Advisory: Police exercise at Mānawa Bay is now live

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

Police can advise that a planned training exercise at Mānawa Bay, near Auckland Airport is now under way.

The public are reminded that they may see tactical Police staff and other emergency services outside the centre.

There is no cause for alarm.

This exercise is taking place outside of Mānawa Bay’s operating hours.

Mānawa Bay and its car park are closed to the general public.

Police will issue a further advisory once the exercise is completed.

ENDS

Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

VANUATU: Families find climate-smart ways to grow crops

Source: Save The Children

Tropical Cyclone Lola was one of the most powerful off-season storms to strike the Pacific when it made landfall in October 2023 with wind speeds of up to 215 km/h, destroying homes, schools and plantations, claiming the lives of at least four people [2] and affecting about 91,000 people [1]. 

Recovery efforts were made significantly more challenging when Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila was then hit by a 7.3 magnitude earthquake in December last year, claiming 14 lives and destroying critical infrastructure.

Madleen, 11, said when the cyclone hit, her family’s crops were destroyed, leaving them short of food. 

“It destroyed the food crops. When we came outside, we saw the crops were destroyed. The banana tree was just bearing fruit and it was destroyed. And we didn’t have enough food. We were eating rice, but we were almost running short. We were not eating well, we ate just enough. I felt bad.”  

After the cyclone, a shortage of nutritious food put children at risk of hunger as well as diseases like diarrhea, with typically an increase in the number of children hospitalised for diarrhea following cyclones, Save the Children said. 

Vanuatu is already one of the most climate disaster-prone countries in the world, and scientists say tropical cyclones will become more extreme as the climate crisis worsens. This will disproportionately impact children due to food shortages, disruption to education and psychosocial trauma associated with experiencing disasters. 

Save the Children, alongside Vanuatu’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, Fisheries, and Biosecurity (MALFFB) and local partners, is supporting Madleen and her family through the Tropical Cyclone Lola Recovery Programme, which is helping improve food security and resilience in communities impacted by the cyclone. 

As a part of the Recovery Programme, over 1,100 households have received climate-resistant [3] seeds from a seedbank. These seeds, for growing watermelon, papaya, Chinese cabbage, tomato, capsicum and cucumber, are proven to perform in Vanuatu’s changing climate, with tolerance to high rainfall, drought, pests and disease. Farmers are encouraged to preserve the seeds from crops and sell them back to the seed bank. 

The programme is also training communities in other climate-smart agricultural techniques such as growing smaller fruit trees that are robust enough to withstand strong cyclone winds.

Save the Children has also built a collapsible nursery for plants in Madleen’s community that can be taken down when a cyclone is predicted, so saplings and trees can be stored, protected and replanted after it passes.

Save the Children Vanuatu Country Director, Polly Banks, said:

“In just 18 months, people in Vanuatu have been deeply shaken by a devastating cyclone and a powerful earthquake.

“Children have borne the brunt of this, with food taken off their plates, crops destroyed, homes and schools damaged and diseases on the rise. As the climate crisis accelerates, we must work with communities to strengthen their resilience, so children and their families are better equipped to face whatever comes next.

“We’re working in partnership with the Government of Vanuatu and local partners to help communities build the skills and resources they need to support themselves when future cyclones and disasters strike.”

Save the Children has been working in in Vanuatu for more than 40 years to make sure children are learning, protected from harm, and grow up healthy and strong.  

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Custody officer uses unjustified force in Manukau Custody Unit

Source: Independent Police Conduct Authority

Custody officer used unjustified force in Manukau Custody Unit

17 April 2025

The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that a custody officer used unjustified force on a male prisoner in the Counties Manukau Custody Unit.

On 14 November 2023, a 19-year-old man was received into the District Custody Unit at Manukau. While in a holding cell, he began banging his head backwards against a concrete wall. Custody officers told him to stop and warned him that he would otherwise be placed in a restraint chair. However, the man banged his head a further three times.

While a restraint chair was being prepared, Custody Officer A went into the cell alone and pulled the man to his feet. The man resisted and moved into a corner of the cell, where Custody Officer A struck him while attempting to restrain him.

Two other custody officers entered and assisted in removing the man from the cell. As they escorted him towards the door, Custody Officer A punched the man in the face, saying that he believed the man was about to spit at him.

We found that custody officers should have made further attempts to stop the man from banging his head before looking to use a restraint chair, which should only be used as a last resort. Custody officers also failed to seek authority from a supervisor before using the restraint chair, as is required by Police policy.

We found that Custody Officer A should not have intervened on his own as there was no immediate threat to the man’s safety, and that it was unreasonable and unjustified for him to strike the man while in the corner of the cell.

Custody Officer A was justified in using force to stop the man from spitting at him. However, by punching him in the face, he used excessive force to do so.

Police completed their own investigation. They concluded it was not in the public interest to charge Custody Officer A but conducted a disciplinary process regarding his use of excessive force. We agree with this process and outcome.

