Tony Wall05:00, May 01 2021
Chris McKeen/Stuff
Sauni Seleni has worked for the governments of New Zealand and Australia. But when he tried to join the police, he was shocked by the false information they held on him. National Correspondent Tony Wall reports. Tears stream down Sauni Seleni’s face as he describes the impact on him and his family of being branded a “criminal”. An unknown person fraudulently used Seleni’s name during a traffic stop in 2007 – 14 years later, he’s still suffering the consequences. The 40-year-old is a law-abiding citizen with no criminal convictions. He worked as an immigration detention officer in Australia and as a Customs officer in Auckland from 2016 to 2020. He is now into the second year of a law degree at Auckland University of Technology.
The new Mt Roskill police station.
Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
The build was part of a modernisation programme for police properties.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster and Police Minister Poto Williams cut the ribbon at the official ceremony this morning.
The new base opened after more than two years of planning, is fitted out with new features to provide better access for the public, and can house nearly 100 staff.
It comes after several stations across New Zealand were merged or closed in recent years.
Coster said the new station highlighted the police commitment to carry out duties in more fit-for-purpose workplaces.
Police figures show 12 people facing charges of assaulting officers went before the panels instead of criminal courts since June 2020. Eighteen people accused of firearms offences ranging from possessing guns illegally, discharging firearms in a house or wielding them at another person were also referred by police to the panels. Police say some of those offences related to airguns, but wouldn’t say exactly how many. Police Te Pae Oranga guidelines, released under the Official Information Act, state the offence must not have arisen out of firearms charges. In a statement to
Stuff in March, Williams said the current policy ruled out firearms charges, along with family violence-related offending, driving charges with mandatory disqualification or second-hand dealer offences.
Police figures show 12 people facing charges of assaulting officers avoided court and instead went before the panels since June 2020. Eighteen people accused of firearms offences ranging from possessing guns illegally, discharging firearms in a house or wielding them at another person also dodged court in favour of the panels. Police say some of those offences related to airguns, but wouldn’t say exactly how many. Police Te Pae Oranga guidelines, released under the Official Information Act, state the offence must not have arisen out of firearms charges. In a statement to
Stuff in March, Williams said the current policy ruled out firearms charges, along with family violence-related offending, driving charges with mandatory disqualification or second-hand dealer offences.