Racism within the NZ Police must be addressed – Maori Council
The New Zealand Maori Council is calling on the Government to establish an Inquiry into Institutional racism in the New Zealand Police. Council’s Executive Director Matthew Tukaki has said “for too long our people within the force and outside in the community have been unfairly targeted and treated as second class citizens and this must end. In no way is racism in the ranks of Police against Maori officers and staff and of those people against Maori acceptable”.
“The latest iteration of this is the damning frontline policy around SUV’s with guns cocked driving around brown postcodes – this is a policy that quite clearly is aimed at Maori and people of color and to be frank this is in stark opposition to what they should be doing which is engaging more deeply with these communities when it comes to lowering crime. And its not just that example – there are the many stories that come to me about young Maori boys being pulled over for no real reason. In any other country it would be racial profiling. Then there was the case of an Auckland police officer who swore, called a man a c***, made racist remarks and threatened to use pepper spray on a man during an arrest last year, the Independent Police Conduct Authority found. That Police left the force but my question is how did he get a look in in the first place. There are dozens if not hundreds of reports of racism over the years.” Tukaki said
“Then there is the research that has largely been ignored that proves the Maori Councils point: “three pieces of relevant research on police attitudes to Maori, the MRL attitudinal surveys of the mid-1990s (MRL, 1993; 1995), and Dr Mike Roguski and Pania Te Whaiti’s Maori Attitudes Towards Police and Victoria University’s criminology research units Police Attitudes Towards Maori project, a summary of which was published by New Zealand Police and Te Puni Kokiri in 2001. What this body of research demonstrates is that many police officers hold negative and, in some cases, racist attitudes toward Maori.” Tukaki said
“The other disturbing thing is the case of Maoridom’s highest ranking Police officer, Wally Haumaha. This man is one of this nations most experienced officers and here he is being treated like a outside chance of becoming the Police Commissioner – when he has the operational, community and management experience to undertake the role. Passed over by a largely pakeha process that does more to exclude people like Wally than include him. Nothing short of scurrilous.” Tukaki said
“So this is what we are seeking. Firstly its about time that Maori are recognized in the ranks of the New Zealand Police and this includes the creation of a new role in equal rank to the Police Commissioner for Maori. In addition to this we will be writing to the Maori Affairs Select Committee of the Parliament to begin an Inquiry into institutional racism within the New Zealand Police. In addition to this we are also giving consideration to bringing on a Waitangi Tribunal and if the Parliament does not act through the Maori Affairs Select Committee we are also considering an open Inquiry conducted by the New Zealand Maori Council using section 18 of our Maori Community Development Act.” Tukaki said.
Letter to the Prime Minister sent 19/12/19
Dear Prime Minister, as Executive Director of the New Zealand Maori Council, and on behalf of the Chair of Council, Henare Mason, and all sixteen Chairs of the Districts of the Council I am writing to you on two important matters.
Firstly is the Councils fundamental concerns around the issues of institutional racism within the New Zealand Police. On the 20th of November I wrote to the Police Minister (email below) on the issue of black police SUV’s targeting mainly brown postcodes. SO concerned were we that we had asked the Police Minister to reassess the program for fear of both mission creep and the targeting and profiling of people of color. In that respect our deep concerns also flow through to the fact that most of our intelligence and Police were so focused on people of color as a threat to this country the open targeting of Maori was obvious in the Tuhoe raids and more. In the end it was a white male from Australia who caused havoc and yet we all knew of the existence of white supremacists in the South for a long time. The detention of a New Zealand Defence Force soldier recently for extremist ring wing views and the detaining and prosecuting of others for chairing the video of the terrorist attack online are but more examples of how the Police and others were so focused on people of color they failed to see what was in front of them. Then of course we have the situation of the many hundreds of stories from across Maoridom of where our people feel they have been wrongly targeted for no or little reason. The Police Commissioner has admitted the failings of the organisation and yet we see little action other than a velvet glove covering an iron fist approach.
Then there are those serving Maori officers who have also approached us with stories of how racism has impacted them in the force. So now we have a situation where that institutional racism is not only affecting everyday New Zealanders its also impacting on our people working with he Police. There is the research that has largely been ignored that proves the Maori Councils point: “three pieces of relevant research on police attitudes to Maori, the MRL attitudinal surveys of the mid-1990s (MRL, 1993; 1995), and Dr Mike Roguski and Pania Te Whaiti’s Maori Attitudes Towards Police and Victoria University’s criminology research units Police Attitudes Towards Maori project, a summary of which was published by New Zealand Police and Te Puni Kokiri in 2001. What this body of research demonstrates is that many police officers hold negative and, in some cases, racist attitudes toward Maori.
We are also deeply disappointed that the nation’s highest ranking Maori Police Officer was unable to make the final stage for the Police Commissioners role. A man with a significant amount of service and experience, engagement with the Te Ao Maori world and more – and yet he has been passed by yet again.
This is what we are seeking. Firstly it’s about time that Maori are recognized in the ranks of the New Zealand Police and this includes the creation of a new role in equal rank to the Police Commissioner for Maori. In addition to this we will be writing to the Maori Affairs Select Committee of the Parliament to begin an Inquiry into institutional racism within the New Zealand Police. In addition to this we are also giving consideration to bringing on a Waitangi Tribunal and if the Parliament does not act through the Maori Affairs Select Committee we are also considering an open Inquiry conducted by the New Zealand Maori Council using section 18 of our Maori Community Development Act. I have cc’ed the Chair of the Committee on this email for his reference in respect of a Maori Affairs Select Committee Inquiry. We would be happy to provide documentary evidence to such an Inquiry and to support the development of its terms of reference.
