Police deny being caught out by false review claims

Emails show chiefs wrongly told national audit held after problems with burglary stats

Internal emails reveal that police bosses sought assurances in the wake of significant problems with burglary statistics in South Auckland — and were wrongly told that a national review had taken place showing that the system was overwhelmingly robust.

Police deny the assurances gave them a false sense of security over the integrity of burglary statistics.

Emails released under the Official Information Act also reveal that Police Commissioner Mike Bush was told about issues with crime statistics in South Auckland in November 2009, 21⁄ years before police launched an internal investigation that lifted the lid on improper practices for recording burglaries. The 2012 investigation found that about 700 burglaries had been wrongly recoded to other crimes or incidents in the southern region of Counties Manukau between July 2009 and April 2012. Five officers were disciplined, while the report raised questions over pressures to meet crime reduction targets, and whether there were wider problems with statistics.

Police have said it was an isolated problem.

Police bosses, including thendeputy commissioner Mr Bush, were

But the review only covered areas in Auckland, and no other areas — including Wellington — were looked at.

Mr Bush, who was in charge of Counties Manukau from 2008 until March 2011, told the Herald that responsibility for crime statistics lay with the area commander.

Counties Manukau Superintendent John Tims said the email author was mistaken, but denies that the incorrect information swelled the confidence of the police executive in the integrity of national crime statistics. He said there was no need for a national review because the Auckland one had not given any cause for wider concern.

The email trail also shows that there were concerns over burglary statistics in Manurewa as early as November 2009, when Mr Bush was district commander.

The email falls within the time period of the 2012 review, although it relates to an area of Counties Manukau that the review did not cover.

It was sent to a number of police, including Mr Bush.

“I have discussed the issue with the TCU [tactical crimes unit] sergeant . . . who (to put it mildly) was outraged that his ‘integrity was being brought into question’,” the email said.

“Please be assured that there is no ‘cooking of the books’ going on at Manurewa.”

Mr Tims said regular checks in 2009 had revealed “atypical patterns” in Manurewa, but further inquiries found “reasonable explanations”.