The Authority completed its investigation in July 2024 but was obliged to wait for Police processes before publishing its report.

Public Report

Police actions during the investigation and prosecution of defendants for the murder of Mr Palmiro MacDonald

Source: Independent Police Conduct Authority

The Independent Police Conduct Authority examined complaints regarding the actions of three Police officers, referred to as Officers A, B, and C, involved in the investigation and the subsequent trial of the defendants accused of murdering Mr Palmiro MacDonald on 23 March 2016.

The defendants’ legal representatives raised concerns regarding all these officers.

Officer A interviewed a prisoner, Witness A, who reported that a defendant in the same facility admitted to his involvement in Mr MacDonald’s murder and implicated co-defendants. The defence counsel complained that Officer A did not adequately document his interactions with Witness A or disclose necessary records before the pre-trial hearing.

Officer B, the second in charge of the murder investigation, was responsible for disclosure. The defence counsel complained that he failed to disclose a letter of assistance that Witness A received for cooperating, which was vital for challenging Witness A’s credibility. It was also said that Officer B did not inform the Solicitor-General about this letter when submitting an affidavit supporting the Crown’s application for Witness A’s anonymity, and that he wrongly asserted that Witness A had no reason to be dishonest. The Crown Prosecutor initially dismissed the defence’s concerns about the undisclosed letter. It was only during cross-examination at the pre-trial hearing that the letter was acknowledged and disclosed to the defence.

The application for anonymity was unsuccessful. Following this, Officer C, along with the Crown Prosecutor and his junior, met with Witness A in prison to discuss the situation and ascertain whether he would be willing to give evidence without anonymity. After their meeting, the Crown Prosecutor instructed Officer C not to record his presence or that of his junior in his notebook. Officer C did note their presence in his notebook, but later submitted a job sheet to the Court that omitted this information. The defence counsel expressed concerns that Officer C’s notebook was not disclosed as it should have been and that his actions misled the Court and could potentially constitute an offence of perverting the course of justice.

The Authority has found that:

• Officer A’s notetaking was adequate.

• Officer A’s failure to disclose his interview notes and Witness A’s letters, while not intentional, constituted a breach of his obligations.

• Witness A’s letter of assistance should have been disclosed to the Court.

• The failure to disclose the document was a mistake rather than a deliberate act.

• Officer A should have informed the investigation team that he had uploaded a copy of the letter of assistance into the special case folder he had created.

• Officer B should have followed up with either Officer A or D about the status of this document.

• Officer C should not have omitted to record the presence of the Crown prosecutor and his junior at the meeting in his job sheet.

• Officer C did not mislead or attempt to mislead the Court.

• Officer C’s conduct did not amount to an attempt to pervert the course of justice.

• Officer C did not state that he disclosed all the information he had.

• On the evidence, it is not possible to make a finding on the issue of disclosure of Officer C’s notebook.

The Authority is recommending that Police prescribe in policy that interviews conducted for the purpose of taking statements from prison informant witnesses should be audio or video recorded as standard practice.

Fatal crash following Police pursuit near Otaki

Source: Independent Police Conduct Authority

Fatal crash following Police pursuit near Ōtaki

15 April 2025

On 26 April 2024, Police began a brief pursuit of a stolen Ford Courier ute traveling south from Levin on State Highway 1, because it had been involved in an aggravated robbery in Ōtaki. The pursuit was abandoned promptly due to the excessive speed.

Subsequently, the ute was observed driving north in the southbound lane of the expressway. The ute ultimately collided head-on with a Toyota Fortuner SUV north of Ōtaki. The driver of the Ute, 16-year-old Reihana Hawea, was pronounced dead at the scene. Another passenger, Tama Whakarau, later succumbed to injuries at the hospital, while a third passenger sustained serious injuries but survived the incident. The four occupants of the Toyota Fortuner sustained injuries ranging from serious to moderate, but all survived.

The Authority conducted an independent investigation, which concluded that, overall, the Police managed the fleeing driver incident appropriately. Notably, the Police considered closing the road to minimise risks to other road users. However, this option was ultimately deemed unfeasible given the circumstances.

We identified some minor breaches of the ‘Fleeing driver’ policy, including:

• Officer B, who was a crew member in the leading pursuit vehicle, should have managed the radio communications;

• Officer D should not have followed the fleeing vehicle with his warning lights activated, as this briefly recommenced the pursuit; and

• Officer A should not have activated his warning lights without first obtaining permission from the pursuit controller.

The Authority is recommending that Police amend their ‘Fleeing driver’ policy to specify that when a Police vehicle is carrying crew members, those crew members are responsible for managing Police communications during pursuits.

Public Report

Fatal crash following Police pursuit near Ōtaki (PDF 625 KB)

Police breach policy during fatal fleeing driver incident at Manukau

Source: Independent Police Conduct Authority

10 April 2025

The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that officers at Manukau breached policy when involved in a fleeing driver incident that resulted in a crash and death of a man (Mr Z).

