Ex-cop rejects misconduct ruling

The IPCA says he is guilty of misconduct. He says he was just trying to be a good Ma¯ori cop.

Huri Dennis has come out swinging against the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

He has lodged a complaint of discrimination against the police watchdog with the Human Rights Commission, a claim which the authority (IPCA) ‘‘categorically refutes’’. The IPCA published two damning reports yesterday, after its investigation found Dennis was guilty of serious misconduct and unlawful detention.

The police watchdog says Dennis repeatedly engaged in improper behaviour. He had a disregard for the law, and police policy, process and procedures.

Dennis is accused of trying to 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.

LAWRENCE SMITH/STUFF Was Huri Dennis then, simply an arrogant officer who had his own ways and rules of doing things? Dennis has always maintained he was a proud Ma¯ori cop trying to do the best for his community.