IR-01-26-22743
17 July 2026
Spencer Jones
[FYI request #34958 email]
Tēnā koe Spencer
Request for information
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 24 June 2026. You
asked for information regarding trespass complaints.
My response to each part of your request can be found below.
Please note that trespass notices are typical y issued by the individual or organisation
that is the occupier of the property in question, either formally (written) or verbally. In
some circumstances, Police may become involved in issuing a trespass notice, for
example, if the occupiers fear the person(s) on whom they wish to serve notice, or where
there are large crowds. However, Police can only report on the trespass notices that
Police have been made aware of and where the individual that has been trespassed is
identifiable by the occupier. Further information can be found on the Police public website
here:
https://www.police.govt.nz/advice-services/personal-and-community-
safety/trespass-notices
1.
Policies, procedures, operational instructions, practice notes, guidance
documents, manuals, aide memoires, training material, or operational guidance
relating to: • enforcement of the Trespass Act 1980; • investigation of alleged
breaches of trespass notices; • evidential requirements before enforcement
action is taken; • prosecution decision-making relating to trespass matters; •
complaints involving schools, educational facilities, or public institutions.
The Trespass Police guidance is publicly available here:
https://www.police.govt.nz/about-us/publication/trespass-police-manual-chapter
2.
Any guidance provided to Police staff regarding: • assessing the validity or
apparent validity of a trespass notice; • assessing witness evidence in trespass
complaints; • evidential thresholds for prosecution or enforcement action; •
circumstances where no further action is taken; • the role of complainants in
providing evidence; • documentary evidence required before enforcement action
is considered.
Guidance on how to serve trespass notices either written or verbally is publicly available
on Police’s website provided above. This includes a template available for downloading
and completing if you choose to serve a written trespass, clear instructions on how to
serve the trespass notice, and how to notify Police, including a form you can fil out online
or visiting your local station. This form can be found here:
https://webforms.police.govt.nz/en/form/trespass-notice
The guidance also provides advice on what to do if a trespasser takes too long to leave or
comes back, or if a trespasser is invited back to your property or premises.
3.
Any templates, checklists, standard operating procedures, or investigative
frameworks used when assessing al eged breaches of trespass notices.
I refer you to my prior responses above.
4.
Any guidance regarding: • situations where the person trespassed is the parent or
caregiver of a child enrol ed at a school; • disputes involving ongoing parent-
school relationships; • consideration of alternative dispute resolution or de-
escalation approaches.
There is no specific guidance for trespass notices regarding schools and educational
facilities. Schools and educational facilities can serve their own trespass notices where
they deem it necessary. The Trespass Act 1980 allows for the Principal or Board of
Trustees to issue a notice verbally or in writing. Therefore, this part of your request has
been refused under section 18(e) of the OIA, as this information does not exist.
5.
Any national guidance, discussion papers, reviews, or reports produced since 1
January 2015 concerning: • Police enforcement of school-related trespass
notices; • complaints involving parents of enrol ed students; • issues, risks, or
challenges arising from enforcement of trespass notices in educational settings.
There has been no national guidance, discussion papers, reviews, or reports produced
since 1 January 2015 concerning Police enforcement of school-related trespass notices,
complaints involving parents of enrol ed students, issues, risks, or challenges arising from
enforcement of trespass notices in educational settings. Therefore, this part of your
request has been refused under section 18(e) of the OIA, as this information does not
exist.
6.
If held, please provide any national-level statistical information since 1 January
2015 relating to: • reported breaches of school-issued trespass notices; •
prosecutions commenced for alleged breaches of school-issued trespass notices;
• outcomes of those prosecutions.
Police do not hold any retrievable data that specifies who the trespass notice is issued by.
Therefore, Police are unable to ‘count’ whether a notice was issued by a school, unless
this was manual y completed. As agencies are not required to create new information in
order to respond to an OIA request, this part of your request is refused under section
18(f) of the OIA as the information cannot be made available without substantial collation
or research. Given the amount of information that would have to be reviewed I do not
consider that imposing a charge or extending the time would enable the request to be
granted.
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
Inspector Kirsten Evans
Acting Director: Prevention
New Zealand Police
