Historical background of the New Zealand

The history of New Zealand dates back at least 700 years to when it was discovered and
settled by Polynesians, who developed a distinct Māori culture centred on kinship links and
land. The first European explorer to sight New Zealand was Dutch navigator Abel Tasman on
13 December 1642.[1] The Dutch were also the first non-natives to explore and chart New
Zealand's coastline. Captain James Cook, who reached New Zealand in October 1769 on the
first of his three voyages,[2] was the first European explorer to circumnavigate and map New
Zealand. From the late 18th century, the country was regularly visited by explorers and other
sailors, missionaries, traders and adventurers. In 1840 the Treaty of Waitangi was signed
between the British Crown and various Māori chiefs, bringing New Zealand into the British
Empire and giving Māori the same rights as British subjects. There was extensive British
settlement throughout the rest of the century and into the early part of the next century. War
and the imposition of a European economic and legal system led to most of New Zealand's
land passing from Māori to Pākehā (European) ownership, and most Māori subsequently
became impoverished.[3]
From the 1890s the New Zealand Parliament enacted a number of progressive initiatives,
including women's suffrage and old age pensions. The country remained an enthusiastic
member of the British Empire, and 110,000 men fought in World War I (see New Zealand
Expeditionary Force). After the war New Zealand signed the Treaty of Versailles (1919), joined
the League of Nations, and pursued an independent foreign policy, while its defence was still
controlled by Britain.
When World War II broke out in 1939, New Zealanders contributed to the defence of the British
Empire; the country contributed some 120,000 troops. From the 1930s the economy was
highly regulated and an extensive welfare state was developed. Meanwhile, Māori culture
underwent a renaissance, and from the 1950s Māori began moving to the cities in large
numbers. This led to the development of a Māori protest movement which in turn led to greater
recognition of the Treaty of Waitangi in the late 20th century.
The country's economy suffered in the aftermath of the 1973 global energy crisis, the loss of
New Zealand's biggest export market upon Britain's entry to the European Economic
Community, and rampant inflation. In 1984, the Fourth Labour Government was elected amid
a constitutional and economic crisis. The interventionist policies of the Third National
Government were replaced by "Rogernomics", a commitment to a free market economy.
Foreign policy after 1980 became more independent especially in pushing for a nuclear-free
zone. Subsequent governments have generally maintained these policies, although tempering
the free market ethos somewhat.
New Zealand Police

The New Zealand Police (Māori: Ngā Pirihimana o

Aotearoa)[n 2] is the national police force of New
Zealand, responsible for enforcing criminal law,
enhancing public safety, maintaining order and keeping
the peace throughout New Zealand. With over 11,000
staff it is the largest law enforcement agency in New
Zealand and, with few exceptions, has primary
jurisdiction over the majority of New Zealand criminal law. The New Zealand Police also has
responsibility for traffic and commercial vehicle enforcement as well as other key responsibilities
including protection of dignitaries, firearms licensing and matters of national security.
The first law enforcement agency in New Zealand was established in 1840, modelled on
similar constabularies that existed in Britain at that time. It was initially part police and part militia. By
the end of the 19th century policing by consent was the goal. The New Zealand Police has generally
enjoyed a reputation for mild policing, however there have been significant cases when the use of
force was criticised, such as during the 1981 Springbok tour.
The current Minister of Police is Stuart Nash. While the New Zealand Police is a government
department with a ministerresponsible for it, the Commissioner and sworn members swear allegiance
directly to the Sovereign and, by convention, have constabulary independence from the government
of the day. The New Zealand Police is perceived to have a very low level of institutional corruption.[2][3]

