Police Association president criticises leaking info related to Jevon McSkimming investigation
Police Association president Chris Cahill
Photo:
RNZ / Angus Dreaver
The Police Association President has criticised the
leaking of information
in relation to the ongoing inquiries into the former deputy commissioner of police.
Jevon McSkimming resigned as the country's second most powerful cop last month amid a four-month investigation by the Independent Police Conduct Authority and police.
His resignation came after Police Minister Mark Mitchell said he was recently informed of allegations of a "very serious nature", separate to the investigation that led to him being suspended.
RNZ earlier revealed
pornography found on McSkimming's work computer
is being investigated as alleged objectionable material.
He declined to comment on the allegations through his lawyer.
A High Court judge earlier reserved her decision on whether the media should be allowed to report the nature of the allegedly objectionable material found.
Police Association president Chris Cahill addressed leaking in his latest column in the Police News magazine.
Cahill wrote that raising concerns about "serious wrongdoing" in the workplace was safeguarded under the Protected Disclosures Act.
"This recognises the importance of good faith disclosures about wrongdoing, and encourages transparency, accountability and prevention of corruption."
However, leaking details of an ongoing investigation was not whistleblowing, he said.
"Over the nine years I have been in my role, I have watched a steady escalation in the number of leaks to media and the accompanying erosion they have caused to police's reputation.
"The latest high-profile leak has me literally shaking my head.
"Ignoring the media frenzy it has created, we must ask what it says about the professionalism of those in police. What protection can victims, witnesses and even suspects expect when such inappropriate disclosures come with all manner of innuendo and potentially pseudo allegations?"
Cahill said that during his decades in police he had been involved in many "sensitive investigations".
"I know the damage leaked material could have caused. I would have had no qualms about investigating the breach itself, and I expect this to happen in this current case.
"Underlying this situation that is saturating the news, we must still abide by the right to natural justice, irrespective of whether we sympathise or empathise with an alleged offender or not."
He said there was also a trend of leaking information on internal employment investigations.
"This is not whistleblowing. It is the practice of the selfish saboteur, often driven by personal gain at the expense of others.
"I know of bullying allegations being made to settle grievances and then leaked to media, who lap up the reports irrespective of their credibility."
He acknowledged some people who leaked may have had a "legitimate grievance".
"But laundering it through the media is no more acceptable than the behaviour behind the grievance itself.
"These scenarios reflect poorly on the professionalism of both the media and police institutions.
"Police criminal investigations - whether internal or external - should be kept as tight as a drum to protect the rights of victims, witnesses and the accused.
"All Kiwis have a right to expect that this standard is preserved. Within Police, it is at the heart of its professional, integrity and empathy values."
Former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.
Photo:
Getty Images
In response to questions from RNZ, Cahill confirmed his column was spurred by the investigation into McSkimming which he said was "just an example of a wider issue of leaking".
"The leaking of active investigation information paints police in a very unprofessional light. Victims, witnesses and suspects all have the right to expect their statements etc will be treated with privacy and only made public as is appropriate during the justice process.
"When it comes to suspects, the very idea of innocent until proven guilty and the access to a fair trial are cornerstones of the justice system. The leaking of information can undermine this."
He said if no offending was identified by an investigation, the damage to an individual's reputation could be permanent, "especially in today's world of the social media and online content sharing".
"When an investigation is still in progress, I do not believe the public interest overrides the need for these privacy protections."
Asked if he had expressed his concerns to police, Cahill declined to comment.
In the same edition of Police News it was announced that Cahill would not be seeking re-election to his role.
"I believe it is positive for an organisation to have change in leadership and while nine years has gone very quickly, it is time for someone else to bring their style and energy to the role.
"I am comfortable the association is in a strong position with a positive leadership team at both board and operational levels to support the new president and continue to build on the legacy of past members."
He intended to take a break before deciding on what was next for him after October, but added "I will not be looking at national politics".
