IR-01-22-28004
3 November 2022
Tony Hitch
[FYI request #20550 email]
Dear Tony
I refer to your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 14 September 2022
for information on yearly spends relating to social media, radio or TV.
My response to each of your questions can be found below.
How much was the police spend, yearly, on marketing in the categories
Social media, Print media, Radio or TV.
Over the following time periods
1) Average yearly over 2010 until 2019
Total communications operating expenditure is publicly available on the Police
website in the New Zealand Police Annual Reports for years 2010 – 2019, please
refer to the “Notes to the Financial Statements” section. I have included a link to
the reports here: https:/ www.police.govt.nz/about-
us/publications/corporate/annual-report
A more comprehensive breakdown cannot be made available without substantial
collation or research and this part of your request has therefore been refused
pursuant to s18(f) of the OIA.
2) Average yearly over 2020 until large anti mandate protest at
Wellington was known to be going ahead
Until the large anti mandate protest at Wellington was known to be going ahead
the following is the marketing spend for the financial years that your requested
timeframe includes. This was for constabulary recruitment, police communicator
recruitment, and road policing.
It includes paid advertising for social media, print media, and radio. There is no
television advertising spend.
Financial Year
Advertising
budget
2021/22 (1 July 2021-30 June 2022)
$1,800,000
2020/21 (1 July 2020-30 June 2021)
$1,750,000
2019/20 (1 July 2019-30 June 2020)
$1,800,000
3) Current spend up to today after protest at Wellington was known to be
going ahead
This is current up until the date of your request which was made on 14
September 2022. There was no paid advertising from Police over the period of
protest in Wellington, as well as the immediate time after the protest.
Al advertising following the protests was part of the 2021/22 financial year.
Financial Year
Advertising
budget
2021/22 (1 July 2021-30 June 2022)
$1,800,000
4) Projected year of Social media since the protest at Wellington was
known to be happening
Due to the need for flexibility of the content posted on social media, Police does
not have a projected year of social media content for what is posted. For this
reason, this part of your request has been refused pursuant to s18(e) of the OIA,
as the document alleged to contain the information you have requested does not
exist.
Please include all sworn and non-sworn staff time or renumeration$,
including (if possible) the time taken by sworn officers stopping normal
duties to hug a puppy and such for purpose of marketing.
Social media is an important communications and engagement channel for the
organisation. It relays important safety and reassurance messaging and also
shows the many things our constabulary staf are doing everyday out in our
communities to help people feel safe and be safe. While staff are encouraged to
send in content that reflects that, constabulary staff are never asked to stop their
normal duties to hug puppies for the purpose of marketing. Therefore, this part of
your request is refused pursuant to s18(e) of the OIA, as the information you
have requested does not exist.
You have the right, under section 28(3) of the OIA, to ask the Ombudsman to
review my decision if you are not satisfied with the way I have responded to your
request.
Yours sincerely
Paul Comer
Acting Executive Director: Media & Communications
Police National Headquarters
