Latest news with #Srhoj
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
Police Minister Mark Mitchell, Shane Jones defend Northland police over racism claims
Mitchell replied: 'Like any organisation, police are always looking for constant improvement and it was very good to hear the District Commander highlighting a positive culture, receiving strong support from other policing districts and making good progress with recruiting new police officers. 'My experience with Northland police has been nothing but positive. They are deeply connected and part of the communities they serve and take pride in that.' Ninety extra police officers have travelled to Northland to relieve pressure on the beleaguered force, with 30 staying for five weeks at a time. An anonymous Far North officer told the Advocate the extra cover was needed as so many staff were leaving due to the poor culture within the force. They shared an example of "systemic racism in the force': a Far North officer referring to an alleged offender as a 'little black 1″ in an internal email that was accidentally sent to all Northland staff. Northland police are investigating two burglaries and two incidents of suspicious activity in the past month along at substations across the north. Photo / NZME The email, sent by an officer who is Māori, was in reply to a routine internal email asking for assistance to identify several suspects. The response was accidentally sent to all. 'Dogg this fulla the little black 1 ...' the email said. Far North area commander Inspector Riki Whiu followed with a response to all, acknowledging the message had caused alarm and offence to many and had failed to meet expected standards. While Whiu said the matter was being addressed with the individual, the anonymous officer was concerned the response lacked transparency and accountability. District commander, Superintendent Matt Srhoj, said vacancies in Northland have dropped and the culture had never been better. Superintendent Matt Srhoj with Recruit Sergeant Joe Te Ao. Behind them are nine new police recruits heading to Northland. While the accidental email was 'highly unprofessional', it was an isolated incident, front-footed by the embarrassed officer who had sent an apology to everyone, Srhoj admitted. The mistake email included slang language and text-speak, giving some context to the tone, he explained. 'I acknowledge it was unprofessional, but I don't think there's a racist motivation behind it. 'We work very hard and are always trying to improve culture across our organisation. 'It does have an impact. It makes us feel sad because that's not who we are.' Extra police have come to Northland because of a surge in violent crime, not because officers are leaving, Superintendent Matthew Srhoj says. Photo / NZME Srhoj said a surge in violent crime this year – including nine alleged homicides – resulted in Northland police putting out a 'call for help' from officers around the country. Jones, a Northland resident, said police around the country were facing tough challenges, but claims of racism and culture could not be based on a single email. 'I'll leave operational matters to police but I'm raised in Taitokerau and the police face huge challenges in the North because of the spread of P and gang culture,' Jones said. He said it was up to iwi and the community to stand behind police. 'My advice to iwi leaders and other politicians is, the hardest thing for a police officer is to do their job without high-level criticism. We need iwi leadership up North confirming the role of police and their ability to push back against this tide of violence and drug-run culture. NZ First Deputy Leader and Northland resident Shane Jones backs police. 'From time to time people will be a bit injudicious with their language. I have made a career myself over it, and that matter of the email remains rightly within the police official guidelines. 'But to take that single incident and stigmatise the entire police culture in Taitokerau is wrong and playing into the hands of those who have a vested interest in destabilising policing, so they can get on with their criminality. 'Better law and order outcomes in Taitokerau depend on leadership within the Northland community, specifically the Iwi community and fewer excuses of victimhood and rationalisation. 'Providing an atmosphere for law and order activity is built on strong iwi and civic business leadership against the ferals that are blighting the lives of businessmen and women and the scores of garden-variety every-day Kiwis.' Joseph Los'e joined NZME in 2022 as Kaupapa Māori Editor. Los'e was a chief reporter, news director at the Sunday News newspaper covering crime, justice and sport. He was also editor of the NZ Truth and before joining NZME worked for urban Māori organisation Whānau Waipareira.
