Ex-cop rejects misconduct ruling

influence justice outcomes for family members and to get off his own speeding ticket. His actions were an abuse of his influence, power and authority as an inspector, says the authority.

The former national Ma¯ori strategic adviser says he was just trying to be a good Ma¯ ori cop.

Dennis’ job in the police force before he resigned last year was to sell the Ma¯ori strategy, Te Huringa o te Tai – the Turning of the Tide, to police leadership.

The strategy was created to help police curb the high rates of Ma¯ ori in the criminal justice system. In 2015, Police Commissioner Mike Bush admitted there was police bias against Ma¯ ori. Dennis says he used and promoted the use of customary Ma¯ ori principles and a variety of alternative resolution police strategies. He claims it is what he used when getting involved in the criminal cases against his son, another relative and detaining the complainant. He regrets trying to talk his way out of a speeding ticket in 2017 but has no other regrets. ‘‘My son, my nephew and [the complainant] – you have three Ma¯ori boys again, made some mistakes, all of them with supportive Ma¯ ori families behind them. We did not need another three young men going into the courts.’’ But the IPCA found Dennis tried to use his authority and position to influence the outcome of criminal cases involving two of his family members.

The IPCA said the police strategy did not give him lawful authority to detain the complainant.