Police acknowledge and accept the findings of the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) in relation to the use of force against a woman in police custody in Tauranga in June 2019.

The IPCA found that a woman (referred to in the IPCA report as Ms X) arrested for fighting in Tauranga on 21 June 2019 was subjected to unnecessary and excessive force during her time in police custody, and that officers failed in their duty of care to Ms X by not conducting an assessment and checking alerts in the Police database earlier.

“Police acknowledge that we should have done more to ensure that the necessary checks and assessment took place when Ms X was taken into custody,” says Superintendent Andy McGregor, Bay of Plenty District Commander.

“This would have alerted officers to Ms X’s history and ensured an appropriate plan was able to be put in place to keep Ms X safe during her time in police custody, likely removing the need to use force to prevent Ms X from self-harming.”

“Police are committed to providing the highest level of care to people in our custody but in this instance we did not meet the standard required,” says Superintendent McGregor.

“The issues highlighted in the report have been raised with the staff involved and the need to adhere to policies in place has been reinforced.”

“Earlier this year, Police commenced a national custody programme to deliver an effective, safe and transparent custodial service that all stakeholders can have trust and confidence in.

The findings from this IPCA report will feed into that ongoing work programme.”

© Scoop Media