Information provided by Counties Manukau Police shows just one out of approximately every 13 drivers caught for unlicensed driving offences has had their offence waived in exchange for completing a compliance programme. The data includes drivers of all ethnicities.
Today's release is in response to public interest following claims that Maori drivers in the district were being given "preferential" treatment for traffic offences, due to the interpretation of a line of wording contained in an 18-month-old operational guideline.
National data for the 2014/2015 financial year shows that as a proportion of total unlicensed driver offences, those completing compliance programmes as an alternative to traffic infringements account for just 12% of the total. In Counties Manukau, that proportion is 7.3%.
Counties Manukau District Commander John Tims says: “As Police do not offer compliance based on race, the data is not available by ethnicity, but what it does indicate is that given the small proportion of people put through compliance overall, Police officers are generally using their discretion appropriately when offering compliance to those who meet the criteria, and it is certainly not being used as a 'soft option' for those who offend.”
"In response to public interest, Counties Manukau Police has also today released its amended operational guideline, which more clearly reflects that all drivers who meet the necessary criteria are to be offered compliance, regardless of race. This is in line with our standard compliance policy which has been in place for more than 10 years,” says Superintendent Tims.
"As Police has said previously, we accept that the original operational document could have been worded better, and have now addressed that. We also reiterate that there is not, nor has there ever been, a 'policy' of offering compliance based on race. Compliance is offered at the discretion of individual Police officers, and is available to anyone who meets the required criteria, regardless of ethnicity."
Copies of other relevant policy documents have also been made available.
Superintendent Tims says Police will however continue to focus on initiatives that reduce the number of people killed and injured in road crashes, with Maori over-represented in the statistics.
ENDS
The traffic compliance documents can be found here: http://www.police.govt.nz/about-us/publication/driver-compliance-scheme-information
A copy of Police's Turning of the Tide Strategy to reduce Maori victimisation and offending can be found here: http://www.police.govt.nz/about-us/maori-police/turning-tide
Issued by Shelley Nahr - Communications Manager, Counties Manukau
Ph 09 263 2702 / 021 595 562