At about 11.42pm on 17 June 2024, a Police unit in the Manukau CBD stopped and briefly spoke to Mr Z due to his car having stolen number plates. Mr Z drove away at speed. Within a minute, another Police unit signalled Mr Z to stop but he failed to do so. Officers in that second unit failed to comply with policy when they did not abandon a pursuit by way of stopping and turning off their emergency lights.

Two other officers were a short distance away on Lambie Drive and heard events on the Police radio. They decided to set up road spikes to try to stop the car. The Authority found that these officers breached policy by not informing Comms of their plan, although we acknowledge the event was fast moving.

When an officer stepped out from behind a signboard to throw the spikes onto the road, Mr Z swerved and lost control of the car, which struck a tree and caught fire. Officers summoned assistance and used fire extinguishers to put out the fire, before assisting Mr Z and his female passenger. Their actions in this respect were commendable.

Mr Z died at the scene and his passenger was seriously injured.

It transpired that the car was stolen (separately from the stolen number plates), Mr Z had methamphetamine in his system, he was breaching a court-imposed curfew, and he was driving dangerously. However, we found that if officers had complied with existing Police policy, this crash might have been avoided.

This case highlights the need for officers to understand the ‘Fleeing Driver’ and ‘Tyre Deflation Devices’ policy requirements and the reasons behind them, which are for their own safety as well as the safety of others. We did not recommend that Police consider charging any of the officers involved with a criminal offence.

The Authority acknowledges this matter involves the death of a man and injury to a woman and we extend our sympathy to those involved.

Public Report

Police breach policy during fatal fleeing driver incident at Manukau (PDF 562 KB)

Police officer unjustified in driving into and punching a man in Whitianga

Source: Independent Police Conduct Authority

8 April 2025

The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that a Police officer was unjustified in ramming a man with his patrol car and punching him seven times, after the man used a skateboard to smash the patrol car’s windscreen and window. Both the officer and the man were injured.

The incident occurred on 9 March 2023, when two officers went to an apartment complex in Whitianga to arrest the man for aggravated robbery. One officer drove to the scene while the second approached on foot from another direction. As the first officer drove into the carpark, the man walked towards him, yelling and raising his skateboard before striking the windscreen and the driver’s window.

The officer was covered in shattered glass which got into his eyes. He said he feared for his life. Although he initially started driving away, he decided to turn back. He says he did this out of concern that the man would attack the second officer. Upon seeing the man again walking towards him holding the skateboard, the officer rammed him with the patrol car. The man became airborne before landing between the car and a fence. The officer then got out of his car and punched the man seven times in the head area before the second officer arrived and handcuffed the man. The incident was captured on CCTV.

Police charged the man with intentional damage and intentionally injuring the officer. On 12 June 2023, the man was convicted on both charges.

Police also charged the officer with common assault and assault with intent to injure. The case was tried before a judge and jury on 16 May 2024, and the officer was acquitted.

While the Authority accepts that the officer acted in defence of himself and the second officer when ramming the man with his car, we found that the officer’s response was a disproportionate and unjustified use of force, considering that the slightest miscalculation or loss of control could have resulted in a fatality.

In respect of the punches, the Authority did not accept that the officer genuinely believed the man still posed a threat. This use of force was, therefore, also unjustified.

Public Report 

Use of Police vehicle as a weapon and punching in Whitianga unjustified (PDF 408 KB)

Horotiu Road closed, serious crash

Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

Horotiu Road south of Te Kowhai is blocked due to a serious crash.

Police were called to the crash, in which a single vehicle hit a power pole, about 4:40pm.

Traffic is being diverted at Woolrich Road.

Initial indications are that there are critical injuries.

The Serious Crash Unit has been advised and contractors are on site for the power pole.

ENDS

Health – Alcohol and mental health symposium at Parliament – 5 May 2025

Source: Alcohol Healthwatch

Alcohol Healthwatch are excited to be joining E Tipu E Rea Whānau Services, Takanga A Fohe, Le Va, Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka | University of Otago, Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, and the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and Other Drugs (APSAD) deliver a symposium on alcohol and mental health.
This symposium will take place at the Grand Hall in Parliament, and aims to:
– Hear from and build on promising practice in prevention, early intervention, and research.
– Facilitate meaningful relationships supporting the collective goal of taking action on the intersection between alcohol and mental health challenges.
– Produce an attendee-informed consensus statement reflecting people’s experiences to guide future efforts in this space.
Boasting a 150 strong audience of health and policy professionals, mental health and alcohol NGOs and importantly, individuals bringing lived experience, the symposium will be an opportunity to identify key action areas for prevention and early intervention in this important area.
Hosted by Aotearoa New Zealand’s first-ever Minister for Mental Health, Hon. Matt Doocey, the time to act has never been better. We will be bringing a range of people together including those with lived experience, young people, professionals, and community champions from the wide range of sectors impacted by alcohol and mental health challenges.