Category: Public Media

Source: Radio New Zealand

Criminal investigations have begun into three police staff in relation to “misuse and inappropriate content”, RNZ can reveal.

RNZ earlier revealed several police staff were under investigation, including an officer who has been stood down after inappropriate material was found on a police-issued device.

It follows an audit of staff internet usage sparked by the resignation of former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming who recently pleaded guilty to possessing objectionable publications, including child sexual exploitation and bestiality over a four-year period.

Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Jill Rogers told RNZ on Thursday six out of 20 staff under investigation in relation to “misuse and inappropriate content” had been stood down.

“Those six are being investigated for serious matters, ranging from potentially accessing objectionable material, or accessing inappropriate material while also subject to separate misconduct matters.”

Some of the staff being investigated may have had legitimate purposes for accessing material, which police would verify through their inquiries.

“Criminal investigations are being conducted into three of the cases.”

Police were not able to disclose the ranks of those under investigation.

• Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

Rogers earlier told RNZ a “small number of users of concern” were under investigation.

RNZ asked for clarification but did not receive a response from police.

On Wednesday, Rogers said police continued to progress investigations into about 20 cases of misuse and inappropriate content as part of the ongoing audit of staff use of police devices.

“Employment processes are underway in some of these cases while others are still at the preliminary stages of investigation.

“We can assure the public appropriate action will be taken in every case and cannot rule out charges if the Solicitor General’s guidelines for prosecution are met.

“We are unable to comment further while these processes take their course.”

Rogers earlier confirmed to RNZ a police officer had been stood down from duty for “inappropriate content on a police device”.

“The officer is under employment investigation for serious misconduct, relating to inappropriate, but not objectionable, material on a police-issued device. The alleged misconduct was uncovered through following recent audits of staff internet usage.”

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers earlier told RNZ the misconduct being investigated was uncovered as a result of the new monitoring measures introduced following the Rapid Review of the settings for police devices, launched after McSkimming’s resignation.

“I sought that review because of my concern that such conduct was not being detected. This offers some reassurance that we now have the necessary tools to detect potentially inappropriate behaviour.”

Police Minister Mark Mitchell earlier told RNZ he had not been briefed on the allegations, but expected police to “take action on any matters that involve inappropriate behaviour”.

The investigation into McSkimming led to concerns that staff could bypass internal controls and “exploit vulnerabilities to access inappropriate content”.

The concerns prompted Chambers to order a “rapid review” of police’s information security (INFOSEC) controls to ensure police had sufficiently strong controls to prevent or detect the misuse of police technology and equipment for non-work-related purposes.

A summary of the review said the main risks were; weaknesses in technology configuration, lack of visibility over user activity and gaps in governance.

The report included key findings and recommendations in relation to each of the risks.

There was “inconsistent application” of internet access policies across different workgroups as well as a “lack of robust filtering mechanisms” to consistently prevent access to unauthorised websites.

The review also found there was “insufficient monitoring of internet usage to detect and respond to potential security threats and inappropriate usage”.

Other findings included unmanaged devices being used for operational activities and inadequate monitoring of user activity and network traffic.

There was an absence of centralised logging and analysis tools to detect anomalies and potential issues and “insufficient resources allocated to continuous monitoring and incident response”.

The review also said there was a lack of “clear governance structures and accountability” for INFOSEC controls, with “inconsistent enforcement” of security policies and procedures.

The report called for “improved oversight and coordination among different workgroups”.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Warning: This story contains content some may find disturbing.

There are calls for a public awareness and education campaign about domestic violence, after fresh data has revealed its prevalence around the globe.

A new report from the World Health Organisation has found a quarter of women have been physically or sexually abused by a partner.

It shows there’s been no improvements in that statistic in the last two decades.

In Australia and New Zealand, 24.5 percent of women have been sexually or physically abused by a partner.

The head of Women’s Refuge, Ang Jury, is disappointed but not at all surprised.

“Until such time as men realise that they don’t own their women, nothing’s gonna change,” she said.

Jury said big societal shifts have been achieved before in Aotearoa, like attitudes towards smoking and drink driving.

