Printed from https://fyi.org.nz/request/3005-use-of-tasers-by-police on April 26, 2024 19:37

Use of Tasers By Police

Emmy Rākete made this Official Information request to New Zealand Police

Response to this request is long overdue. By law New Zealand Police should have responded by now (details and exceptions). The requester can complain to the Ombudsman.

From: Emmy Rākete

Dear New Zealand Police,

I am a New Zealand citizen and currently reside in Aotearoa, as required by s12(1) of the OIA 1982.

Today it was announced that all frontline police officers will soon be carrying tasers. Given that tasers have been demonstrated to induce lethal heart attacks, with Amnesty International reporting 300 killing by police with tasers in the United States between 2001 and 2008, what studies have the New Zealand Police conducted into the lethality of these devices and the potential for their abuse by officers, and what procedures have they put into place to prevent officers from killing civilians with tasers?

Yours faithfully,

Emmy Rākete

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From: Emmy Rākete

Dear New Zealand Police,

Your response to my request is delayed. By law, you should have responded by August 28th. You are in breach of the Official Information Act.

Emmy Rākete

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From: MCMAHON, Teresa
New Zealand Police

Dear Ms Rakete

 

I am writing to apologise for a delay in responding to your request to
Police for information about Tasers. I also want to update you on the
status of your request.

 

The reason for the delay was a data entry error which resulted in the
"due" date for response showing on our systems as considerably later that
the actual deadline under the Official Information Act. I can only say how
sorry I am for that error and for the inconvenience this has caused to
you.

 

I can assure you that your reply has been prepared and is going through
our mandatory review process. I hope that the reply will be able to be
sent to you next week.

 

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you want an update before then.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Teresa McMahon

Ministerial Services

Police National Headquarters

PO Box 3017

Wellington

04 474 9499

 

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

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

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From: Emmy Rākete

Teresa,

This is long long overdue. I've complained to the ombudsman already and will be doing so again. Please release the information I have requested. The New Zealand police force is obligated to have responded within the length of time provided in the OIA and have failed to do so. Even when my request and your failure to fulfill it was acknowledged, you have failed to release the information to satisfy some internal review process. If these processes are causing the New Zealand Police to fail to respond to OIA requests in a lawful manner then they should be scrapped.

Emmy Rākete

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From: MCMAHON, Teresa
New Zealand Police

Attachment SP044563715092916090 1.pdf
980K Download View as HTML

Dear Ms Rakete

I have been asked to send you the attached response to your questions.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Teresa McMahon

Police National Headquarters

PO Box 3017

Wellington

 

 

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

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

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