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero
,
a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
33 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Local board bans off-leash dogs at popular Auckland park
Auckland Council is currently reviewing dog rules at several parks and beaches. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly About 50 Auckland dog owners proudly held up pictures of their pooches at a local board meeting on Thursday. Auckland Council is currently reviewing dog rules at several parks and beaches. The group Monte Cecilia Dog Lovers were protesting a local board decision to ban off-leash dogs at the popular suburban park. Emotions ran high in the packed public gallery as Puketāpapa local board members finalised their vote to axe Monte Cecilia's off-leash bowl area; 4 to 2. The board's communities and residents members chair Ella Kumar, deputy chair Fiona Lai, Roseanne Hay and Mark Pervan voted to make the park strictly on-leash, citing safety for other park users. The board's two City Vision members John Turner and Bobby Shen voted to maintain the status quo. Local Kellie Ames was distraught by the decision. "I'm absolutely gutted. I bring my dog with my daughter to the park at least four times a week. "We've all agreed to follow the current rules and walk our dogs to the bowl before taking them off the leash. "We're picking up after ourselves. If we find poo on the ground we pick up the poo. We're making a concerted effort to work with the whole community." Sam Jack said he took the day of work to "fly the flag" for his furry friend. "It seemed like a set up and a foregone conclusion to take it away against the advice of council staff. It's disgraceful." Maureen Pinto. Photo: RNZ/Jessica Hopkins Maureen Pinto was devastated her dog Freddy would no longer be able to roam free at the park. "There could be one or two incidents, but you don't penalise hundreds of dogs." Dog trainer Mark Jorey did not want to see one of the city's few off-leash dog areas removed. "It's not what's best for the dogs but dogs do need to be trained and controlled. "I agree with the other side that there are issues and those need to be looked at but not a blanket ban." Shona Flood. Photo: RNZ/Jessica Hopkins Shona Flood had been taking her dog Mr Kippy to Monte Cecilia for years before he passed away two years ago. But she continued to visit the park often and said and interacting with off-leash dogs had helped her with her grief. "There have been issues with dogs being off-leash in on-leash areas. "There needs to be better signage, better education and enforcement, but let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater." Iain Bremner. Photo: RNZ/Jessica Hopkins Long-time resident Iain Bremner also attended the meeting and said the park had become dominated by dog owners. He said the off-leash and on-leash areas were too close together. "Owners are removing the leash as soon as they get out of the car park and letting their dogs run down to the off-leash bowl or wander around in the on-leash area. "I know people who won't go to the park because they were approached by dogs, maybe in a friendly manner, but they didn't like it and were irritated." The board's chair said she had heard from members of the public who supported the board's decision, but were too intimated to attend the meeting. City Vision members and the Dog Lovers group argued the decision was undemocratic after 88 percent of public submissions on the future of the park wanted to keep the off-leash area. The group's spokesperson Jonathan Sweeney said they were considering legal action, including a judicial review. He said the Ombudsman had also agreed to investigate after complaints were made about the board's decision process. "I'm completely despondent. We've done a huge amount of work to offer solutions and again we are stonewalled by the communities and residents dominated board who don't listen and are relying on anecdotes and random emails for their decision." Monte Cecilia park will be on-leash from August despite council staff recommending it stay off-leash. Photo: RNZ/Mohamed Hassan Local board member Jon Turner said his colleagues were ignoring the recommendation of Auckland Council's own staff. Staff advised the board to leave the off-leash area as is but improve signage and put in doggy litter bags. "It's disappointing all of the arguments and emotions put forward were basically ignored based on this flawed premise that taking away that area is going to make the park better for everyone," Turner said. He said the few incidents involving dogs at the park reported to the council in recent years happened in the on-leash area and were not more significant than other parks in Auckland. He said despite board members suggesting a fenced-off off-leash area as a solution, council staff advised this would not be possible if the board went ahead with bylaw changes to make the park on-leash only. He said council staff had also recommended delineating the area with big rocks and looking at ways to increase compliance. Board chair Kumar affirmed her commitment to looking out for all users of the park despite backlash from a vocal majority. She said they needed to represent those who didn't engage with their formal consultation process. She said not all dog-related incident that happened at the park would have been reported to the council. She hoped their changes would encourage more non-dog owners to visit Monte Cecilia, where a new playground was being built. When approached for comment, a statement from Kumar earlier given to RNZ in May was provided. "We want our community to feel safe when enjoying our many parks and reserves in Puketāpapa. "Our decision to change some locations from off-leash to on-leash will ensure these spaces are more accessible for all park users. "Monte Cecilia is well-used by our community - from people out exercising and enjoying a walk, to families, including those will small children, spending some time in nature. "We're exploring a fenced dog exercise area for Monte Cecilia Park, with further work to be carried out on this initiative. "In making our decision, we consider many things like formal submissions, the needs of both local and wider communities, the importance of green spaces for holistic wellbeing, and how the park is maintained and funded. We also looked at how our parks can best serve all users - now and in the future - and the unique role Monte Cecilia plays as a premier park for the entire city." The changes at Monte Cecilia are set to come into force on 1 August 2025. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
2 hours ago
- Scoop
Explainer: Why Has New Zealand Paused Funding To The Cook Islands Over China Deal?
