Subject: Official Information Act Request – Islamophobia-Related Incidents and Police Response (Past 5 Years)

Dear New Zealand Police,

I am writing to request information under the Official Information Act 1982 regarding incidents involving Islamophobia and anti-Muslim behaviour reported to New Zealand Police.

Specifically, I request the following information for the past five years (from 1 January 2021 to the present):

1. Number of Incidents

- Total number of reported incidents classified as Islamophobic, anti-Muslim, or religiously motivated hate incidents against Muslims
- Any internal categorisation or classification criteria used by Police to identify such incidents

2. Nature of Incidents
Where available, a breakdown of incidents by:

- Type of incident (e.g., verbal abuse, threats, physical assault, online harassment, vandalism, etc.)

3. Victim Information (aggregated and anonymised)

- Age range (e.g., under 12, 12–17, 18–25, etc.)
- Gender (male, female, or other where recorded)
- Whether the victim was a child (under 18)

4. Location Data (aggregated)

- General location of incidents (e.g., school, street/public road, transport, home, online, workplace, etc.)
- Regional distribution (e.g., Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, etc.)
- A separate category identifying incidents occurring at or in proximity to places of worship, specifically including:
- Mosques
- Islamic centres or community centres
- Identification of incidents occurring within or around educational institutions (e.g., schools, colleges), where available

5. Police Response and Outcomes

- Number of incidents that resulted in:
- Warning or caution
- Arrest
- Charges filed
- Prosecution
- No further action (with general reasons, if available)

6. Policies and Thresholds

- Any policies, guidelines, or thresholds used by Police to determine when Islamophobic or hate-related incidents lead to enforcement or prosecution

7. Support Provided to Victims

- Any information on support services, referrals, or protective measures offered to victims, particularly where the victim is a child

I am happy to receive this information in aggregated or anonymised form to ensure privacy is maintained. If any part of this request is too broad, I would appreciate assistance in refining it under section 13 of the Official Information Act.

If any of the requested information is held by another agency (e.g., Ministry of Justice or Human Rights Commission), I kindly request that this request be transferred accordingly under section 14 of the Act.

I look forward to your response within the statutory timeframe.

Yours sincerely,
Yasir Shaikh