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
Northland police officer claims staff leaving, top cop cites improved culture
The email, sent by an officer who is also Māori, was in reply to a routine internal email asking for assistance to identify several suspects. The response was accidentally sent to all. 'Dogg this fulla the little black 1 ...' the email said. Far North Area Commander Inspector Riki Whiu followed with a response to all, acknowledging the message had caused alarm and offence to many and had failed to meet expected standards. While Whiu said the matter was being addressed with the individual, the anonymous officer was concerned the response lacked transparency and accountability. They also pointed to an Employment Relations Authority hearing in Whangārei last month, where senior police manager Bridget Doell alleged she was met with a pervasive 'boys' club' culture when leading the mainly male detective team. The authority will make a decision about the personal grievance towards the end of the year. The Northland District Commander, Superintendent Matthew Srhoj, says police culture in Northland has never been better and vacancies have halved. Photo / NZME But the District Commander, Superintendent Matthew Srhoj, said vacancies in Northland have dropped and the culture has never been better. While the accidental email was 'highly unprofessional', it was an isolated incident, front-footed by the embarrassed officer who had sent an apology to everyone, he said. The mistake email included slang language and text-speak, giving some context to the tone, Srhoj explained. 'I acknowledge it was unprofessional, but I don't think there's a racist motivation behind it.' Srhoj said he was unable to comment on the Employment Relations Authority hearing, because it was up to the authority to make a ruling on the historical incidents. But he acknowledged there was disappointment in the way it had played out with a public hearing. Extra police have come to Northland because of a surge in violent crime, not because officers are leaving, Superintendent Matthew Srhoj says. Photo / NZME 'We work very hard and are always trying to improve culture across our organisation,' he said. 'It does have an impact. It makes us feel sad because that's not who we are.' Srhoj said Northland's attrition rate at 5.7% is only slightly higher than the national average of 5.5% and vacancies have halved, from about 50 18 months ago to about 25 now. A surge in violent crime this year – including nine alleged homicides – resulted in Northland police putting out a 'call for help' from officers around the country. A total of 90 officers from as far away as Southland answered the call, with a further 30 planned to start shortly, Srhoj said. Northland staff have 'loved' having the officers here, and are feeling well-supported and able to take much-needed breaks, he said. 'They have boosted our frontline during the process, we have a team of road policing staff as part of it, and just the visibility it's created.' Superintendent Matt Srhoj, pictured with Recruit Sergeant Joe Te Ao, says police recruits in Northland are high, with seven currently training in Albany. Srhoj said the secondment is a short- to mid-term solution to help Northland staff get over a pressure point. The long-term solution is recruitment to fill all the vacancies. More Māori representation would help better reflect the community, he said. 'Having good local people applying is always our number one desire with our recruiting strategy.' A new training centre in Auckland's Albany is a game-changer for recruits, who are able to travel home for the weekend, rather than staying away in Porirua, he said. Seven Northlanders are undergoing training in the new centre's first intake, he said. As well as considering joining the force, Srhoj said, Northlanders who care about the community need to report illegal incidents to police – such as meth dealing – if they want police to do something about it. Police Association Northland director Murray Fenton agreed there have been big improvements in police culture in Northland. 'I am aware that the district is putting a lot of effort into addressing and focusing on improving culture for the region and I applaud the management and executive team for their efforts," he said. 'Nationally, I believe our culture is improving.' Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has had more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
Otago Daily Times
11-08-2025
- Otago Daily Times
'Unprecedented': Northland gets more cops as crime surges
By Peter de Graaf of RNZ An "unprecedented" spate of violent crimes and a significant police shortage in Northland has seen more than 90 police staff called in to bolster the region's thin blue line. The special staff operation has been running for three months, with about 30 police from as far as Southland re-deployed to Northland for five weeks at a time to plug the gaps, with no end date in sight. Northland police have been stretched this year by nine alleged homicides in a four-month period - more than all the homicides recorded across the region in 2024. Superintendent Matt Srhoj, the head of Northland police, said the pressure was compounded by a shortage of 25 officers across the region. Eighteen months ago the staffing deficit was double that, a shortage of 50 police. Srhoj said Operation Tai Pari was currently on its third cohort of 30 staff. He said investigating homicides took a lot of time, and large teams of staff had to be assembled at short notice. "As a result, some other matters that we would normally be investigating get put on hold, or don't get the timely attention