Analysis has been completed of seventeen 111 call incidents out of more than 1.5 million over a four year period set out by United Future’s Peter Dunne. The vast majority of calls for help to Police are attended to promptly and effectively.
The analysis conducted by the Police Commissioner's Office, concluded that while over half of the 17 incidents were dealt with appropriately and while some service lapses are understandable, some of the failures are not acceptable.
The other incidents involved a number of factors ranging from units attending other Priority One incidents at the time of the call, confusion about the facts of the incident and language problems. A brief summary of each incident is attached.
The issues raised in these incidents are within the scope of the independent external review of communication centres which was prompted by incidents such as the Piha call by missing Auckland woman Iraena Asher. The communication centre review is currently looking at emergency response, including call management, policies and procedures, and interactions between call centres and districts.
The review panel is expected to report their findings to the Commissioner late next month. The review will help identify areas for improvement and reinforcement of current areas of best practice.
Approximately 100 submissions were made to the Independent Review panel following a nationwide call late last year. Since the Minister of Police made a further call for complaints to be lodged with the Commissioner of Police, seven emails have been received concerning response issues.
Ends
Summary of incidents
1. February 05 Papanui Child Taken
Allegation:
A woman whose child was taken during a domestic dispute allegedly had to wait for police because the only officers available were on traffic duty and not listening to their radios. An assertion was also made that other units had to be pre-empted from priority two events to attend.
Finding:
No Highway Patrol Units were on duty at the time and no Units had to be "pre-empted" from priority two events to attend.
2. January 27 2005, Hamilton Woman
Allegation:
A Hamilton woman who rang 111 to report being raped was asked to walk to the police station to make a statement because she was making the call from the street and Dinsdale station was nearby.
Finding:
Police should have dispatched unit to scene and not requested complainant to walk to police station. The call taker could have asked a few more questions e.g. who is offender where is he etc., and the dispatcher could have requested someone from the Dinsdale station to go and meet them..
3. February 2005 - Mataura Couple Holding Attacker
Allegation:
A Mataura couple had to hold down an attacker in their home and wait 20 minutes for police to respond to their 111 call after being assaulted.
Finding:
The rural response time of within 30 minutes was complied with. Police arrived within 16 minutes. However it was possible that victims/associates/family had to detain offender for close to 20 minutes.
It was revealed that complaint related not to 111 service but that a unit happened to be in Mataura at the time but because of radio interference and they didn't hear the call. As soon as they did hear the call they responded and were on scene within a few minutes.
A review of 111 telephone call for service reveals the caller was very distressed and the call taker did a very good job of controlling and comforting the caller to ensure information needed was obtained.
4. 29th January 2005, Hamilton woman and incoherent drunk
Allegation:
Police were too busy for 111 call as an incoherent drunk man hammered at a woman’s door after crashing a vehicle in her section. She was told police could not respond to her 111 call immediately as they were at an accident.
Finding:
Police were unable to come due to attendance at fatal vehicle accident. There were no available units at that time. Subsequent inquiries show the person knocking on the door was the owner of the vehicle, who had lost control of the vehicle while attempting to crash start it. He was knocking on the complainants door to advise her what had happened. There was no evidence that he was intoxicated at the time
5. 15 January 2005, , Drowning at Ocean Beach, Hawkes Bay.
Allegation:
A man who pulled a drowned elderly man from the surf says Police told him they would not be able to attend, forty minutes after he called for assistance. A witness to the drowning saw a police speed camera unit in the nearby area.
Finding:
There was no issue with the emergency call service provided. A decision by Police not to attend was made in consultation with Ambulance due to a variety of factors.
A police patrol sighted four kilometres from the scene by a witness to the drowning was a Road Policing Officer. The officer had attended a motor vehicle crash on Ocean Beach Road and was not operating any speed detection equipment. The officer was writing an accident report regarding the crash.
6. 23rd October 2004, Bentley complaint
Allegation:
Complainant had to wait an hour outside and was blocked by 111 operator from calling her neighbours
Finding:
Police correctly operated standard operating principals such as keeping the complainant on the phone to ensure that information was passed quickly and efficiently. Police correctly denied her request to phone neighbours as this could have compromised their safety and that of her husband.
There had been an upgrade to the dispatch arrival time's screen. However the call taker misinterpreted that information and incorrectly advised that police had arrived.
