This is a summary of the review of Police and iwi/Maori relationships and what can be done together to reduce offending and victimisation. It draws together information from interviews with iwi/Maori stakeholders, police and government agencies,offending and victimisation statistics, workforce and population data, and analysis of research.
This review has been timed to inform Police structure, capacity and partnerships with iwi/Maori as part of delivering Prevention First (PF), Turning of the Tide (T4), the Road Policing Strategy (RPS), the Responsiveness to Maori (RTM) framework and meeting wider Better Public Services targets.
Purpose
This is a review of Police and iwi/Maori relationships and what can be done together to reduce offending and victimisation. It draws together information from interviews with iwi/Maori stakeholders, police and government agencies, offending and victimisation statistics, workforce and population data, and analysis of research. This review has been timed to informPolice structure, capacity and partnerships with iwi/Maori as part of delivering Prevention First (PF) and the Turning of the Tide (T4), the Road Policing Strategy (RPS), the Responsiveness to Maori (RTM) framework and meeting wider Better Public Services targets.
Methodology
Interviews with 137 people were undertaken in 10 of the 12 Police Districts (all except Southern and Tasman). Half were with Maori: iwi leaders, kuia, kaumatua, Maori Wardens, Maori social service providers and men participating in a family violence programme. The remainder of the interviews were with a broad range of Police staff, from District Commanders to Authorised Officers and staff in advisory and management roles. Two interviews were undertaken with staff from other Government agencies (Te Puni Kokiri and Probation). The majority of interviews were in-depth, one-on-one and face-to-face.
Generic titles have been used when describing the source of quotes, to protect identities. For example Maori Advisory Board (MAB) member is used for people on Maori Focus Forums as well (as this name was used in fewer areas). In some instances, Maori officers have been identified as such, given their ability to comment as both officers and Maori.
Independent research on Maori and Police relationships has been used to provide an outside perspective. The review has also drawn on the comprehensive literature review Identifying and responding to bias in the criminal justice system: a review of the international and New Zealand research by Morrison (2009) and reviews of Police, the justice sector and the wider public service. Crime and victimisation statistics have come from published sources and analysis of Police data.
Updates were provided to the Commissioner’s Maori Focus Forum part way through the review, and members of this forum were consulted on the draft report.