Cops sorry for accidentally spiking tyres
Police have apologised for multiple failures and launched a review after accidentally spiking a woman’s car tyres and then leaving her with a three-month wait for compensation.
Taylor Davis was on her way to Auckland for her aunt’s tangi on December 16, 2023, when she felt her car begin to shudder just after the Ramarama off-ramp on SH1.
The Paeroa resident pulled over and was promptly addressed by police, who revealed they had accidentally spiked her tyres while aiming for someone driving a stolen car and apparently heading in the same direction.
“I was in a bit of shock, so I was finding it hard to speak,” Davis says. “I’m looking at them going, ‘What the heck just happened’?”
They quickly assured her she would be compensated for the damage.
In the meantime, she had a funeral to attend. Police towed her car to a friend’s mechanic, then Davis spent hundreds of dollars on taxis and her friend’s petrol to get around. Her trip to Auckland was meant to be for only the day, and she hadn’t packed anything – including essential medication – so a Paeroa friend drove to
Auckland that afternoon to get her home, and back again to Auckland days later to pick up her repaired car.
All told, the incident cost Davis nearly $1000, plus the day’s work she had to take off to get her car home.
“Mistakes happen,” Davis says.
“But it’s one thing to say you’re going to pay the cost of your mistake, and not actually do it.”
Emails seen by the Sunday News between Davis and police officers show frequent – but respectful – questions from Davis.
Davis sent some 19 emails between December 19 and March 11. The police officer responding replied just seven times, and never proactively – always in response to Davis asking for an update.
The mechanic was also waiting on their money, as police had agreed to pay them directly.
“The police hadn’t contacted to give them an update about when the money was coming in, so they were just as in the dark as I was. They got to the stage where they were questioning us, going ‘Hey, are the cops really gonna pay for it?’
“When you look back, there was no legit reasonable excuse on why this took so long. And not only that, but it’s poor communication. There was just no answer or remorse or compassion towards what had happened.”
Davis struggles with how she might have avoided the situation. She remembers wondering if she should swerve from the spikes, but there had been nowhere to go.
“It was either go over top of it and have my tyres spiked, or crash into someone and cause an accident. I was definitely shaken and I still am. Even to this day when I go past that bridge, the anxiety goes quite high.”
At her wits’ end, Davis turned to independent advocate Shannon Parker, founder of the New Zealand Police Conduct Association (not to be confused with the Independent Police Conduct Authority), who told her exactly who to write to and what to say.
Only then did she start getting answers, more frequent communication and then on March 21, money finally arrived. Davis says that is entirely thanks to Parker.
“I'm glad it's all over and done with, but I shouldn't have had to go to that extent of reaching out to a third party to say, ‘Hey, I've done what I can, what do I do now, because I’m not being heard’.”
Parker says she barely did anything to help Davis except for pointing her in the right direction, and encouraging her to talk to a reporter. But even that was enough to prompt action from the police – something she says is painfully common.
“This is just another example of how the police do what they have to when something is going to be made public,” Parker says. “We need to make sure that our frontline staff know that not only do they need to be pushing higher up, or if their commander or their senior has ignored something or not acted on it, that they are encouraged and welcome, and there is an expectation that they take it further so this doesn’t happen.”
Last week, Inspector Joe Hunter, Area
“When you look back, there was no legit reasonable excuse on why this took so long. And not only that, but it’s poor communication. There was just no answer or remorse or compassion towards what had happened.” Taylor Davis
Commander Counties Manukau South, apologised to Davis personally after Sunday News sought comment for this article.
“We did not get the response right for you and again, I apologise for that and the stress and frustration that has followed on from the December event,” he wrote to Davis in an email after they spoke on the phone this week. I will be looking at managing the performance failings that are evident in this situation.”
In a statement to Sunday News, Hunter added: “Police have commenced a review, which includes speaking to the staff involved regarding this matter directly. We apologise for the delay taken in processing the matter. We take responsibility for processes not being completed in a timely manner, but acknowledge the delay at this time of the year would have caused more stress to the driver.”
Hunter did not answer questions about whether any police officers or staff would be held personally responsible, or face consequences as a result of what happened to Davis, but did say police “in general” are timely about their reimbursements.
“As with any incident where someone involved is unsatisfied with the police response, we must gain insight from the incident so that we may take relevant learnings from it.”