Policy for handling OIA requests

Alex Harris made this Official Information Act request to New Zealand Police

The request was successful.

From: Alex Harris

15 August 2012

Dear New Zealand Police,

I would like to request the following information under the
Official Information Act 1982:

* the department's policy or guidelines for handling and processing
Official Information Act requests.

I would prefer to receive an electronic response. Queries about
this request will be automatically forwarded to me by the
fyi.org.nz website.

With regards to s12 of the OIA, I am an NZ citizen and in NZ.

Yours faithfully,

Alex Harris

Link to this

New Zealand Police

15 August 2012

Dear Alex

Thanks for your enquiry. Your request has been put through for processing

Kind regards

NZ POLICE
-----Alex Harris <[FOI #493 email]> wrote:
-----

To: OIA requests at New Zealand Police <[New Zealand Police request email]>
From: Alex Harris <[FOI #493 email]>
Date: 15/08/2012 01:16PM
Subject: Official Information Act request - Policy for handling OIA
requests

     Dear New Zealand Police,
    
     I would like to request the following information under the
     Official Information Act 1982:
    
     * the department's policy or guidelines for handling and processing
     Official Information Act requests.
    
     I would prefer to receive an electronic response. Queries about
     this request will be automatically forwarded to me by the
     fyi.org.nz website.
    
     With regards to s12 of the OIA, I am an NZ citizen and in NZ.
    
     Yours faithfully,
    
     Alex Harris
    
     -------------------------------------------------------------------
    
     Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
     [FOI #493 email]
    
     Is [New Zealand Police request email] the wrong address for Official
     Information Act requests to New Zealand Police? If so, please
     contact us using this form:
     [1]http://fyi.org.nz/help/contact
    
     Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be
     published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
     [2]http://fyi.org.nz/help/officers
    
     If you find this service useful as an OIA officer, please ask your
     web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
    
    
    

show quoted sections

Link to this

New Zealand Police

15 August 2012

Your request for the department's policy or guidelines for handling and
processing Official Information Act requests has been received by Police
and is being processed in terms of the Official Information Act 1982.

===============================================================

WARNING

The information contained in this email message is intended for the
addressee only and may contain privileged information. It may also be
subject to the provisions of section 50 of the Policing Act 2008, which
creates an offence to have unlawful possession of Police property. If you
are not the intended recipient of this message or have received this
message in error, you must not peruse, use, distribute or copy this
message or any of its contents.

Also note, the views expressed in this message may not necessarily reflect
those of the New Zealand Police. If you have received this message in
error, please email or telephone the sender immediately

 

Link to this

From: THOMSON, Raewyn
New Zealand Police

2 September 2012

Attachment Disclosing personal and official information.pdf
0K Download View as HTML

Attachment guidelines for processing OIA requests.pdf
0K Download View as HTML

Attachment harris alex 12 1658 4 reply.pdf
0K Download View as HTML

 

 

 

===============================================================

WARNING

The information contained in this email message is intended for the
addressee only and may contain privileged information. It may also be
subject to the provisions of section 50 of the Policing Act 2008, which
creates an offence to have unlawful possession of Police property. If you
are not the intended recipient of this message or have received this
message in error, you must not peruse, use, distribute or copy this
message or any of its contents.

Also note, the views expressed in this message may not necessarily reflect
those of the New Zealand Police. If you have received this message in
error, please email or telephone the sender immediately

 

Link to this

Joshua Grainger left an annotation ( 3 September 2012)

Interesting. Their OIA guidelines call for making an extension when delays mean it will take more than twenty days. This isn't allowed under the OIA though: s15A only allows for extensions if:
a) the request is so large that it will require a large search
b) before information can be released consultations need to happen with third parties.

There is no generic ground for extension just because a decision cannot be made in twenty days. Aren't the Police breaking the law here?

Link to this

Joshua Grainger left an annotation ( 3 September 2012)

Their guidelines also state that a requester must provide their name and address, and that anonymous requests cannot be made.

That is completely false. Official Information Requests can be made under fake names, as highlighted in question 54 of the Law Commission survey on the OIA ("Do you agree that, as at present, requesters should not be required to state the purpose for which they are requesting official information nor to provide their real name?"). There appears to be nothing in the OIA that requires the giving of an address either.

Link to this

Things to do with this request

Anyone:
New Zealand Police only: