Police Commissioner assists public's inquiries

Normally Police ask the questions, but members of the public turned the tables on Police Commissioner Mike Bush in his first live online ‘Ask the Commissioner’ session.

Mike received 79 questions and had time to answer 39, with hundreds more people logged on and watching. Many unanswered questions covered similar ground to others which were answered.

It was no easy ride, with a number of challenging issues raised. The first questioner quizzed Mike about the 2007 Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct. Others asked about the John Banks case and Police dealings with people with mental health problems.

You can find the log of questions and answers here.

“I particularly enjoyed the more challenging questions,” says Mike. “Thanks to everyone who took part, and I’m sorry I couldn’t answer all the questions in the time available.”

Mike says he was impressed with the level of understanding of issues affecting Police.

“It was a timely reminder of the depth of public interest in our work. People really appreciate it when we make ourselves accessible – and it’s one of my priorities to ensure we remain accessible at all times.

“This is why we’re holding our National Open Day on Saturday. If anyone has any questions about Police and policing, that will be a great opportunity to find out more.”

On Saturday Police nationwide will open the doors of stations and other sites, such as the Royal New Zealand Police College at Porirua, to their communities.

There will be a range of attractions and activities on offer from Kaitaia to Invercargill to help enhance understanding of the work of a modern police service. You’ll find details, videos and more on our Open Day page.

To get an idea of what we do on any given day, check out this video.