10. SIMON POWER (National—Rangitikei) Link to this
to the Minister of Police
Is she satisfied with the response of police to the threat posed by Graeme Burton before 6 January 2007; if not, why not?
Hon PHIL GOFF (Minister of Corrections) Link to this
As determined by the Independent Police Conduct Authority report, there was fault with police handling of aspects of the Burton case during November and December 2006. I am sure everyone concerned would wish to express their deep regrets for any shortcomings in the response on this occasion. I again express my condolences to Karl Kuchenbecker’s family. The police have responded positively to the findings of the report and they are working on putting the recommendations of that report in place.
Has anybody from the police directly acknowledged the “failings in the system” that the Independent Police Conduct Authority identified in its report, when police could have provided information to the probation service in November 2006 that would have led to the recall of Burton?
Yes. The Minister of Police, to begin with, has made the comment that it is absolutely vital that the agencies learn what they need to do to try to prevent such a tragedy happening again. The Wellington superintendent has also expressed recognition that the criticisms were valid. Of course, as the member knows well from former answers to questions in the House last year, actions have been put in place, including an amendment to the Parole Act, to make sure that any systemic weakness in the system is addressed, and the police have indicated that in accepting that criticism they need to do better in terms of following up warrants for arrest.
Jill PettisAlthough the Independent Police Conduct Authority had some criticisms of police actions, Justice Goddard had no criticisms at all about the behaviour of the officers concerned. Indeed, she said that they put public safety ahead of their own safety. She found that in shooting Burton the officer was using reasonable force to defend himself and others and that there was no other option available to the police. I think in that respect of the police response we can all be proud that those two officers carried out their responsibilities in a way that reflected the exemplary conduct of police officers in these circumstances.
Will the police take full responsibility for the handling of Burton, when the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s report appears to confirm the statement of Department of Corrections chief executive Barry Matthews back in 2007: “We got two warrants, gave them to the police, and nothing happened. And we are actually getting blamed for the fact that for some reason the warrants were not executed by the police.”?
There were two warrants issued and, notwithstanding the fact that this was over the Christmas period, given the seriousness of the allegations made about Burton it was unconscionable that those warrants were not acted upon earlier by the police. I think they accept that.
Has the Minister followed the example of the former Minister of Corrections, who personally apologised to the Kuchenbecker family for the failings of his department in this tragedy; if not, why not?
The member would have noted that in my answer to his primary question I repeated that sense of deep regret about how that came to pass. We give our condolences to that family. I do not want to draw the family into this situation; they have suffered an incredible tragedy. I think everyone in this House would share those regrets that the system did not work as well as it should have and would want to join in an apology to them for the failure of the system.