Origins and History

Policing in New Zealand started in 1840 with the arrival of six constables accompanying Lt.
Governor Hobson's official landing party to form the colony of New Zealand. Early policing
arrangements were along similar lines to the UK and British colonial police forces, in particular
the Royal Irish Constabulary and the New South Wales Police Force. Many of its first officers had seen
prior service in either Ireland or Australia. The early Force was initially part police and part militia.
At the outset, official establishment of sworn constables holding common law powers to arrest people
was achieved by magistrates being given the power to swear them in via the Magistrates Ordinance
of 1842. By 1846, the emerging organisation of a police force was recognised with the passage of
the Armed Constabulary Ordinance. New Zealand's early police force continued to grow with
the colony and was further enhanced with additional structure and rules with the passage of the first
Police Act, the New Zealand Armed Constabulary Act of 1867. The Armed Constabulary took part in
military actions against Māori opponents Riwha Titokowaru in Taranaki and Te Kooti in the central
North Island in the dying stages of the New Zealand Wars.[4]
From the police force's beginnings in 1840 through the next forty years, policing arrangements varied
around New Zealand. Whilst the nationally organised Armed Constabulary split its efforts between
regular law enforcement functions and militia support to the land wars, some provinces desired local
police forces of their own. This led to a separate Provincial Police Force Act being passed by the
Parliament. However, provincial policing models lasted only two decades as economic depression in
the 1870s saw some provinces stop paying their police as they ran out of money. Eventually, the
government decided a single nationally organised police would be the best and most efficient policing
arrangement.
The New Zealand Police Force was established as a single national force under the Police Force
Act of 1886. The change in name was significant, and provincial policing arrangements were dis-
established and their staff largely absorbed into the newly created New Zealand Police Force. At the
same time, government took the important step to hive off the militia functions of the old Armed
Constabulary, and form the genesis of today's New Zealand Defence Force, initially called in 1886 the
New Zealand Permanent Militia.
Just a decade later, policing in New Zealand was given a significant overhaul. In 1898 there was a
very constructive Royal Commission of Enquiry into New Zealand Police. The Royal Commission,
which included the reforming Commissioner Tunbridge who had come from the Metropolitan Police in
London, produced a far reaching report which laid the basis for positive reform of New Zealand Police
for the next several decades. A complete review of Police's legislation in 1908 built significantly off the
Royal Commission's work.
A further Police Force Act in 1947 reflected some changes of a growing New Zealand, and a country
coming out of World War II. The most significant change in the structure and arrangement for police
came after the departure of Commissioner Compton under a cloud of government and public concern
over his management of Police in 1955. The appointment of a caretaker civilian leader of Police,
especially titled "Controller General" to recognise his non-operational background, opened the
windows on the organisation and allowed a period of positive and constructive development to take
place.
In 1958, the word "Force" was removed from the name when legislation was significantly revised.
On 1 July 1992, the Traffic Safety Service of the Ministry of Transport was merged with the Police. Up
until that time, the Ministry of Transport and local councils had been responsible for traffic law
enforcement. In 2001, the Police re-established a specialist road policing branch known as the
Highway Patrol. Today the Police are responsible for enforcing traffic law, while local councils enforce
parking regulations.[5] In 2010, after some calls to split traffic enforcement again from standard police
duties, it was decided that it would remain part of their duties, partly due to the public having shown
"enormous support" for it remaining this way.[6]
The Police Act 1958 was extensively reviewed starting in 2006, after a two and a half year consultative
process the Policing Act 2008 came into effect on 1 October 2008.[7][8] The process included the world's
first use of a wiki to allow the public to submit or propose amendments. The wiki was open for less
than two weeks, but drew international attention.[9]
More recently, the New Zealand Police has been involved in international policing and peacekeeping
missions to East Timor and the Solomon Islands, to assist these countries with establishing law and
order after civil unrest. They have also been involved in Community Police training in Bougainville, in
conjunction with Australian Federal Police. Other overseas deployments for regional assistance and
relief have been to Afghanistan as part of the reconstruction effort, the Kingdom of Tonga, Thailand for
the tsunami disaster and Indonesia after terrorist bombings. New Zealand Police maintains an
international policing support network in eight foreign capitals, and has about 80 staff deployed in
differing international missions.[10]
Organization
Although headed by a Commissioner, the New Zealand Police is a decentralised organisation
divided into twelve districts. Each district has a central station from which subsidiary and suburban
stations are managed. Each District has a geographical area of responsibility, three communications
centres that each receive calls from *555 traffic, 111 emergency or general queues, and a Police
National Headquarters that provides policy and planning advice as well as national oversight and
management of the organisation. As of December 2014, there are 371 community-based police
stations around the country with nearly 12,000 staff who respond to more than 600,000 emergency
111 calls each year.[11]
The Commissioner is in overall charge of the New Zealand Police. Assisting the Commissioner are
two chief officers in the rank of Deputy Commissioner: Deputy Commissioner-Resource
Management; and Deputy Commissioner-Operations.
Five chief officers in the rank of Assistant Commissioner and the Director of Intelligence report to the
Deputy Commissioner-Operations. The Assistant Commissioner-Investigations/International is
responsible for the National Criminal Investigations Group, the Organised and Financial Crime
Agency New Zealand (OFCANZ), Financial Crime Group, International Services Group and Pacific
Islands Chiefs of Police Secretariat. The Investigations and International Group leads the prevention,
investigation, disruption and prosecution of serious and transnational crime. It also leads liaison,
overseas deployment and capacity building with international policing partners. The Assistant
Commissioner-Operations is responsible for Community Policing, Youth, Communications Centres,
Operations Group, Prosecutions and Road Policing. The remaining three Assistant Commissioners
command geographical policing areas - Upper North, Lower North and South. Each area is divided
into three to five districts.
District Commanders hold the rank of Superintendent, as do sworn National Managers, the road
policing manager in the Waitemata District, responsible for the motorway network and traffic alcohol
group, and the commandant of the Royal New Zealand Police College. Area Commanders hold the
rank of Inspector as do Shift Commanders based in each of the three Communications Centres.
District Section Commanders are typically Senior Sergeants. The New Zealand Police is a member
of Interpol and has close relationships with the Australian police forces, at both the state and federal
level. Several New Zealand Police representatives are posted overseas in key New Zealand
diplomatic missions.
The Police also work closely with the Serious Fraud Office.

