Source: Privacy Commissioner
The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) and Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) released their Joint Inquiry into Police conduct when photographing members of the public (opens to PDF) on 8 September 2022. Report findings
The report found that a general lack of awareness amongst Police of their obligations under the Privacy Act led to officers routinely taking, using and retaining photographs when it is not lawful for them to do so. It also found that thousands of photographs of members of the public have been kept on the mobile phones of individual officers or, if transferred to the Police computer system, not destroyed after there is no longer a legitimate need for them. The Joint Inquiry was initiated in March 2021 after Wairarapa whnau complained that Police officers were photographing their rangatahi in circumstances they felt was unfair or unjustified.