7. 10th October 2004, Iraena Asher
Allegation:
Police failed to attend and dispatched a taxi which never arrived.
Finding:
That police should have dispatched a police patrol. Disciplinary action against police members involved. Police have apologised directly to the family and through the media
Iraena Asher contacted police asking to be picked up as she was afraid and being pressured for sex. Offender was in another room with another female. She was told that a patrol would be sent. Dispatcher rang back and was told that complainant thought she was being drugged and felt unsafe. Dispatcher said he would arrange for a taxi to pick her up and that a sergeant would ring her back to discuss as she wasn't happy. The Sergeant tried to ring her back without success. A taxi was contacted but went to the wrong address. An exhaustive police search resulted and failed to locate her.
8. 2 August 2004 111 delay worries caller
Allegation:
It took over 3 minutes for a woman’s call to be answered by Central communications and then 17 seconds to establish her location.
Finding:
• Four calls were received within fives minutes in southern communications about the same crash
• The first two calls were answered within five seconds
• A car was dispatched in two minutes and six seconds while the first caller was still on the phone
9. November 2004, Otaki, Assault Complaint.
Allegation:
Family say they waited 14 hours for Police after phoning 111, to report assault.
Finding:
There was no issue with the 111 service. Police were dispatched immediately to the assault. There was some confusion amongst family members and a misunderstanding of time to report at Police station.
10. 10 November 2003 Invercargill - Fatal Stabbing -- 11 October 2003
Allegation:
Invercargill woman alleges emergency services did not respond to 111 calls from a party where a man was stabbed and later died
Finding:
There were no delays at all. Police responded rapidly to a confused and serious incident. A Detective Sergeant on duty at the time took immediate control at the hospital whilst other units went to the scene.
11. September 2003, Injured horse rider
Allegation:
An unacceptable one hour delay in response to 111 call.
Finding:
There was no delay in the response. The caller accepts he was mistaken about the time of call. However the call taker did not convey caller’s assessment of the need for a Rescue Helicopter. Authorisation for deployment of a helicopter for medical emergencies is the responsibility of the Ambulance Service, who must follow specific ACC guidelines. Central Communications and Ambulance Communications handled event according to agreed protocol and standard operating procedures.
12. 4 June 03 - Suicide.
Allegation:
A teenager found dead in his car had dialled 111 but Police went to the wrong address.
Finding:
Investigation revealed mishearing/mispronunciation of Awatea v Aotea Street by caller/calltaker. The call lasted 15 seconds and the caller was not clear and hung up on Police.
Investigation revealed, impossible to distinguish between Aotea and Awatea from the call.
13. 19 April 03 - Various calls to disorder and damage in South Invercargill
Allegation:
Police took two hours to respond to a 111 call.
Finding:
Cannot find any evidence of any delays or lack of responses to the calls to Police on 19/4/2003
14. November 2002, Taranaki digger incident.
Allegation:
Emergency Services failed to respond to a 111 call to rescue injured digger operator
Finding:
There was no delay in response to 111 call. Police and Ambulance dispatched to the scene of the overturned digger, at a remote rural location, Puniwakau, near Stratford. There was some confusion between Police and Ambulance Communications Centres due to differing information.
The digger operator walked away from crash spoke directly with local police stating he did not require medical attention. The Ambulance was then stood down.
Some local residents questioned why this event was not attended by Taranaki Air Rescue Trust. This decision is always made by Ambulance Service.
15. December 2001, Rongotea, shooting.
Allegation:
Concerns raised over the police response to a 111 call after a shooting.
Finding:
There was no failure of the 111 system and no issue with the handling or conduct of staff in the Police Communications Centre. The concerns were over delays in response relate to Armed Offenders Squad staff following strict procedure for a serious armed incident.
16. 28 Feb 2002, failed 111 call
Allegation:
A woman had to get help from neighbours when she was unable to contact the emergency services using her TelstraClear phone on Monday night
Finding:
No record of an official complaint has been found. Without further details police are unable to follow up on this particular call.
17. 2 Feb 2002, 111 burglary complaint.
Allegation:
A Wanganui woman claiming her 111 call to report a possible burglary went unactioned. She said she was told that unless she could provide the registration number of the suspect vehicle, nothing could be done.
Finding:
No record of an official complaint found. Without more specific details as to the date and approximate time of the call police are unable to locate further details.