Police consider IPCA findings on liquor store shooting

Police have already addressed many of the issues identified in the Independent Police Conduct Authority's report into the police response to the shooting of Navtej Singh in Manurewa on 7 June 2008.

Deputy Commissioner Rob Pope said Police began its own review of the incident as soon as it happened.

"We looked at all aspects of our response and identified several improvements, particularly in regard to the way we take command of serious incidents and control the response of our staff in the field."

Under the Independent Police Conduct Authority Act 1988, Police are now required to make a formal response to the Authority's recommendations.

"We received the final version of the report two days ago. We'll take some time to look at it thoroughly and provide a considered response to the Authority about any other changes we might need to make," Mr Pope said.

Police this morning visited Mr Singh's family and spoke to his widow Harjinder Kaur.

"We again expressed our deep sympathy to her on her loss. We told her that Police urgently wanted to help her husband and get medical support to him as quickly as possible and as safely as possible. A regrettable series of events came together to create a delay and ideally we should have got to him sooner. We have apologised to the family for this.

"However we should not lose sight of the fact that it was Anitelia Chan Kee who pulled the trigger and is now serving a 17-year prison term for Mr Singh's murder."

The IPCA report said the delay was "arguably a breach of the Police duty of care to preserve life". Mr Pope rejected this, saying the catalogue of events which together caused the delay cannot be assembled into that conclusion.

"Public safety is fundamental to New Zealand Police. Officers' actions that night were solely driven by responding without creating additional risks to others including ambulance crew.

"Police officers demonstrate their commitment to public safety every hour around the clock in intense and often dangerous situations and they are to be commended for this."

Mr Pope said Police early on identified a need to enhance command and control procedures and this has been done. However there will be no change to the "cordon, contain and voice appeal" approach to armed incidents.

This is international best practice and has stood the test of time in keeping the public and police staff safe. The policy was developed in response to several needless deaths of innocent people and has been continuously improved in line with changing circumstances.

He said the extra staff now working in Counties Manukau as a result of a Government initiative were helping to ease some of the pressures. Of the 300 promised, 209 are in place with the rest on track to be operational by Christmas.

Police have also put a lot of effort into working with retailers, dairy owners and liquor store owners in the area to reduce the risk of them becoming crime targets.

"The feedback has been positive, with many reporting an increased confidence in police since the June 2008 incident in Riverton Road," Mr Pope said.

ENDS

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