Thousands of police warnings could be wiped because of protocol breaches
Thousands of formal warnings issued by police could be wiped from official records and compulsory training for all staff has been introduced because police haven't followed proper protocol for years, the Herald can reveal. Relying on formal warnings during police vetting has also been stopped nationwide because of the botch-up, and police are now inviting anyone who has concerns about a formal warning they've received to contact police and request a review of their records.
The background: Deficiencies in the formal warning system were first identified in 2021, after a High Court judge found the way warnings were issued breached the law. Central to the court’s ruling was that police didn’t understand that for a formal warning to be issued, a suspect must accept responsibility for their offending, and there must be sufficient evidence to prove the offence. After that ruling, police said they’d review their policies. However, the Herald has learned that four years since flaws were first identified, significant issues remain. A review conducted last year found that of a sample of 467 warnings issued between 2019 and 2024, only 171 were compliant. Police said those found to have breached policy were then wiped from official records.
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Poll: Do you set New Year’s resolutions?
🎉 2026 is almost here!
We’re curious ... how do you welcome it?
Do you set resolutions, follow special traditions, or just go with the flow?
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10% Yes! New Year, New Me
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16.9% Yes - but I rarely stick to them
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73.2% Nah - not for me
Poll: 🗑️ Would you be keen to switch to a fortnightly rubbish collection, or do you prefer things as they are?
Aucklanders, our weekly rubbish collections are staying after councillors voted to scrap a proposed trial of fortnightly pick-ups.
We want to hear from you: would you be keen to switch to a fortnightly rubbish collection, or do you prefer things as they are?
Keen for the details? Read up about the scrapped collection trial here.
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84.5% Same!
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15.5% Would have liked to try something different
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