IR-01-23-19743
11 July 2023
Requestor
[FYI request #23265 email]
Dear Requestor
Request for information
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 25 June 2023, in which
you asked for information regarding Police video interview technology.
“May 2023 Police helpfully published the fol owing "Investigative
interviewing"chapters of the Police Manual to the website:
https://www.police.govt.nz/about-us/publication/investigative-interviewing-
police-manual-chapter
Page 26 - Statement format ‐
of the 'Investigative interviewing: suspect guide'
provides, as per the Chief Justice’
s Practice Notes on Police Questioning, that:
"Any statement made by a person in custody .. should preferably be recorded by
video...
Video recording is always the preferred method of recording a suspect
interview...
https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/investigative-
interviewing-suspect-guide-180523.pdf
1. Is every NZ Police station equipped with video recording apparatus/capability?
2. What action may be taken where a station is not equipped, a constable offers
a suspect the opportunity to either record an audio interview, or make a written
statement, but the suspects rejects the offer and wishes to co-operate/proceed
to undergo a video interview?
3. Is there a standard procedure as to how often video equipment is checked for
faults, and is there a log-book and checklist?
My response to each of your questions can be found below.
1. Is every NZ Police station equipped with video recording
apparatus/capability?
The majority of Police stations are equipped with digital video recording facilities.
Any station that does not have a permanent video interview facility wil be within a
reasonable distance to travel to a station that does should the officer require to conduct a
video interview.
Police National Headquarters
180 Molesworth Street, PO Box 3017,
Wel ington
Phone +64 4 474 9499
www.police.govt.nz
There are also portable machines available for staff in rural areas who may arrange to
have one on hand for a potential interview as part of matter they are investigating.
2. What action may be taken where a station is not equipped, a constable offers
a suspect the opportunity to either record an audio interview, or make a
written statement, but the suspects rejects the offer and wishes to co-
operate/proceed to undergo a video interview?
Both audio and video interviews are conducted on the same digital interview machine
platform. In your scenario, the suspect would therefore need to be transported to a station
where the digital interview facilities are located. This would be more likely in a rural
setting rather than in a metropolitan area.
3. Is there a standard procedure as to how often video equipment is checked for
faults, and is there a log-book and checklist?
There is a bi-annual procedure of maintenance of all interview machines national y. On
top of this, in urgent cases, staff can report any faults for machines through the Police ICT
Service Portal.
Each video interview machine is assigned a logbook that records the date, time, and
duration of the interview.
Al video interview rooms are equipped with a process checklist to be followed before,
during and after an interview is conducted.
Yours sincerely
Warren Olsson
Detective Inspector
National Criminal Investigations Group
New Zealand Police
Document Outline