But part of that shift was long-lasting, expensive public campaigns. She wants to see something similar – “long running, sustained action” – for domestic violence prevention.

“It would have to be a bipartisan thing, with the understanding that nothing is gonna change overnight.”

In the mid-2000s, the “It’s Not Okay” campaign advertisements beamed into living rooms across the country.

University of Auckland professor Janet Fanslow, who’s researched violence for nearly 40 years, said it was brilliant.

“At the beginning it was not only the national campaign around the messaging and building the understanding, but that campaign was actually backed with 150 community-based prevention projects. And then we let it drop.”

Fanslow advised the World Health Organisation on interpreting and analysing data for the report.

She said to force change in New Zealand, a similar nationwide campaign is needed, underpinned with well-resourced advocates educating people about things like power in relationships.

Fanslow said in some places overseas, those community programmes saw intimate partner violence drop by 50 percent in four years.

“It’s huge, and it’s fast,” she said.

“We often talk about it as an intergenerational problem, but I think what we actually mean is that we need intergenerational funding to implement it consistently across whole populations, long enough to get the change in behaviour that we would really like to see.”

Political reaction

Politicians on either side of the aisle agreed the statistics were horrific – and that a bipartisan approach was the way forward.

“Fully agree, and that’s why we have continued the previous government’s programme that they put in place,” said Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

That’s called Te Aorerekura – a 25-year strategy to eliminate family and sexual violence, with a series of shorter-term action plans.

The minister for family and sexual violence prevention, Karen Chhour said the government’s second action plan has accomplished all its early milestones, like improving multi-agency responses, expanding access to safety programmes for survivors, and extending rehabilitation support for prisoners on remand.

“In recent years there has been an increase in reporting, meaning more people are aware these behaviours are unacceptable and are seeking help,” she said.

Chhour encouraged anyone experiencing family or sexual violence to seek help.

Labour’s family and sexual violence prevention spokesperson Helen White said there were emerging challenges to deal with.

“We have a really strong wind of misogyny coming through our social media, and it is really taking its toll on the way that young people think about their sexual relationships,” she said.

White believes change starts with young people.

“Education is absolutely key. We do need to make sure that this is cross-party, we should be able to cooperate on something like this. It’s huge.”

Family Violence

Sexual Violence

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Marlborough District Council are warning residents to be cautious of residual smoke after a Blenheim rubbish treatment plant blaze.

Fire crews were called to the Resource Recovery Centre in Wither Road at 2:50pm on Thursday.

Over two and a half hours later the council said the blaze was still burning, with it taking possibly three to four hours before it is put out completely.

All staff were evacuated and were safe.

The council said the cause of the fire was not yet known and a investigation team has been called.

The facility, and the dump shop will remain closed until further notice.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Concerned parents and teachers have been bagging up and delivering children’s play sand which could be contaminated with asbestos to designated council centres.

The products had been sold in both New Zealand and Australia and subject to multiple safety recalls.

At the Auckland Council asbestos lab in Auckland’s Grafton, Kedgley Intermediate learning and support coordinator Jane Goodill was shocked to learn they had the sand at her school.

She said she felt “horror” when she realised.

“We had some of the sand. I looked at the bar code and found it was a different bar code than the recalled ones but it was the same product, same colours, same seller, but different weight.”

To be perfectly safe, she said it was decided to get rid of it.

Adrian Blake, an Auckland father, said he and his wife were “pretty shocked” when they heard about the recall.

He said his children had played with the sand.

“I’m shocked that the product standard hasn’t been met. Surprised for a product that kids play with that it wasn’t checked more.”

Blake said he was pleased the council had come up with a solution for families unsure of what to do with the sand.

Auckland Council set up a drop-off site for the sand at the council asbestos lab on Kari St in Grafton.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police say they believe two incidents – where one man died and another suffered serious injuries – in Waikanae on Wednesday are related.

Three men aged 20, 25 and 26 are facing charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm after a man was found critically injured in Kakariki Grove about 3.15pm.

At the time, Detective Inspector Jamie Woods said the man died at the scene despite medical attention.

