‘Oinker’ may have missing cop radio

A mystery man who’s been broadcasting pig grunts and abuse over police radios in the lower North Island may have a radio himself.

A police portable radio went missing in Ohakune, in the Central police district, in 2016, according to information released under the Official Information Act.

The man has reportedly been broadcasting randomly for months, with outbursts on police communications that include performing poems and singing.

District operations manager Peter Thurston said security of their equipment was a high priority and police regularly audited both their equipment and processes.

However, unidentified listeners said the man was heard singing

Old Macdonald Had a Farm over police radio – specifically the pig verse, complete with oinks.

The man has also sung an obscene verse of the same children’s song, with lyrics about police officers’ mothers.

The oinking sometimes ran in multiple bursts for minutes, the listener said. ‘‘I’ve heard him oinking, hard. That’s mostly what he does.’’

Police said interfering with a police radio was a risk to public safety, and the offender could face up to a year in prison if caught.

The broadcasts are made randomly at all hours, and occasionally ‘‘you can hear there are a few voices in the background, all laughing’’, another listener said.

‘‘He oinks, and he plays rap music: ‘F... the police, rah rah, rah’, rappy-crappy stuff. And he’ll actually talk over it ... derogatory stuff towards the cops. Sometimes he’ll say little poems.’’

It appeared police were told not to respond to the man, but you could almost hear their ‘‘blood boiling’’ through the radio, the listener said.

Police said in August that they were ‘‘aware of this issue’’.

They did not confirm whether the broadcasts were made using a police radio.

The broadcasts went out in the Central police district, which includes northern Ka¯piti Coast, Palmerston North, Norsewood and Feilding.

Police in the district still use an analogue radio system that can be listened to with a device called a radio scanner.

In 2009, police districts started changing to digital systems, which use an encrypted network that cannot be heard by criminals or the public.

Wellington was the first to change, and other digital districts include Auckland, Counties/ Manukau and Christchurch.

Massey University senior lecturer Faraz Hasan said he had no specific knowledge of police systems, but it was possible to tune a transmitter to any particular channel and transmit. ‘‘In this case, apparently, a channel that police use.’’

Digital transmission allowed ‘‘very robust security mechanism’’, generally not available in analogue communications, he said.

‘‘I’ve heard him oinking, hard. That’s mostly what he does.’’

Radio listener