Ref: IR-01-18-28951
21 January 2020
Amy Ferguson
[email address]
Dear Amy
Re: Official Information Act Request re Police Informants
I refer to your Official Information Act request of 22 October 2019 received via
email, in which you sought information on the following:
1. Please provide me with the specifications & particulars of CCTV
hardware/software purchased by the NZ Police, whether practically used
or unused within the years of 2017-2019 in any/all surveillance operations
in NZ.
2. Particularly please provide me with the specifications of the type of CCTV
hardware/software used in Operation Maddale (Auckland) & Operation
Superdry (Wellington) 2019. Including the cost of such material,
programmes used in conjunction with said CCTV material and most
importantly the manufacturer of the productls & or service/s.
Police undertake a large number of serious and organised crime investigations
each year that utilise a range of surveillance methodologies, techniques,
equipment and people. These would support cases such as homicide, robberies,
on-line exploitation of children, drug dealing and matters of national security to
name but a few.
It is important that police on behalf of the community protect their methods as
much as possible to ensure that criminals do not use publicly released
information to hinder police investigations. Should this information fall into
criminal hands as to whether or not police use a particular methodology,
technique or item of equipment would only harm the community and the public
interest.
Police are not willing to make public any information about its CCTV equipment
because disclosing that information would potentially help criminals know more
about the operating methods of police, the scope of our capabilities (or not) and
this would not be in the public interest.
Therefore your request is refused pursuant to Section 6(c) of the Official
Information Act as the making available of this information would be likely to
prejudice the maintenance of the law including the prevention, investigation and
detection of offences and the right to a fair trial.
Police National Headquarters
180 Molesworth Street. PO Box 3017, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
Telephone: 04 474 9499. Fax: 04 498 7400. www.police.qovt.nz
