IR-01-25-39184
1 December 2025
Nigel Gray
[FYI request #32660 email]
Tēnā koe NIgel
Request for information
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 25 October 2025. You
asked for information about the publicly released photos of Tom Phil ip's campsites.
As you wil be aware, Operation Curly ended on 8 September 2025 when Tom Phillips
shot and critically injured an officer before he himself was shot and kil ed by Police. The
events of 8 September are subject to several active investigations, including a Critical
Incident investigation, an Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) investigation and
a Coronial Inquiry. Police also continues to investigate the likelihood Phil ips received
outside support. Police has to be mindful of, and comply with, injunctions put in place by
the High Court and Family Court which place restrictions on the release of certain
information regarding the case.
While I acknowledge there is a significant public interest in the events surrounding the
shooting and the search for Tom Phil ips and his children, it is important that these
investigations are not prejudiced by premature release of relevant information. This
means there wil be significant restrictions on what information can be made available at
this time. Police intends to address the public interest by proactively releasing relevant
information when it is appropriate to do so.
My response to your request is below.
1. In the last week you have released new photos of Tom Phil ip's campsites
details to public media, yet you have not answered my previous OIA request.
Can you please provide any emails, documents, internal memos etc. that
mention public relations, or public media narrative or controlling the narrative
concerning the release of these photos or any other photos concerning Tom
Phil ips case?
2. Can you also explain why you have released these photos to public media?
There have been numerous mentions, at least in the media, of the need to
"protect the children", to "respect the family" "respect privacy" and yet your
photo release appears to be having the opposite effect, at least from a public
perspective.
On 23 October 2025, we responded to your prior OIA request (IR-01-25-33825) via email
to the FYI.org.nz email address that was provided with your request. If you did not receive
our response letter, you may wish to check with FYI.org.nz, if you have not done so
already.
In response to part 1 of your current request, I can advise that no emails or other
documents have been identified relating to the publication by Police of photographs of
Tom Phil ips’ campsites that refer to “public relations” or “public media narrative” or
“controlling the narrative.” This part of your request is therefore refused under section
18(e) of the OIA, as the document alleged to contain the information requested does not
exist.
However, please find attached one internal email exchange relating to the release of
further photos on 24 October 2025. These emails refer to the fact that Police published
the photographs in order to satisfy the public interest and specifical y selected
photographs that would not be overly invasive. Some information has been withheld
under section 9(2)(a) of the OIA, to protect the privacy of natural persons.
Police considers the interests requiring protection by withholding the information are not
outweighed by any public interest in release of the information.
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
Jill Rogers
Acting Deputy Commissioner
New Zealand Police
