommendations relating to support for the frontline.

Integrity and professional conduct are fundamental for trust and public confidence. Work on implementing the IPCA recommendations is well underway, and the PIR was supportive of the actions we have taken to address those problems.

We have made excellent progress on the Integrity Action Plan, and these recommendations will further feed into that. 

Recommendations around core policing and investigations techniques and training are another priority area. This has concerned me for some time and work that was underway on modernising and improving training for recruits and more senior staff has been accelerated. The new curriculum for the 20-week programme for recruits has already been put in place, starting in January this year.

The reviewers made it clear they had confidence Police is putting the right focus into these matters. They also acknowledged the progress made over the last year in identifying priority areas and delivering on them, and the hard work of frontline staff.

The review also makes it clear that the re-focus to core policing and frontline support was the right thing to do. It praised the progress on targets to reduce violent crime and youth offending, noting the greater visibility of Police through beat teams, retail crime and gang disruption work.

The review also recognised the dedication of our staff and found they were motivated to serve their communities and want to keep improving the way we work. 

We have had a challenging year, we have worked hard and it is encouraging to know we are on the right track in many ways.

This is a useful guide for assessing what our organisation needs, both in the short and longer term. I thank the reviewers for their work, and the staff and other stakeholders who took part in it.

Richard Chambers
Commissioner of Police