NZ Police says involved staff represents 'a very small proportion' of its workforce
The New Zealand Police is investigating more than 30 employees for sexual misconduct, according to a new report, as it maintained that it does not have a widespread workplace problem related to the misbehaviour.
Data obtained by Radio New Zealand through the Official Information Act (OIA) revealed that 33 New Zealand Police employees are under investigation for sexual misconduct.
Six of these investigations had been going on for more than 500 days, according to the RNZ report, while one of the probes had its allegations redacted because releasing the allegation code could identify someone connected to the investigation.
Leigh MacDonald, the acting chief operating officer of NZ Police, told RNZ that they believe the figures do not indicate a widespread problem at the organisation.
"The number of staff linked to these allegations represents a very small proportion of the police workforce," MacDonald told the news outlet.
"At the same time, it is important that people feel able to raise concerns, and that those concerns are listened to and assessed or investigated appropriately."
He added that the NZ Police is taking allegations of sexual misconduct seriously, regardless of who was involved.
"The message is clear - nobody is above the law or the standards expected of Police employees," he said. "Every member of police's more than 16,000 staff is expected to act with integrity and professionalism and will be held to account where misconduct is established."
NZ Police staff under probe
The sexual misconduct figures form part of a broader picture of investigations being carried out against NZ Police staff.
RNZ's OIA request revealed that there are 271 open investigations involving 325 police employees at NZ Police. Among them, 109 are listed as employment process only, while the rest involve both employment and criminal matters.
In addition to sexual misconduct, the probes deal with allegations of perjury, manual use of force, such as striking, kicking or restraining, conflict of interest, drugs or alcohol, and disgraceful behaviour.
According to RNZ's report, seven of the investigations had been open for more than 1,000 days, while nearly 30 probes were older than 500 days.
MacDonald said some cases take longer because they are "complex and involve criminal investigations, external oversight, legal proceedings, multiple witnesses, large volumes of material, or procedural requirements that must be followed."
"The focus is on resolving matters more quickly while maintaining fairness, natural justice, and procedural integrity," he said as quoted by RNZ.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers previously called out the length of probes involving employees.
Chambers said that employment investigations should be resolved within 60 days, while criminal investigations should only take slightly longer, according to RNZ.
MacDonald said the police already has a "significant programme of work" to improve the timely resolution of employment and conduct matters.
"We are already seeing improvements in case progression and resolution rates, but there is still work to do," he said.
Chambers himself is under investigation amid allegations of his conduct towards women, according to another RNZ report. The commissioner has "strongly" rejected the claims and vowed to cooperate fully with the investigation.
