IR-01-23-25702
21 September 2023
Nikki Phillips
[FYI request #23818 email]
Tēnā koe Nikki
Request for information
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 14 August 2023. You
asked for information regarding Police engagement with kaumātua.
It is important to note that police work alongside kaumātua in order to build and
strengthen Police’s relationship with iwi. Kaumātua who engage with police in this way
are selected by iwi and are not Police employees.
My response to each of your questions can be found below.
1. Please provide a list of al Police Kaumatua that have been in the role since 2020
The relationships between Police and kaumātua are not coordinated at a national level,
they are established within individual Police districts. As there is no national list of
kaumātua who have engaged with Police since 2020, this part of your request is refused
under section 18(g) of the OIA, as the information is not held.
2. Are Police Kaumatua vetted and does vetting include a Police Check?
3. What convictions are al owable for Police Kaumatua?
4. Are there any current or previous Police Kaumatua who haven't been police
checked?
As previously noted, kaumātua are appointed by iwi and are not Police employees. There
is no prerequisite for them to be vetted, as would be the case for Police employees.
5. Has Jeff Haimona Tukua also known as Jeff Tukua ever been employed by New
Zealand Police in any official capacity? If so what role or roles? Paid or unpaid or
both? Including koha.
Mr Jeff Tukua has not been employed by Police in any role but has attended the fol owing
events without koha. Koha is a gift, present, offering, donation or contribution that is used
to acknowledge a relationship and should not be viewed in the same way as payment for
service.
Date
Location
Description
12/09/2022
Howick Police Station
Opening and blessing
5/11/2022
Ormiston Police Station
Support 10-year anniversary
11/11/2022
Otahuhu Police Station
Blessing of Taonga
6. How much was he paid if anything by New Zealand Police?
7. What were those payments in exchange for and when?
As previously noted, kaumātua are not employed by Police and so are not paid by Police.
8. Has anyone at New Zealand Police vetted Jeff Tukua for his Police Kaumatua role or
any role? Yes/No
9. If "no", why not?
Please see my response to questions 2 to 5 of your request.
10. Does anyone at New Zealand Police monitor media articles about Police officers and
request amendments and retractions where appropriate e.g where false information
is printed in a caption or in the article?
Police’s Media team monitor media articles and may on occasion request corrections
where there are factual inaccuracies. Police supports a free and open press.
11. Do New Zealand Police think it is appropriate for a person who can't pass a police
check is used to help official y open a police station? Yes/No.
12. In particular someone who has convictions that are disallowed under the Vulnerable
Children's Act 2014.
Police is not obliged to form an opinion or create information to answer an OIA request.
The OIA cannot be used to force agencies to engage in debate or to create justifications
or explanations in relation to something a person might be interested in. These parts of
your request are therefore refused under section 18(g) of the OIA, as the information is
not held.
However, Police will consider these parts of your request to be a complaint and wil
contact you in that regard.
13. Is it appropriate for uniformed police officers to be photographed with convicted
criminals in an official capacity? If so when
Police work alongside a number of community groups and organisations with people of al
walks of life and this may include people who have criminal convictions. Depending on
the event or purpose of the interaction, it can often be appropriate and expected for police
officers to be photographed with the people/group.
14. Do New Zealand Police concede that having photographs with uniformed police may
give the perception that they are a safe person?
15. Do the New Zealand Police concede such photographs may put children in danger
especial y in this case where Jeff Tukua has attended at least three primary schools
since being photographed with uniform police (al publicly recorded on social media
or school websites or on One News)?
As previously noted, Police is not obliged to form an opinion or create information to
answer an OIA request. These parts of your request are therefore refused under section
18(g) of the OIA, as the information is not held.
Please note that as part of its commitment to openness and transparency, Police
proactively releases some information and documents that may be of interest to the
public. An anonymised version of this response may be publicly released on the New
Zealand Police website.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this
decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Wendy Griffiths
Advisor
New Zealand Police