Prime Minister, I am sure you will agree with me that we are dealing with the most serious of matters – and that is institutional racism within the New Zealand Police – the agency that is here to both serve and protect. To many across the Maori world there is a feeling that “serve and protect” does not apply to us and an Inquiry such as this must be the first step to building trust and faith between the Treaty Partners.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Nga mihi,
Matthew Tukaki
Executive Director, New Zealand Maori Council
Chairman, New Zealand Maori Council Auckland District
Member, National Executive of New Zealand Maori Council
“The Independent Police Conduct Association (IPCA) investigation into Deputy Commissioner Wally Haumaha claims he was “belittling and humiliating” towards staff.
The IPCA began its investigation after receiving three complaints about DC Haumaha’s behaviour, including claims he had bullied two women from the Ministry of Justice and Corrections who were working on a joint project with police.
‘We struggled to get taken seriously’: Women speak out on Wally Haumaha inquiry
Police investigating claim Wally Haumaha phoned witness to bullying incident
Two women make formal complaints about Wally Haumaha
The report, released on Thursday, found his behaviour was “inappropriate and unprofessional” and “unnecessarily autocratic”.
“He exhibited intimidating and humiliating behaviour,” the report states.
“DC Haumaha showed a lack of judgement in expecting an autocratic management style to get the best from an inter-agency team.”
It’s the second review DC Haumaha has faced, after a separate inquiry led by Mary Scholtens QC looked into the process that led to him being appointed as Deputy Commissioner.
Ms Scholtens found there were no complaints made to police about Mr Haumaha’s conduct, and “without a complaint there was nothing to take into account”.
However she did acknowledge that his management style had come into question.
“The incidents reflected DC Haumaha’s adoption of a direct police-style approach to a multi-agency project, where a more orthodox public sector approach may have been appropriate.”
The two women who placed complaints about DC Haumaha’s behaviour with the Independent Police Conduct Authority say their complaints about bullying were minimised.
“In 2016 we struggled to get our complaints about Deputy Commissioner Haumaha’s behaviour taken seriously. We came up against impenetrable systemic barriers.
“We want to be clear: we complained,” the women wrote in a statement to Newshub.
“We were never given the opportunity by the police to formalise our complaints at that time. The outcome of these complaints is that our concerns were minimized and the incidents in question were never investigated.”
But this latest report finds he did act inappropriately and unprofessionally towards staff members.
Police Minister Stuart Nash has previously said he wasn’t prepared to put his confidence behind Mr Haumaha until the IPCA report was complete.
“We don’t want to prejudice that in any way, shape or form, so let’s just wait until that’s back,” he told media in November.
He said the decision on whether Mr Haumaha would return to his office would be a decision for the Police Commissioner.
But National’s police spokesperson Chris Bishop says his appointment has been a “debacle from the start”.
“Wally Haumaha’s position as the country’s second highest ranking cop is now untenable,” he says.
And National leader Simon Bridges agrees, calling it a “damning report”.
“It was Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who appointed Wally Haumaha. She now has to take responsibility and dismiss the man that she appointed to one of the most senior and powerful roles in the country,” he says.
“It would be unconscionable for Mr Haumaha to stay in this constitutionally important role given the seriousness of the IPCA findings.”
A separate review by the State Services Commission into how the different departments handled the bullying allegations is expected to be released on Thursday. ”
Matthew, I am surprised that you would want the top cop’s job to go to a man with a dodgy track record in treating women just because he is Maori.
Do you not know of the world-leading rates of New Zealand women being abused and killed by men ? That all women, and all good men, do not like women being abused, battered and treated like dogs – or worse – because it is morally wrong, it hurts, it is socially destructive, and it screws up kids who often end up in trouble- with the police, Matthew ? And that it is cowardly and sub-human ?
Contrary to your allegations here, the reports of investigation into complaints made against Mr Haumaha, suggest that the two Justice Dept women who made specific complaints against Mr Haumaha, struggled to be heard, suggesting that the police closed ranks and were protective of Mr Haumaha – Wally and the NZ Police force versus two women. Wow.
Do you think that the NZ Police were protecting Wally because he was Maori? Or was it just because he was a man? The boys protecting the boys as usual, eh ?
You, Sir, may have no problem with men who belittle women being put in positions of authority, but others do.
Nor is the first time that a Maori male has risen high in the ranks of the NZ Police and found wanting – not because of his race, but because of his own behaviour.
This could be why Maori women are now being given preferential help, and extra support, to advance through the police ranks. Speak to the wahine.
You have cited out-of-date research, possibly because you would struggle to find contemporary research to support your agenda.
“…this is a policy that quite clearly is aimed at Maori and people of color and to be frank this is in stark opposition to what they should be doing which is engaging more deeply with these communities when it comes to lowering crime.”
I suggest to you that this policy which you are complaining about, is not “aimed at Maori and people of colour,” it is aimed at reducing crime.
I further suggest to you that the community needs to engage with itself about the reasons for its crime- which are myriad – and that it is unrealistic and simplistic to sheet all responsibility onto the police. I suggest that you stop blaming them: successive neolib govts have damaged the social structure of this country, deliberately, and massively more than any cop ever could.