A survey of police staff has found one in four have experienced abuse, bullying behaviour and harassment.
Photo: RNZ / Patrice Allen
Commissioned by the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) and police, it also found 81 percent said the force was a great place to work.
RNZ has reported on nearly 200 accounts of bullying within the organisation since 2019.
Two investigations were launched after the reporting.
Independent consultant Debbie Francis was tasked with looking into how police dealt with complaints, while the IPCA launched its own investigation which would examine police culture.
The findings to the first of those investigations - the Francis Review - was made public in March of this year.
Meanwhile, the IPCA's own investigation is still under way, but this survey will form part of its overall findings.
Staff survey: key findings
Fourty percent of police staff, both sworn and non-sworn, took part in the online survey.
- One in four have experienced abuse, bullying behaviour, or harassment
- Where the person disclosed who was responsible, two thirds of cases were pinned on more senior staff
- One in three staff think police tolerate workplace bullying or harassment
- Only a third of employees bother reporting issues, with many staff thinking there is a low likelihood of a positive outcome
- Half of non-constabulary staff think they're not treated with the same level of value and respect as their sworn colleagues
- 81 percent said the police force is a great place to work
- Most feel comfortable with the workplace culture and have a sense it is improving
- Staff feel confident declining to participate in activities, feel safe to be themselves, and are comfortable raising issues with their manager
"It's heartening to know that most of our people feel NZ Police is a great place to work and most are comfortable with the workplace culture," said Police Commissioner Andrew Coster.
"However, there are aspects that staff feel less positively about which are a cause for concern and must be addressed.
"Across the organisation there must be no tolerance for behaviours that are not aligned with our values, or leadership styles or that are not inclusive of our diverse workforce.
"Police's purpose is to ensure New Zealanders can be safe and feel safe, and that goes for our staff too."
Police taking action already on how complaints are handled
Since the findings of the Francis Review were made public, Coster said police had been working on improving how it provided "safe and secure channels for disclosures and effective resolution of complaints."
"Our recruitment and appointment process is now simpler and fairer so that talent decisions - from recruitment to exit - will be more transparent and consistent.
"A new secure channel for disclosing bullying and harassment will be launched in the New Year with skilled support provided to complainants."
IPCA chair Colin Doherty said police were on the right track in improving the culture.
"While we will be identifying areas for further focus and improvement, we acknowledge police's active engagement with the Authority and the direction being set by police leadership in continuing to promote a positive culture within the organisation."
The findings to its own investigation will be made public early next year.