Police Commissioner's statement about unscrupulous licensed holders
Roger Calkin made this Official Information request to New Zealand Police
The request was refused by New Zealand Police.
From: Roger Calkin
Dear New Zealand Police,
I am a New Zealand citizen living in the Wellington region.
On the AM show on the morning of 31 May 2022 Ryan Bridge asked the Police Commissioner Andrew Coster where the gangs get their guns from. His response included:
1. Stolen in Burglaries
2. "diverted away from the lawful fleet by unscrupulous license holders"
Question 1
How many of the firearms that the Police have recovered from Gangs in the last 3 years been identified as having come from burglaries committed against licensed firearms owners?
Question 2
How many holders of firearms licenses have been charged with providing firearms illegally to gangs or gang members in the last 3 years?
Question 3
How many firearms recovered from gangs or gang members in the last 3 years can be directly linked back to having been "diverted away from the lawful fleet" by "unscrupulous" firearms license holders?
Question 4
How many of the holders of firearms licenses who have been charged with providing firearms illegally to gangs or gang members in the last 3 years found to have been properly vetted and the licensing requirements properly followed by NZ Police when approving the firearms license?
Question 5
How many firearms have been intercepted and/or confiscated coming through New Zealands borders illegally in the last 3 years?
Yours faithfully,
Roger Calkin
0273321652
From: Ministerial Services
New Zealand Police
Tēnā koe Roger
I acknowledge receipt of your Official Information Act (OIA) request below, received by Police on 31 May 2022.
Your request is being actioned pursuant to the Act.
You can expect a response to your request on or before 30 June 2022.
Ngā mihi
Fiona
Ministerial Services
Police National Headquarters
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From: Ministerial Services
New Zealand Police
Tēnā koe Roger
I refer to your request of 31 May 2022 for the following information:
Question 1
How many of the firearms that the Police have recovered from Gangs in the last 3 years been identified as having come from burglaries committed against licensed firearms owners?
Question 2
How many holders of firearms licenses have been charged with providing firearms illegally to gangs or gang members in the last 3 years?
Question 3
How many firearms recovered from gangs or gang members in the last 3 years can be directly linked back to having been "diverted away from the lawful fleet" by "unscrupulous" firearms license holders?
Question 4
How many of the holders of firearms licenses who have been charged with providing firearms illegally to gangs or gang members in the last 3 years found to have been properly vetted and the licensing requirements properly followed by NZ Police when approving the firearms license?
Question 5
How many firearms have been intercepted and/or confiscated coming through New Zealands borders illegally in the last 3 years?
Unfortunately we were not be able to meet the due date of 30 June 2022.
I can confirm that a response to your request is being drafted and will then progress through our internal consultation process. I am unable to confirm a release date at this stage.
Please accept our apologies for the delay in providing you with a response to your query. We are endeavouring to provide this to you as soon as possible.
Many thanks, Brittany
Ministerial Services, PNHQ
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From: Roger Calkin
Dear Ministerial Services,
It is a little concerning that this information is not immediately available given the Police Commissioner has gone on TV and made such definitive statements.
Licensed Firearms owners are feeling that they are being unjustly targeted and their reputation deliberately muddied by the Police Commissioner, and politicians who are making such broad derogatory statements about them in the media.
I look forward to your responses.
Yours sincerely,
Roger Calkin
From: Ministerial Services
New Zealand Police
Tēnā koe Roger
I refer to your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request dated 31 May
2022.
Some of the information to which your request relates is not held by
Police, but is believed to be held by and is more closely connected with
the functions of the New Zealand Customs Service. The related portions of
your request are as follows:
Question 5
How many firearms have been intercepted and/or confiscated coming through
New Zealands borders illegally in the last 3 years?
In these circumstances, we are required by section 14 of the OIA to
transfer your request. The portions of your request detailed above have
been transferred to New Zealand Customs Service.
You will hear further from New Zealand Customs Service concerning the
transferred portion of your request.
Ngā mihi
Dylan
Ministerial Services
Police National Headquarters
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From: Roger Calkin
Dear Ministerial Services,
Thanks for your update. However I remain concerned at the lack of response to my other questions given the Police Commissioner's apparent certainty around the statements he was making.
I look forward to your prompt response.
Yours sincerely,
Roger Calkin
From: OIA
OIA 22 118 Letter.pdf
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OIA 22 118 Firearms Interceptions and Seizures 2019 2021.pdf
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Tēnā koe Mr Calkin
Please find attached response to your request for information, transferred
in part to the New Zealand Customs Service on 11 July 2022.
Ngā mihi
Correspondence, Reviews and Ministerial Servicing
New Zealand Customs Service
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Mark Hanna left an annotation ()
If you didn't already include it, I suggest you follow up your complaint to include the fact that NZ Police didn't transfer your request until 27 working days had passed since they had received it.
Section 14 of the Official Information Act is very clear that lawful transfers must be made within 10 working days of having received a request: https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/publ...
"...the department or venture or Minister of the Crown or organisation to which the request is made shall promptly, and in any case not later than 10 working days after the day on which the request is received, transfer the request, or relevant part of the request, to the other department or interdepartmental venture or Minister of the Crown or organisation, or to that local authority, and inform the person making the request accordingly."
From: Ministerial Services
New Zealand Police
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Calkin Roger IR 01 22 15681 Response.pdf
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Tēnā koe Roger
Please find attached the response to your Official Information Act
request, received by New Zealand Police on 31 May 2022.
Please accept our apologies for the delay in providing you with this
response.
Ngā mihi
Jeremy
Ministerial Services |
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Roger Calkin left an annotation ()
So from the response received it would be fair to say that the Police Commissioner misled the public with his responses to questions asked by Ryan Bridge on the AM show on 31 May 2022.
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Roger Calkin left an annotation ()
Interesting that Customs is able to respond within a reasonable time frame yet the Police Commissioner is yet to provide a response to those questions about his own statements.
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