Today Police and the Understanding Policing Delivery (UPD) Independent Panel have released a report, Kia Tika Ai, Kia Tōkeke Ai: Make Fair and Just Decisions, which summarises the phase two research of UPD.

Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says he is pleased to have been able to see this important work through from the beginning to the end.

“A number of recommendations have come out of this report and the earlier one (released in August).

"Police has already accepted a number from the first report.

“Whilst this new report will be for the incoming Commissioner and Executive to consider, the recommendations are broadly in line with work already underway in Police across a range of different work programmes.

“I want to thank our staff and communities for taking part and sharing their honest and vulnerable experiences.

"We know our staff are dealing with individuals every day who may have their own struggles, issues, addictions, or complex needs.

"I know our people work very hard to provide the best response in every circumstance.

“This research has shown the value in pursuing a deeper understanding of ourselves and all the communities we serve.”

The Panel identified the following themes across the phase two UPD research:

• Authentic and collaborative community and policing innovations are making a difference

• Systems, processes and cumulative experiences are getting in the way of fair and equitable policing for all communities

• Some incidents of unprofessional conduct were reported

• Being under-served, seen as undeserving, or being treated unfairly by police, is harmful.

“This is not a barometer of policing in New Zealand but an in-depth look at what works, and what is not working.

"We wanted to see policing from some of the perspectives and experiences of people in marginalised communities.”

Tā Kim Workman, Pou Ārahi and the first chair of the UPD Independent Panel says if there is one thing that stands out for him, it is the way the Police engaged in this research.

“The remarkable foresight and courage of Commissioner Coster in initiating this work will mark him out historically.

"What was even more remarkable was the preparedness of frontline staff to engage in the fairness and equity conversation.

“No other police jurisdiction has managed to get that level of Police staff cooperation.

"This was not research about the Police – it was research with the Police.

"That preparedness to have ‘difficult conversations’ explains why we arguably have the most progressive Police service in the world.”

The phase one research gave an indication of what the inequities were and who experienced them through an analysis of existing Police data.

In phase two, the qualitative approach provided insights into how these inequities are experienced by different communities and Police, including their impacts and what would make the difference.

This includes tangible ways forward towards fairer and more equitable policing and examples of where this is already happening.

The phase two research included engagement with tāngata whaikaha, D/deaf and disabled people, wāhine Māori who experience family harm, people who have experienced significant mental distress, Takatāpui and members of the rainbow community, gang whānau and some Police sites of innovation.

A deliberate focus was on gathering voices not typically heard.

UPD Independent Panel Chairperson Professor Khylee Quince says our researchers deliberately sought to hear the good and the bad of policing.

“Some of the experiences shared by community members in encounters with Police will be confronting to hear, and we thank them for their courage in coming forward.

“The researchers also heard of good Police practice across various sites of innovation around Aotearoa.

“Together these insights support our recommendations – that Police do more of what leads to fair and equitable policing, and less of what does not align with Police values, the upholding of human rights and their obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

“The Panel looks forward to the acceptance of this research by Police and the implementation and oversight of its recommendations under the incoming Police leadership team.”

Notes:

This report makes eleven recommendations that build on the forty recommendations from the first phase research. The phase two recommendations are summarised below:

1. Value relational ways of working with communities and police-experienced whānau to provide more effective solutions

2. Amplify Māori and community-led local collaborations, where the Police play a supporting, enabling and resourcing role

3. Introduce a practising certificate for all police officers, supported by ongoing professional development

4. Further enhance Police training on de-escalation, history, Māori and other cultural responses and disability rights and disability justice to empower Police Officers

5. Embed an organisational learning approach across the Police and lead out from the top

6. Commit to regular analysis and public reporting on levels of service delivery and equity for Māori and marginalised communities

7. Build on the Police Disability Roadmap to embed disability and mental health responsive policing model as standard

8. Introduce independent governance and monitoring for all uses of TASER on people with existing health and disability conditions, children under 18, older people, and those in secure units, to ensure safe practice

9. Work with disabled people and whānau to record relevant individual information as a flag in NIA to support positive and effective engagement

10. Monitor and evaluate local and national innovative programmes and collaborations with iwi, communities and other agencies to scale what works

11. Build on the existing Āwhi programme to ensure Police Officers can, and do, act as a conduit to community and specialist supports and services.

The report can be viewed here.

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