The release of a police progress report on bias in the force is being met with muted approval by justice advocates, but fears remain the whole exercise could come to nothing.
Photo: Richard Tindiller
The investigation was started in March last year.
It has completed two large research projects, and lots of internal chat, but so far there have been no conclusions reached about whether bias exists, or specific actions to tackle it.
People Against Prisons Aotearoa spokesperson Emilie Rākete said there was no doubt that bias existed.
"[Instead] the issue is that the police won't stop engaging in racist discrimination and our fear as an organisation is that by commissioning reports and research and working groups and holding committees, that the police will put off actually making any of these meaningful changes."
Māori human rights lawyer Roimata Smail said it was time to push the accelerator and be a bit braver.
Tā Kim Workman Photo: RNZ / YouTube
The head of the independent panel, Tā Kim Workman, said he had no interest in producing just another report that went nowhere.
Officers had met with the high powered members of the panel and had powerful conversations, which were worth taking the time to have.
Tā Kim said their work was unlike anything attempted before and there was buy-in from the rank and file and top brass.
"One of the major differences is that we're taking a kaupapa Māori approach, so it's been Māori led [and] we will be moving as a collective which [is] a very different model."
Ta Kim said he would like to start releasing updates on progress made quarterly.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said the work was groundbreaking and could lead to real changes where others had failed.
It would enable a shared understanding of the evidence and to establish common ground, he said.
"Virtually every police service in the western world is grappling with this issue. And a lot of the time what we see is people talking past each other in a way that doesn't reflect well on anyone and without reaching agreement.
"So it's great to have a path forward that gives us some hope of achieving that."
Andrew Coster says the bias issue is a focus for police forces throughout the Western world. Photo: RNZ/ Samuel Rillstone
Lack of understanding over terms
Police documents released today showed officers did not understand terms like 'systemic' and 'structural' racism, and that the use of the term "racism" was very polarising.
Rākete said that did not bode well.
"What's happening is not a collaborative coming together of people who all want to solve the problem of racism."
On one side was an organisation that engaged in "structural, racist, violent discrimination" and which "refuses to even use the word racism", she said.
"And on the other [side] they've got really good people trying to tell them for the 100th time that they need to stop doing this."
The panel had no binding power, Rākete said, and she worried the whole exercise may achieve nothing.
JustSpeak executive director Aphiphany Forward-Taua said she was content with the timeframe if it meant real sustainable change.
Tackling bias needed to be broadened out, she said.
"We are keen to see a collective approach by the justice sector in addressing the issue of bias and racism and how these biases manifest in their respective organisations.
"And I refer specifically to the likes of Corrections, Crown Law and the Ministry of Justice."
The programme will now turn to looking at police decisions about who gets stopped and spoken to, when to charge and prosecute, and the use of force.
Coster acknowledged the issues would be especially tough conversations to have.
He expected the next phase to last a couple of years, but that the process would take as long as it took.