Underfire officer set for new role

HAMILTON: The top North Island police officer who tried to stop the arrest of his daughter is being posted to Wellington for a temporary promotion.

Waikato police district commander Superintendent Bruce Bird has been given a temporary assistant commissioner’s role in Wellington, possibly for up to a year.

Although it was not his first posting to police headquarters in Wellington, it follows the job of overseeing the police operation for the British and Irish Lions tour — a role police insiders described as highly soughtafter.

The promotion has raised eyebrows among some Waikato police staff, after he escaped sanction when he tried to interfere with the arrest of his daughter earlier this year.

The incident was kept so quiet many officers were unaware what had happened until the story was published earlier this week.

Supt Bird tried to stop the arrest of his daughter after a domestic incident in January.

After she was taken to Hamilton Central Police Station, he phoned the duty senior staff member and put pressure on him to stop the arrest from happening.

Despite his actions, his daughter was still processed and the case handled out of district.

A police spokesman said Supt Bird was the subject of an employment investigation and accepted that he made an ‘‘error of judgement in relation to the telephone conversation’’.

The senior officer on duty quit soon after the incident and filed a complaint with the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

Its draft findings are being finalised.

Police have confirmed Supt Bird is in line to take up a post as an assistant commissioner next month.

‘‘Mr Bird has acted as an assistant commissioner previously and will be given an opportunity again to act,’’ a police spokesman said.

‘‘Supt Bird is a high performing district commander and was used to provide operational support during the Lions tour. We are pleased that he carried out an outstanding job.’’

Supt Bird has declined to comment and an interview request filed through police headquarters has also been declined. — NZME