Controversial CIPEM police interviewing technique under fire, IPCA recommends improvements
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has apologised after an independent report into a controversial interviewing technique deemed it 'manipulative and coercive'.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) review scrutinised the use of the Complex Investigation Phased Engagement Model (CIPEM).
CIPEM was developed to crack cold cases by engaging suspects reluctant
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RNZ News
20 hours ago
- RNZ News
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Former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. Photo: Getty Images A High Court judge has reserved her decision on whether the media should be allowed to report the nature of the allegedly objectionable material found on former deputy commissioner Jevon McSkimming's work computer. 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. His lawyer Linda Clark was earlier granted a rare "superinjunction" by Justice Grau that prohibited reporting the nature of the allegedly objectionable material, as well as the existence of the injunction itself. A teleconference was then held by Justice Gwyn from the High Court at Wellington to discuss the injunction with Clark, the police, and legal counsel for RNZ, Stuff and NZME. Following the conference, the order prohibiting publication of the nature of the allegedly objectionable material was continued, but the order prohibiting the existence of the injunction was not continued, meaning RNZ could report the fact of McSkimming's application and the interim result. On Tuesday, a hearing was held in the High Court at Wellington before Justice Karen Grau in relation to the injunction. RNZ, NZME and Stuff were jointly represented by Robert Stewart KC. McSkimming's lawyer, Linda Clark, began proceedings by telling the court she was seeking orders extending the current interim orders prohibiting media from disclosing the nature of the allegedly objectionable material reportedly found on his work device or devices. The order was sought until further orders of the court. Clark alleged information deemed "essential" to the investigation had been leaked to the media who were intending to publish the information. She said the orders sought were necessary to protect the rights of someone who is subject of an ongoing police investigation and who may yet be charged with a criminal offence. The information gathered during the police investigation was "confidential", she said. In relation to public interest, she said there was already information in the media about McSkimming. She said the public interest would be served in the event he was charged and stood trial. McSkimming was on notice that the police investigation was into material purportedly found on his devices. He had been told he would be invited to a formal interview, however, no request has been received to date. A police document, classified as "confidential", would be "the centrepiece of any criminal prosecution," Clark said. "It's on the basis of that information that the police can decide whether to continue the investigation, whether to look further and whether to charge, and what to charge." She said there was also an issue in terms of privacy, and said a person under criminal investigation, prior to being charged, has a reasonable expectation of privacy in respect of information relating to the investigation. Clark said she was trying to "preserve Mr McSkimming's rights to engage the Criminal Procedure act if and when he's charged". She said that every time police had provided some substantive piece of information to McSkimming it had appeared within the media "in a day or two days without exception". Clark said there was public interest in McSkimming's situation. She said public interest had been served to date. "If he is charged... there will be further opportunity for media to publish more information on charges themselves and during and after any trial," she said. "But publication now of any more information about the nature of the objectionable material found on his computer will cause serious and irreversible harm." It would harm his reputation, curtail his ordinary rights under the Criminal Procedure Act, and in the event he was charged and elected trial by trial, it could impact his chance of trial by jury. "At this time he's still an innocent man who is entitled to all of the protections of a fair trial and the right to seek suppression orders." Stewart KC said a memorandum from police said they were still investigating, and no charging decision had been made. He said there was two sorts of harm that could be considered, one of which was harm to the police investigation. He said the police had no concern that further disclosure of the material would impact their investigation, or impact their decision whether or not to charge. In relation to right to a fair jury trial, Stewart KC said juries can be trusted to obey judicial directions about only dealing with the charges based solely on the evidence and to ignore pre-trial publicity. In relation to privacy, Stewart KC said McSkimming was "quite clearly" a public figure. "There is a huge public interest in these investigations into Mr McSkimming's abrupt resignation from office, first working day after he had been provided with the material by the Public Service Commission." In an affidavit, McSkimming said he resigned because he didn't want the Prime Minister or anyone else having to see what was in the reports. "The only fair way of summarising it is he jumped before he was pushed," Stewart KC said. "The public have a right to understand a little bit more about the nature of the material that led to that." Stewart KC said his clients submitted that if the interim restraint should be continued, then "matters should be left to take their course, if there is to be any restraining at all, it should be as limited as possible for as short as possible." Crown prosecutor Stephanie Bishop, appearing for police, told the court that police did not oppose the application.