Communication Centre’s
New Zealand Police operate three communications centres that are responsible for receiving 111
emergency calls and general calls for service and dispatching the relevant response. The centres
are:

 Northern Communications Centre, based in Auckland and responsible for the northern half of
the North Island, down to Hicks Bay, Desert Road south of Turangi, and Awakino
 Central Communications Centre, based in Wellington and responsible for the southern half of
the North Island, from Mokau, Taumarunui, the Desert Road north of Waiouru, and Te Araroa in
the north
 Southern Communications Centre, based in the Christchurch Central Police Station, responsible
for the South Island[12]
Ranks
A police employee becomes a constable by swearing the oath under s 22 of the New Zealand
Policing Act 2008. Upon doing so the constable receives certain statutory powers and
responsibilities, including the power of arrest. While constables make up the majority of the
workforce, non-sworn staff and volunteers provide a wide range of support services where a
constable's statutory powers are not required. Rank insignia are worn on epaulettes. Officers of
Inspector rank and higher are commissioned by the Governor-General, but are still promoted from
the ranks of non-commissioned officers. A recently graduated constable is considered a
Probationary Constable for up to two years, until he or she has passed ten workplace assessment
standards. The completion of the above is known as obtaining permanent appointment.

Detective ranks somewhat parallel the street ranks up to Detective Superintendent. Trainee
Detectives spend a minimum of six months as a Constable on Trial after completing an intensive
Selection and Induction course. During these initial six months they are required to pass four module
based exams before progression to Detective Constable. They are then required to continue
studying with another six exam based modules as well as a number of workplace assessments.
Once the Detective Constable has completed all of this they are then required to sit a pre-requisite
exam based on all of the exam based modules they have previously sat. If they are successful in
passing this they attend the Royal New Zealand Police College where they complete their training
with the Detective Qualification course before receiving the final designation of Detective. All of
these requirements are expected to be completed within two to three years.
The rank of Senior Constable is granted to Constables after 14 years of service and the
Commissioner of Police is satisfied with their conduct. Senior Constables are well regarded within
the New Zealand Police for their extensive policing experience, and are often used to train and
mentor other police officers.
Detective and Detective Constable are considered designations and not specific ranks. That is,
Detectives do not outrank uniformed constables. Nevertheless, a police officer with a Detective
designation will generally assume control of a serious crime scene rather than a uniform staff
member regardless of rank.
Insignia

Police insignia
The insignia of rank worn by New Zealand police officers have their origins in our colonial past. In
1846, when Governor George Grey arrived in New Zealand, such was the state of disorder that he
introduced a paramilitary force to carry out both policing and military duties.
The uniforms drew on the insignia of rank worn by the British military. There is still a strong parallel
with army ranks today.

Police rank insignia

Police rank Army rank

Commissioner Lieutenant General

Deputy Commissioner Major General

Assistant Commissioner Brigadier

Superintendent Lieutenant Colonel

Inspector Captain

Senior Sergeant Warrant Officer

Sergeant Sergeant

Senior Constable No equivalent

Constable Private

Progressing through the ranks

Progression through the ranks depends on passing qualifying exams and applying for and being
appointed to vacancies. The breakdown of police officers in the respective ranks is:

 Constables 75 percent
 Sergeants 15 percent
 Senior Sergeants 5 percent
 Inspectors and above 5 percent.