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A presentation to the International Police Executive Symposium (IPES) on Police and Community,

Kingdom of Bahrain, 11-16 October 2003

A presentation to the International Police Executive Symposium (IPES) on Police and Community,

Kingdom of Bahrain, 11-16 October 2003

MANAGING DIVERSITY IN AUCKLAND:

THE CHALLENGE FOR THE NEW ZEALAND POLICE

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Dr Cathy Casey

Programme Leader, Crime and Justice, Institute of Public Policy,

Auckland University of Technology, NZ

Dr Cathie Collinson

Strategic Analyst, Auckland City District Police, NZ

Superintendent Howard Broad,

NZ Assistant Commissioner/ Research Fellow, Home Office, London

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Changing ethnic mix of Auckland

NZ Police ‘ trapped’ by a colonial ‘law enforcement’ style of policing inherited from Britain

Three new Auckland Police initiatives to address problem.

  The establishment of Mäori and Pacific Peoples Police Advisory Committees to assist the Police to be more culturally responsive.

The development of the indigenous Mäori Wardens, a model of volunteer policing in New Zealand.

An Auckland Police/University research project to review international models of police reservism and police use of volunteers.

O v e r v i e w

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Regional Diversity in AucklandRegional Diversity in Auckland

Resident population is 1.2 million people living in 390,000 households - almost one third of New Zealand’s population.

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Auckland City is home to 181 different ethnic groups

We have the largest population of Pacific peoples in the world (14% compared with 6.5% nationally).

We have the highest concentration of Asian people in New Zealand (19% compared with 7% nationally).

Asian community has the highest rate of growth of any ethnic group.

The Chinese community at 8% now equals the city’s Mäori population

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A prime policing challenge for the future is to respond to the large population of non-European people in a manner that minimises offending and victimisation risk, and encourages participation and not marginalisation of those people in the process.

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Mäori, the indigenous people of the land, the tangata whenua, have rights guaranteed under the Treaty of Waitangi (New Zealand’s founding document).

Maori Rights

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Mäori and Pacific peoples are disproportionately represented in our statistics in offending and victimisation.

New migrant communities such as the Somalian and Chinese communities are the new targets.

There is a correlation between criminal offending and victimisation and the factors associated with economic disadvantage – unemployment, poorer participation rates in education, poor health etc.

Offenders and Victims

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Increasing level of offending by people of Asian ethnicity.

Migrant crimes on the increase in Auckland are : kidnapping (from 7 to 29 last year), abduction and extortion.

Students studying in New Zealand are involved in prostitution, gambling, drug abuse

and gang activity.

Migrant Crime in Auckland

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The New Zealand Police inherited the British system of policing. We are an organisation staffed predominantly by Pakeha (European) police officers with a knowledge base, ideas and values that are firmly oriented towards Pakeha.

Our inherited Police system

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The white-middle class orientation of British policing is biased towards an impersonal and professional style of policing – a ‘law enforcement’ approach rather than a ‘community involvement’ philosophical approach.

Success is measured in terms of counts of recorded and resolved crime which limits the Police role to those activities that are associated with crime fighting.

Law Enforcement Model

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The ‘community involvement’ approach is more personal and consensual and requires a variety of diverse communication styles for local community engagement.

There is an ongoing philosophical battle between the efficient professional Police force, and the more consultative but effective community Police service.

Community Involvement Model

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1. Appointment of Mäori, Pacific Peoples and Asian liaison officers.

2. Consideration of bilingual volunteers.

3. Recruiting police personnel from the Mäori, Pasifika and Asian communities is a national priority. In Auckland the recruitment target for Mäori is 8% and 15% for Pacific staff

Auckland response to Mäori and Pacific Peoples

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Advisory Groups comprise influential members of Maori and Pasifika communities, selected in consultation with them.

The Mäori group has been very influential in changing police procedure and systems. e.g. the police process around handing sudden deaths including mortuary and autopsy procedures has been completely revised.

Mäori and Pacific Peoples Advisory Groups

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This indigenous model of community policing has operated for over 100 years.

Wardens originally were in charge of order on the marae. With urban migration, their duties are more extensive. They:

address truancy problems

help whanau in need in the justice system

patrol the streets and assist police

visit Mäori schools and whanau meetings

Indigenous Mäori Wardens

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New Zealand did not import the Special Constabulary concept from Britain.

Police volunteers in the form of Special Constables have been called for on three occasions each time solely to assist the Government to break strikes.

The legacy from that era is a deep public mistrust of Special Constables.

A Police Reserve for New Zealand?

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A reserve may allow police to access parts of the community that are currently closed to them.

If the Police want to build rapport with the Somalian community, why not have a Somalian reservist or Police Volunteer?

Access to Migrant Communities

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history and role

command structure

the relationship between the reservists and sworn Police

payment

training

positive or negative aspects regarding reservists

union issues

any required legislative change

The Auckland Police and the University are currently working together to examine the various international models of police reservism (also known as auxiliaries, specials and volunteers). Specifically:

Research project

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The research focus is on five models of reservism internationally:

A long-time established sworn Special Constabulary (e.g. Scotland, England and Wales)

A recently established sworn Special Constabulary (e.g. Singapore; Jamaica; Las Vegas)

An armed reservist force (e.g. Los Angeles Police Reserve Corps)

A rural reservist force (e.g. Northern Territory; Western Australia)

A paid reservist force (Los Angeles)

Different forms of reservism

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Is diversity to be feared?

No. It is the new challenge for the New Zealand Police.

It is a challenge that needs new solutions and new ways ofdoing things.

Thank you

C o n c l u s i o n