Further to the concerns raised by the Conservative Party of New Zealand regarding the media-revealed escalation in Police Misconduct, the party's attention now turns to the primary mechanism available to address this escalation - the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) plays a critical role in maintaining oversight over police conduct and ensuring accountability within the New Zealand Police force.

Given the importance of its functions, it is essential to enhance its capabilities and extend its powers to ensure more effective oversight and accountability.

Proposal for Increased Funding

The IPCA currently operates with the same powers as a Commission of Inquiry, enabling it to summon witnesses, gather evidence, and investigate complaints independently.

However, its effectiveness is often hampered by limited resources.

Whilst the IPCA has around 40 staff and a budget of $5 million a year, these resources are tiny compared to the Police's 14,000 staff and budget of $2.2 billion per year.

Increasing funding for the IPCA would allow it to expand its investigative capacity, reduce delays in processing complaints, and improve its ability to conduct thorough investigations.

This would also enable the IPCA to employ more staff, including legal experts and investigators, to handle the increasing volume of complaints efficiently.

The Conservative Party of New Zealand proposes a doubling of staff and a quadrupling of the annual budget for the IPCA.

Extension of Powers to Sanction and Prosecute

Currently, the IPCA can make recommendations for disciplinary or criminal proceedings but cannot itself lay charges or take disciplinary action.

Extending the IPCA's powers to independently sanction and prosecute police officers for misconduct would significantly enhance its role as an accountability mechanism.

This extension would ensure that the IPCA can take direct action against offending officers, rather than relying on the Police to act on its recommendations.

Empowering the IPCA to prosecute would also serve as a deterrent against misconduct, as individuals would be aware that the authority has the power to enforce consequences.

Given the rise in Police misconduct events and outcomes over recent years, the Conservative Party of New Zealand believes that the extension of these powers is both warranted and overdue.

Power to Name Police Officers Under Investigation

The IPCA can release information on its investigations in the public interest or in the interests of any person.

However, it does not currently have the power to name officers accused of misconduct.

Granting the IPCA the authority to name officers who are under investigation would enhance transparency and public trust.

Naming officers would also hold individuals accountable and prevent them from evading responsibility for their actions.

This measure would encourage higher standards of conduct within the police force and reassure the public that misconduct is being addressed openly and fairly.

The Conservative Party of New Zealand believes that if it is good enough for the Police to publicly name defendants for alleged offenses in the interest of open justice, though they are deemed innocent until proven guilty, then it is good enough for the IPCA to name Police Officers under IPCA investigation for the same reason.

A Truly Independent and Transparent IPCA

The IPCA only independently investigates 2 to 3% of the complaints it receives; the remainder of the complaints are handed back to the Police to investigate themselves, or dismissed by the IPCA at first pass.

With additional staffing and funding as recommended above, it is envisaged that the IPCA will be resourced to conduct more of its investigations, as it is simply not appropriate for a party to an investigation (particularly the Police) to investigate itself.

Despite being a Crown Entity, the IPCA is not subject to the Official Information Act (OIA) — open justice is essential to a free and democratic society, and the Conservative Party of New Zealand recommends legislative change that would submit the IPCA to the OIA.

Conclusion

Increasing staffing & funding for the IPCA, extending its powers to independently sanction, prosecute, name offending officers, and enhancing the true independence and transparency of the IPCA would significantly strengthen its ability to oversee police conduct and ensure proper accountability.

These measures are necessary to reverse the declining integrity of the New Zealand Police Force and restore public trust in law enforcement.

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