The police complaints process

Abstract

As an organisation, the police and its officers hold a considerable amount of power over the average citizen. Therefore, it is important that police are held accountable for their actions by having a process by which citizens can seek recompense against police misconduct. For the sake of impartiality, such an organisation would need to be independent of police influence. This chapter provides a historical analysis of the struggle towards an independent police complaints organisation for New Zealand. It concludes that while the complaints process is more independent now than it was in the past, there is still large room for improvement.