that they deserve … So we put the call out [for extra staff] so we could still respond to other matters." He described a run of four homicides during a three-week period in February and March as "unprecedented". Most of the extra officers had been placed in Mid and Far North towns such as Kaikohe, Kerikeri, Kaitāia, Kawakawa and Moerewa, where staffing pressure was greatest. They were being used to boost staff numbers in front-line, investigative and road policing roles. Srhoj said more rotations were possible in coming months. Other parts of the country were not left short-staffed because just two or three came from each district at a time. Northland had supported other districts with staff when they were in need. Srhoj said the officers sent to Northland would have been paid regardless, but the operation's cost was "significant" because of the extra allowances, travel and accommodation. Srhoj told Checkpoint that bringing in officers from out of region was not a permanent solution. "It's only a short-term to medium-term sort of strategy... obviously we're looking at ways that we can increase our recruiting, we've got a real desire to get our local people... We've got dedicated recruiters who are doing a really great job at getting people who do apply through in a timely fashion. "We're quite lucky as an organisation to be a national police force, you know we can call on support from across the country when needed." Roddy Hapati Pihema, a community leader and Kawakawa-Moerewa representative on the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board, described the temporary boost to policing numbers as a "positive step". Burnouts and burglaries were "rife" in his area, but police were so stretched it could take a week or more to respond to a non-emergency call. He gave the example of a kuia who had been told to preserve evidence and not touch anything after her home was broken into, and ended up waiting two weeks. "So having police officers coming into our community form other areas, I think that's a positive thing," Hapati-Pihema said. "My only concern is that a lot of police who come from the cities don't understand the dynamics of rural living. It's not the same here. But I'm really happy something's being done. Crime's just got out of control and it needs to be reined in. The biggest issue is that people believe they can get away with it, because there's not enough police out there." That was not the fault of police, but a problem that had to solved by central government, he said. John Vujcich, Kaikohe representative on the Far North District Council, also welcomed the boost to the thin blue line. "They're doing what they need to be doing, which is getting on top of those [homicide] cases. So I think it's great. The sooner they get on to those cases, the sooner justice is seen to be done." However, Vujcich said he had not noticed any more police on the ground, which he believed was needed to deter street racing - which had led to the tragic death of a 12-year-old girl last week - and methamphetamine dealing. And while more police were needed, they could not solve the Far North's problems on their own. "You need to deal with the crime, but you also need to pick people up who've fallen into a hole, which may not be any fault of their own. You need to give them opportunities and teach them they are worth something, and give them skills and well-paying jobs." But some Northlanders had noticed extra police on the streets. A Kaikohe man, who did not want to be named, said he had been stopped at a traffic checkpoint for the first time in three years. Everyone manning the checkpoint was from outside the district, he said. "I know most of the police in Kaikohe, and the odd ones that come across from Kerikeri, but there were absolutely no familiar faces there at all." He was delighted to see extra police in the town and hoped they would deter "the bloody motorbikes running riot, the lawlessness, cars speeding through the town". "I think it's great, quite frankly… They're just so under-resourced." Meanwhile, Srhoj said good progress was being made in recruiting new officers in Northland, in Whangārei especially - though the pool of potential recruits became smaller further north. Police were keen to recruit Northlanders because they were more likely to stay long term. "We've had more people going through police college coming back to Northland than we've ever had." Srhoj also hoped the opening of a new police college campus in Auckland would help boost numbers. Northland's deadly crime wave Northland police launched nine homicide investigations in a four-month period between late January and May, one more than in all of 2024. They include two alleged murders in one day on March 15 (in Whangārei and Kaikohe) and on May 21 (in Kaikohe and the remote Utakura Valley, near Horeke). Two cases (one alleged murder, one manslaughter) involve three-year-old children. Police have made arrests in all nine cases, which are continuing to make their way through the courts. There have been no more homicides (a legal term covering murder and manslaughter) since May 21. The nine victims are: - 29-01-25: Kyle Jenkins, 17, Whangārei. - 23-02-25: Reign Puriri, 3, Te Kamo (Aitua Puriri has pleaded guilty to manslaughter/failing to provide the necessaries of life, and is due to be sentenced in October). - 27-02-25: Yvonne Chapman, 66, Onerahi. - 15-03-25: Toby Adams, 62, Whangārei. - 15-03-25: Estene Rapatini, Kaikohe. - 15 or 16-04-25: Archibald McKenzie, 63, Te Tii (Kerikeri). - 09-05-25: Geoffrey Ware, 55, Parakao. - 21-05-25: Catalya Tangimetua-Pepene, 3, Kaikohe. - 21-05-25: Daniel Hepehi, 77, Utakura Valley (Horeke).