Article – RNZ New Zealand has halted more than $18 million in development assistance to its realm country. But the island's prime minister said his government was 'aware' it was coming. Christina Persico, RNZ Pacific Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific , RNZ Pacific New Zealand has paused $18.2 million in development assistance funding to the Cook Islands after its government signed partnership agreements with China earlier this year. This move is causing consternation in the realm country, with one local political leader calling it 'a significant escalation' between Avarua and Wellington. A spokesperson for Peters said the Cook Islands did not consult with Aotearoa over the China deals and failed to ensure shared interests were not put at risk. On Thursday (Wednesday local time), Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown told parliament that his government knew the funding cut was coming. 'We have been aware that this core sector support would not be forthcoming in this budget because this had not been signed off by the New Zealand government in previous months, so it has not been included in the budget that we are debating this week,' he said. How the diplomatic stoush started A diplomatic row first kicked off in February between the two nations. Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown went on an official visit to China, where he signed a 'comprehensive strategic partnership' agreement. The agreements focus in areas of economy, infrastructure and maritime cooperation and seabed mineral development, among others. They do not include security or defence. However, to New Zealand's annoyance, Brown did not discuss the details with it first. Prior to signing, Brown said he was aware of the strong interest in the outcomes of his visit to China. Afterwards, a spokesperson for Peters released a statement saying New Zealand would consider the agreements closely, in light of the countries' mutual constitutional responsibilities. The Cook Islands-New Zealand relationship Cook Islands is in free association with New Zealand. The country governs its own affairs, but New Zealand provides assistance with foreign affairs (upon request), disaster relief and defence. Cook Islanders also hold New Zealand passports entitling them to live and work there. In 2001, New Zealand and the Cook Islands signed a joint centenary declaration, which required the two to 'consult regularly on defence and security issues'. The Cook Islands did not think it needed to consult with New Zealand on the China agreement. Peters said there is an expectation that the government of the Cook Islands would not pursue policies that were 'significantly at variance with New Zealand's interests'. Later in February, the Cooks confirmed it had struck a five-year agreement with China to cooperate in exploring and researching seabed mineral riches. A spokesperson for Peters said at the time said the New Zealand government noted the mining agreements and would analyse them. How New Zealand reacted On Thursday morning, Peters said the Cook Islands hadn't lived up to the 2001 declaration. Peters said the Cook Islands had failed to give satisfactory answers to New Zealand's questions about the arrangement. 'We have made it very clear in our response to statements that were being made – which we do not think laid out the facts and truth behind this matter – of what New Zealand's position is,' he said. 'We've got responsibilities ourselves here. And we wanted to make sure that we didn't put a step wrong in our commitment and our special arrangement which goes back decades.' Officials would be working through what the Cook Islands had to do so New Zealand was satisfied the funding could resume. He said New Zealand's message was conveyed to the Cook Islands government 'in its finality' on 4 June. 'When we made this decision, we said to them our senior officials need to work on clearing up this misunderstanding and confusion about our arrangements and about our relationship.' Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is in China this week. Asked about the timing of Luxon's visit to China, and what he thought the response from China might be, Peters said the decision to pause the funding was not connected to China. He said he had raised the matter with his China counterpart Wang Yi, when he last visited China in February, and Wang understood New Zealand's relationship with the Cook Islands. Concerns in the Cook Islands Over the past three years, New Zealand has provided nearly $194.6 million (approximately US$117m) to the Cook Islands through the development programme. Cook Islands opposition leader Tina Browne said she was deeply concerned about the pause. Browne said she was informed of the funding pause on Wednesday night, and she was worried about the indication from Peters that it might affect future funding. She issued a 'please explain' to Mark Brown: 'The prime minister has been leading the country to think that everything with New Zealand has been repaired, hunky dory, etcetera – trust is still there,' she said. 'Wham-bam, we get this in the Cook Islands News this morning. What does that tell you?' Will NZ's action 'be a very good news story' for Beijing? Massey University's defence and security expert Anna Powles told RNZ Pacific that aid should not be on the table in debate between New Zealand and the Cook Islands. 'That spirit of the [2001] declaration is really in question here,' she said. 'The negotiation between the two countries needs to take aid as a bargaining chip off the table for it to be able to continue – for it to be successful.' Powles said New Zealand's moves might help China strengthen its hand in the Pacific. She said China could contrast its position on using aid as a bargaining chip. 'By Beijing being able to tell its partners in the region, 'we would never do that, and certainly we would never seek to leverage our relationships in this way'. This could be a very good news story for China, and it certainly puts New Zealand in a weaker position, as a consequence.' However, a prominent Cook Islands lawyer said it was fair that New Zealand is pressing pause. Norman George said Brown should implore New Zealand for forgiveness. 'It is absolutely a fair thing to do because our prime minister betrayed New Zealand and let the government and people of New Zealand down.'
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Man arrested, six injured, following Waikato burnout confrontation
Photo: Waikato police arrested and charged a 22-year-old man after a fight in Tahuna on Wednesday night left six people injured. Around 7.20pm police said they were alerted to a group fighting on Tahuna-Ohinewai Road after a person was assaulted when they confronted three men in a vehicle doing burnouts. Other members of the public tried to intervene, leaving six people injured, said Detective Sergeant Ben Norman. "After noticing the incident unfolding, an occupant of a nearby property has attempted to intervene. However, they were also assaulted by the alleged offenders." "Two people received serious injuries, and one other received minor injuries, they were transported to hospital. Three others received minor injuries," he said. Two of the offenders fled the scene on foot and one left in a stolen vehicle. A short time later, a 22-year-old man was found by officers and taken into custody. He was due to appear in the Hamilton District Court today charged with aggravated robbery and injures with intent to injure. "Police are following multiple lines of enquiry to identify and locate the remaining two offenders and encourage them to do the right thing and hand themselves in," Norman said. He said members of the community might see an increased police presence in the area. "While police would like to thank those who tried to intervene and assist other members of the public, police urge the public not to take matters into their own hands or confront individuals themselves as situations can escalate quickly." "Instead, stay in a safe location, gather as much information as you safely can, and contact police on 111." Police asked anyone with information about the incident to contact police [ online] or call 105. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
