Police Minister's office blames Labour government for police recruit exemptions

Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Police Commissioner Richard Chambers fronted a scrutiny hearing this week.
Photo:
RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The Police Minister's office says the use of discretion over police college recruits who had not passed a literacy test was introduced in 2018 under the Labour government.
It comes after the minister Mark Mitchell and Police Commissioner Richard Chambers were challenged over revelations an Assistant Commissioner personally signed off at least two exemptions from recruitment standards.
It follows
statements from Chambers and Mitchell at a select committee
at Parliament this week that there were never any specific orders to drop standards, and that the current administration has been clear what the expectations are.
Chambers reportedly knew of the approvals when he told the hearing no one in the executive had said applying discretion was allowed.
In a statement, Mitchell's office said a draft report showed "that for the delivery of the 1800 new police target, a discretionary pass was introduced where the literacy assessment standards were not met, which has since become common practice".
"This does raise questions about political pressure.
"We have made very clear on discovering this practice that it does not meet our expectations and Police have responded quickly with the Commissioner directing that the practice be ended.
"Labour should be upfront with New Zealanders about the mess they created in order to deliver their well overdue and incomplete 1800 new police target, instead of trying to blame this Government that had to come in and clean it up."
Police in a written statement confirmed Assistant Commissioner Jill Rogers gave at least two approvals in the past year, and records were being checked to see if there were more.
"As is already accepted, there had been a practice of discretion applied to some applicants to Police College in relation to the Physical Appraisal Test (PAT)," the statement said.
"Assistant Commissioner Jill Rogers can recall two occasions in the last year where she gave approval to be applied to two applicants. There was no directive, instruction, or request issued in relation to this. We are searching available documentation to confirm this number.
"As with other recruits, those two candidates went on to pass all the tests required to graduate as constables.
"The Commissioner has made it very clear no more discretion is to be applied, and that is in place now.
"He has discussed the standards with his Police Executive, and emphasised his very clear expectation that standards will not be dropped for entry to Police College."
Police also confirmed Chambers was told in April about Rogers' approvals - the same month concerns about recruits being admitted for training despite failing physical testing
was made public
.
Chambers told reporters this week the decisions had been made by "decision makers" involved in the recruitment process and some others at the Police College, but from now on any decisions of "that importance" would sit with him.
Asked whether it was members of the Police Executive who drilled into those decision-makers that using discretion was okay, he said "not that I'm aware of, no".
The government committed in its coalition agreements to recruiting 500 more police officers by November - but seems
unlikely to meet that target
.
Labour's Police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said the revelations Rogers was involved raised serious questions about whether political pressure had been applied to the Police College to deliver on that promise.
"It's pretty clear that people at the Police College themselves don't make these types of decisions, there's a hierarchy in police.
"There's been a clear pattern here of recruits not meeting standards and when the government has promised 500 more police it's pretty clear that pressure has been applied to the college and that's not right.
"They've delivered around 30 of 500, and they have until November. It's pretty clear they've failed."
She said the minister had not been upfront about the matter with New Zealanders when he fronted at the select committee.
"He was asked if there was any direction or intervention from the police executive to the college, and he said that there was not to his knowledge. He may wish to revise those words in light of the information that's come to hand.
"This really causes concern whether it might undermine integrity of police."
RNZ has sought further comment from Andersen.

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