Hon Amy Adams

Minister of Justice

Hon Michael Woodhouse

Minister of Police

1 December 2015

Police to trial family violence victim video statements

Justice Minister Amy Adams and Police Minister Michael Woodhouse welcome a pilot by frontline Police staff in Palmerston North to record victim video statements using their iPhone 6+ at the scene of certain family violence incidents.

“The Government is committed to improving its response to family violence and Police are at the frontline of how we can do this. I’m pleased to see Police finding innovative ways to use technology to make their response more efficient and more responsive to the needs of victims,” says Ms Adams.

“It will never be easy for a victim of family violence to face their abuser or to have to repeat their experience so it’s important we find ways to provide additional support to victims during this difficult process.

“The intent of this pilot is to provide a better service to victims of family violence and this aligns with initiatives the Government already has underway to improve the way we address family violence, better support victims and hold offenders to account,” Ms Adams says.

The initiative builds on input from frontline officers who, through a series of nationwide workshops, provided ideas for improving policing into the future.

“During the pilot, the video statements will be actively used to help investigate and prosecute family violence incidents,” Mr Woodhouse says.

“The benefits of good quality video statements include less likelihood of recanted statements, earlier guilty pleas and reduced court time.

“For frontline police officers, the intent is to expand the use of mobility devices like iPhones and improve productivity by reducing time spent on written statements – in keeping with their ‘more street than station’ approach,” Mr Woodhouse says.

The pilot will run for four months and conclude on 31 March 2016. An evaluation will follow to inform next steps.

Justice Sector agencies, including the Ministry of Justice, Corrections and the Judiciary have been involved in the initiative’s development.

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