Mark Hanna
By email: [FYI request #9725 email]
27 May 2021
Dear Mr Hanna,
Request for information – IR-01-19-6782
On 28 February 2019, you made a request for information to Police:
I would like to know what led to Police making the decision without any apparent plan
to end this general arming of Christchurch frontline officers.
Please release the following information:
1. Al documents, including meeting minutes and internal communications, regarding
the decision to have Christchurch officers carry firearms on their person specifical y
until further notice (or other wording to similar effect).
2. Al documents, including meeting minutes and internal communications, regarding
plans to discontinue the general arming of Christchurch frontline officers.
3. Any risk assessment conducted regarding the temporary general arming of
Christchurch frontline officers.
4. Any documents, such as guidelines or process documents, regarding how an order
to arm frontline officers may be given.
5. Any documents, such as guidelines or process documents, regarding how an order
to arm frontline officers is reviewed.
Between 28 June 2019 and 12 July 2019, Police responded to your request, releasing
information to you. Some information was withheld pursuant to sections 6(c), 9(2)(a), and
9(2)(g)(i) of the Official Information Act 1982.
You subsequently asked the Office of the Ombudsman (the Office) to review Police’s
response to your request. Police received communications from the Office between 14
October 2019 and 20 May 2021.
In view of the receipt of the latter communications, Police has reviewed its response to
your request. This review has uncovered further information that falls within the purview
of your request. Along with the recently discovered further information, Police has
decided to release some information that was previously withheld.
I enclose the fol owing information:
A summary of the approval of routine carriage of firearms in Canterbury for the
period 27 February to 3 March 2019, which includes the precipitating incidents, an
explanation of the decision-making process District Commander Superintendent
John Price undertook, and Superintendents John Price and Corrie Parnel and
Inspector Ashley Tabb’s recol ections of briefings held 27 February to 1 March 2019;
Te Wai Pounamu Information Request Team
Service Delivery
Phone: 105 ext. 36624 or 36457
Email: [email address]
Notebook entries of Inspector Ashley Tabb taken during the aforementioned
briefings;
All emails in relation to routine carriage of firearms in Canterbury for the period 27
February to 3 March 2019;
New Zealand Police Our Business 2018-19;
New Zealand Police firearms policy;
New Zealand Police TENR policy;
New Zealand Police Tactical Options Framework.
We have withheld some of the information you have requested for the following reasons:
Section 6(c) of the Official Information Act 1982: release of the information would be
likely to prejudice the maintenance of law, including the prevention, investigation,
and detection of offences, and the right to a fair trial.
Section 9(2)(a) of the Official Information Act 1982: there is a need to protect the
privacy of persons, including that of deceased persons. Police considers the
interests requiring protection by withholding the information are not outweighed by
any public interest in release of the information.
You have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review my decision if you are not satisfied
with Police’s response to your request. You can find more information here:
http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/make-a-complaint/complaining-about-access-to-
official-information-551307291224432.
The Office wil be sent a copy of this letter and the enclosed documents.
Yours sincerely,
Rachel Milne
Rachel Milne
Te Wai Pounamu Information Request Team
Canterbury Supervisor
Service Delivery
New Zealand Police
Te Wai Pounamu Information Request Team
Service Delivery
Phone: 105 ext. 36624 or 36457
Email: [email address]