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Media fight injunction on details about Jevon McSkimming investigation
Jevon McSkimming. Photo: Getty Images The High Court is set to hear arguments about whether the media should be allowed to report the nature of the allegedly objectionable material found on former deputy police commissioner Jevon McSkimming's work computer. 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. His lawyer Linda Clark was earlier granted a rare "superinjunction" by Justice Grau that prohibited reporting that disclosed the nature of the allegedly objectionable material, as well as the existence of the injunction itself. A teleconference was then held by Justice Gwyn from the High Court at Wellington to discuss the injunction with Clark, the police, and legal counsel for RNZ, Stuff and NZME. Following that conference, the order prohibiting publication of the nature of the allegedly objectionable material was continued - but the order prohibiting the existence of the injunction was not continued, meaning RNZ could report the fact of McSkimming's application and the interim result. On Tuesday, a hearing will be held in the High Court at Wellington in relation to the injunction. RNZ, NZME and Stuff will be jointly represented by Robert Stewart KC. The IPCA earlier announced it was investigating allegations of misconduct by McSkimming following a complaint from a member of the public . It is also conducting an investigation into if there was misconduct or neglect of duty by any other police officers or employee in responding to the allegations. Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said in an earlier statement that he appreciated that the resignation of McSkimming raised questions, but said the criminal investigation couldn't be "compromised by commenting on the circumstances of it at this point". "However, I can say that I have always made it very clear that trust and confidence in police is a top priority for me as commissioner," Chambers said. "I take very seriously anything that puts trust and confidence and the reputation of police at risk and will act to address it." McSkimming's 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. Mitchell said McSkimming resigned before he could be dismissed. He did not say what the allegations were. Mitchell said the Policing Act was "very clear". "A deputy commissioner of police must be a 'fit and proper' person. They are rightly held to the highest standards of conduct and this new information called into serious question Mr McSkimming's fitness for office. "When Mr McSkimming was invited to respond to these allegations he chose to resign. Mr McSkimming's resignation has confirmed my view that his continuation in the role was untenable." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Inquest into the death of LynnMall knife attacker Ahamed Samsudeen to begin
Photo: 2021 Getty Images / NZ Herald / Greg Bowker An inquest into the death of Ahamed Samsudeen, the man shot dead by police after stabbing shoppers at an Auckland supermarket in 2021 , begins on Tuesday. LynnMall's Countdown supermarket was one of the few stores open on 3 September, 2021, with Auckland in lockdown due to Covid-19. That afternoon it would become the scene of a terror attack. Samsudeen, who had been tailed by surveillance officers for the past seven weeks, took a knife from a supermarket shelf and stabbed six people. Another was injured trying to stop the attack. Moments later Samsudeen was dead, shot 12 times by police. In the years since, Samsudeen's history and the moments leading to his death have been scrutinised and analysed in multiple reports and investigations. But the latest, a coronial inquest set for the next five weeks, will cover previously unheard details of the shocking attack. Legal arguments will begin on Tuesday, followed by evidence from eyewitnesses and experts over the following days and weeks. The officers who killed Samsudeen will not give evidence, having already been investigated by the Independent Police Conduct Authority in 2022. Coroner Marcus Elliott set the scope for the inquest last year, ruling it would cover Samsudeen's path to extremism, his management in the community, and what happened on the day he died. Samsudeen had been monitored since 2015 and was arrested at Auckland Airport in 2017 for allegedly expressing his intent to join Islamic State. He would spend the next four years in prison . His refugee status was cancelled in 2019, but he was still qualified as a protected person under the Immigration Act and authorities could not deport him or hold him in custody after he was released from prison in 2021. In the months before the attack, Samsudeen was housed at a mosque as he tried to reintegrate into the community. The mosque was chosen for its positive relationship with the police, and the chair provided regular updates on Samsudeen's progress. Police also continued to surveil Samsudeen without his knowledge. Ahamed Samsudeen. Photo: Supplied The police surveillance team, which followed Samsudeen to LynnMall, were not equipped to stop the attack - armed only with pepper spray to avoid breaking their cover. That responsibility instead fell to a pair of Special Tactics Group officers supporting the surveillance team from afar, who rushed inside the supermarket when they saw shoppers fleeing. Neither had time to equip themselves with Tasers and only had access to the Glock pistols holstered on their person, making lethal force their only option to stop the attack. The inquest will explore the circumstances that lead Samsudeen to carry out the attack, and the impact it had on victims and witnesses. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
