Information about any cameras attached to police staff

Hugh Davenport made this Official Information request to New Zealand Police

The request was partially successful.

From: Hugh Davenport

Dear New Zealand Police,

As a follow up for https://fyi.org.nz/request/9292-informat... (which I note that I'm still confused why you needed an extension of time after giving a response), I would like to request the following:

1) Are there any video recording devices attached to any Police staff (ie, body cam)
2) If so, then
a) groups of staff the devices are attached to (ie, select few, all front line, all sworn staff, all staff)
b) Any policies on when the device must be attached
c) Any policies around data retention time
d) Description of the device, or devices if multiple
3) If not, then
a) Any internal research into any video recording devices, either for staff, or for vehicles
b) Any internal discussions based around whether any such device will be implemented or not

Yours faithfully,

Hugh Davenport

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New Zealand Police

Hello Hugh

I acknowledge receipt of your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request
for the information below.
Your request is being actioned pursuant to the OIA.

Ngā mihi

 

MinisterialServices

PoliceNationalHeadquarters

 

 

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From: Hugh Davenport <[FYI request #9719 email]>
Date: 28/02/2019 03:57PM
Subject: Official Information request - Information about any cameras
attached to police staff

Dear New Zealand Police,

As a follow up for [2] 
https://fyi.org.nz/request/9292-informat...
  (which I note that I'm still confused why you needed an extension of
time after giving a response), I would like to request the following:

1) Are there any video recording devices attached to any Police staff (ie,
body cam)
  2) If so, then 

a) groups of staff the devices are attached to (ie, select few, all
front line, all sworn staff, all staff)
  b) Any policies on when the device must be attached
c) Any policies around data retention time
 d) Description of the device, or devices if multiple

  3) If not, then
  a) Any internal research into any video recording devices, either for
staff, or for vehicles
  b) Any internal discussions based around whether any such device will be
implemented or not  

Yours faithfully,

Hugh Davenport

-------------------------------------------------------------------

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From: Hugh Davenport

Dear New Zealand Police,

Given this is now overdue, and the Police rarely ever respond to follow ups, I have reported this to the Ombudsman.

Yours faithfully,

Hugh Davenport

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New Zealand Police

Kia ora Hugh
Thank you for your message which has been forwarded to the relevant
department.
Nga mihi
Online Reporting Team
NZ Police

-----Hugh Davenport <[FYI request #9719 email]> wrote:
-----
To: OIA/LGOIMA requests at New Zealand Police <[New Zealand Police request email]>
From: Hugh Davenport <[FYI request #9719 email]>
Date: 01/04/2019 03:50PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Official Information request - Information about any
cameras attached to police staff

Dear New Zealand Police,
Given this is now overdue, and the Police rarely ever respond to follow
ups, I have reported this to the Ombudsman.
Yours faithfully,
Hugh Davenport

show quoted sections

Link to this

New Zealand Police


Attachment Final Response.pdf
751K Download View as HTML

Attachment Release doc 1.pdf
896K Download View as HTML

Attachment Release doc 2.pdf
743K Download View as HTML


Hello

 

I havebeen asked to send the attached response.

 

Ngā mihi

 

MinisterialServices

Police National Headquarters

 

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From: Hugh Davenport

Dear New Zealand Police,

I'm a bit confused here, so there are no body cams at all, yet there is a Police manual chapter covering body cams... If there are no body cams, why is there a chapter about how and when to wear them and who gives sign off... If there are body cams (which is suggested by the existence of the police manual chapter you released), then the answers to questions 1 and 2 you provided are illegally false.

Can you please clarify whether there are *any video recording devices attached to any Police staff*. From the document you released, I can see that in some situations, there are devices attached to Police staff, namely the STG unit, the AOG unit, and anyone with sign off from the Manager: Covert Operations Group at PNHQ. I find it unbelievable that you say that the information doesn't exist, but there is policy and procedure for it to exist? Do the Police just have manuals about everything non existent... Or are Police just hiding behind the OIA and refusing to provide information even when it does exist...

I remind the Police (yet again), that they are not above the law. Please provide the information I requested, or explain why you have a manual that talks about specific groups of officers that are allowed to use body cams, yet they don't use body cams at all.

Yours faithfully,

Hugh Davenport

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From: Hugh Davenport

Dear New Zealand Police,

Also document #2, which you weirdly withheld due to "damage to public interest", which I'm not sure there is no public interest, as I'm asking it as a public person. If that table has any records showing NZ Police wear body cams, then you have not replied truthfully on questions 1 and 2. Without seeing the document (as you've withheld it), I'm unable to determine whether the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency (ANZPAA) only had information about Australian Police, or whether it included both Australian and NZ Police officers. Given the name of the agency, I would expect it to include NZ Police officers, which would imply that NZ Police officers have used body cams at some stage...

Can you pretty please just respond as required by the law.

Yours faithfully,

Hugh Davenport

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M.R.M. left an annotation ()

A Police Officer came to our home to do a "welfare check" on 12 year old child that we caregive. This was the result of a false and libelous complaint made by the father of the child against hubby and me. He was wearing a taser and body-cam. I believe the two go / work together. The images and sound recording were transcribed. I got a typewritten copy of the transcript. It is appallingly bad, and it is so inaccurate that it could not be held up as evidence in a Court hearing. The NZ Police official information requests office advised me that they had deleted the images and sound recording. So the Police Officer's bullying and threats towards us were excluded from the transcript and there is no way now to recover the deleted data. They are underhanded in my view.

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