On Thursday, Woods said police were treating the death as a homicide and further charges were “currently being considered”.

He said another man was found with serious injuries just over eight kilometres away in Hadleigh Court, Paraparaumu at about 4.25pm on Wednesday.

“We believe the incidents in Kakariki Grove and Hadleigh Court are related, and we are working to establish exactly what has occurred, and to identify and locate anyone else who may have been involved,” Woods said.

A neighbour of the Kakariki Grove address told RNZ they were outside on Wednesday afternoon when they heard loud voices and what “appeared to be a gunshot”.

“Then the screaming got louder and there was a second shot, I think.”

The person said the commotion was followed by the sound of cars “taking off down the street”.

They said neighbours were a little bit nervous and shaken up.

Woods appealed to members of the public who had information about either incident to get in touch.

“A large number of officers from across Wellington District have been deployed to assist in this investigation, and Waikanae residents can expect to see a continued police presence in the Kakariki Grove and Hadleigh Court areas as we continue our enquiries,” Woods said.

Another neighbour told RNZ armed police were stationed outside the property on Thursday morning.

“They’re the big guns, not the small ones.”

They said there were tents and plastic on the ground at the house and residents were signing in and out of the street cordon.

Residents were “battening down,” they said.

“It’s kinda freaky.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

It’s been revealed Kmart NZ’s sold tens of thousands of pots of potentially asbestos-laced children’s play sand.

The retail giant has sold 67,000 units of coloured children’s sand across the four products. That number doesn’t include suspect products sold through different retailers.

The sand has been sold at Kmart for several years, with the pink magic sand sales dating back to 2015, according to the Product Safety website.

In a statement, Kmart apologised for the inconvenience caused by the recalled products. It said whenever there is any potential risk associated with a product, they act “swiftly and proactively”.

Kmart has withdrawn all sand-based toys from sale as a precaution.

It said the risk that any asbestos found is likely to be airborne or fine enough for inhalation is low.

The sand is part of a massive recall that’s expanded even further on Thursday.

The latest contaminated item added to the list is 380 gram pots of craft sand in 15 different colours.

Samples of the product, which are sold in dozens of cut price retailers and dollar stores, have tested positive for asbestos.

MBIE and other agencies are proactively testing samples from other similar products that are available in New Zealand.

Testing of other play sands in New Zealand is ongoing, MBIE said.

“MBIE and other agencies are proactively testing samples from other similar products identified available in the New Zealand market. We are expecting to receive the first further results later this week and will update our partners and New Zealanders as they are received,” an MBIE spokesperson said.

Some councils have set up drop-offs sites for the recalled products.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Concerned parents and teachers have been bagging up and delivering children’s play sand which could be contaminated with asbestos to designated council centres.

The products had been sold in both New Zealand and Australia and subject to multiple safety recalls.

At the Auckland Council asbestos lab in Auckland’s Grafton, Kedgley Intermediate learning and support coordinator Jane Goodill was shocked to learn they had the sand at her school.

She said she felt “horror” when she realised.

“We had some of the sand. I looked at the bar code and found it was a different bar code than the recalled ones but it was the same product, same colours, same seller, but different weight.”

To be perfectly safe, she said it was decided to get rid of it.

Adrian Blake, an Auckland father, said he and his wife were “pretty shocked” when they heard about the recall.

He said his children had played with the sand.

“I’m shocked that the product standard hasn’t been met. Surprised for a product that kids play with that it wasn’t checked more.”

Blake said he was pleased the council had come up with a solution for families unsure of what to do with the sand.

Auckland Council set up a drop-off site for the sand at the council asbestos lab on Kari St in Grafton.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A crash south of Hokitika on the West Coast has left eight people injured, four seriously.

The multi-vehicle crash happened on State Highway 6 near Donoghues Road in Ross, shortly after 1pm on Thursday.

St John says two people in a serious condition were flown by helicopter to Christchurch Hospital and two others were taken to Greymouth Hospital.

Two people in a moderate condition and two with minor injuries were also taken to Greymouth.

The highway is closed between Kakapotahi and Ross and is expected to be blocked for some time.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand