Police vehicle management
Version : 8.0
Detailed table of contents
This chapter contains the following topics:
Executive summary
Overview
• Introduction
• Police vehicles must be categorised and equipped prior to deployment
• Application
Police vehicle equipment
• Equipment in Police vehicles
- Approved navigation device
- Guidelines for the use of a navigation device
- Associated equipment
- Carrying firearms in vehicles
• Modifications to Police vehicles
- Selection and layout of Police vehicles
- Modifications
- Restrictions
Roles and responsibilities
• Who is an authorised driver?
• Non-authorised employees
Vehicle classifications
• Vehicle classification identification
• Police pack vehicles
• Heavily laden vehicles
• Approved uses of Police vehicles
Use of Police vehicles
• No private journeys or unauthorised passengers
• Assessing risk to passengers in Police vehicles
• Carriage of members of the public as passengers in Police vehicles
• Carriage of family members
• Carriage of approved observers (‘ride-alongs’)
• Exemption for senior Police employees
• Retaining vehicles overnight
• Misconduct and monitoring
• Economy in use of Police vehicles
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The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet.
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Executive summary
Key points:
• All Police vehicles must be categorised and fitted with the necessary authorised
equipment, prior to being deployed in a district or service centre.
• Police employees must not make or arrange to be made, any change, relocation,
substitution, addition, deletion or deactivation of a vehicle, any part of a vehicle or
any equipment fitted to a vehicle without the written approval of the Manager: Fleet
Management, PNHQ.
• Authorised Officers and constables who have undergone a PPDP assessment are
authorised to drive a Police vehicle, pursuant to their classification – other employees
are considered competent to drive a Police vehicle under normal conditions if they
hold a valid driver licence and they have been first assessed by a PPDP assessor.
• Police vehicles are classified into four categories, based on their suitability to
undertake particular roles. All vehicles (except designated covert vehicles) have their
classification displayed on:
- a label placed on the driver's sun visor; and/or
- a coloured metal tag attached to the vehicle’s keys.
• Police vehicles must not be used for private journeys or for the carriage of
unauthorised passengers or private goods, nor must material deviations from routes
be made in the course of authorised journeys, unless specifically authorised.
• Police Executive members, District Commanders, National Managers and Service
Centre Managers must actively monitor vehicle use.
• Police employees must take care to ensure the economical use of motor transport and
to limit its use to actual service requirements.
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The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet.
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Overview
This section contains the following topics:
• Introduction
• Police vehicles must be categorised and equipped prior to deployment
• Application
Introduction
This chapter details the responsibilities of Police employees in regard to the management
and approved use of Police vehicles.
Police vehicles must be categorised and equipped prior to deployment
All Police vehicles must be categorised and fitted with the necessary authorised
equipment, prior to being deployed in a district or service centre. This provides both
standardisation of equipment and layout, as well as a warranty on the equipment and
installation by the vehicle manufacturer.
Application
This chapter applies to all Police employees. Authorised Officers and constables should
also read this chapter in conjunction with the Police Manual chapters:
• ‘Urgent Duty Driving’ (UDD);
• ‘Fleeing drivers’; and
• ‘Professional Police Driver Programme’ (PPDP).
• ‘Traffic crashes’
• ‘Police firearms’
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The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet.
Page 3 of 14
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Police vehicle equipment
This section contains the following topics:
• Equipment in Police vehicles
- Approved navigation device
- Guidelines for the use of a navigation device
- Associated equipment
- Carrying firearms in vehicles
• Modifications to Police vehicles
- Selection and layout of Police vehicles
- Modifications
- Restrictions
Equipment in Police vehicles
Non-approved electrical equipment must not be fitted or used in a Police vehicle, as it
may cause radio interference and block radio signals to the vehicle.
Approved navigation device
ICT approve satellite navigation devices for use in Police vehicles. For further information
regarding the current approved device and to purchase one, contact the ICT helpdesk in
the first instance.
Guidelines for the use of a navigation device
These guidelines apply to the use of navigation devices:
• Only an approved navigation device can be installed in a Police vehicle;
• The mounting of the device must comply with 7.7 of the New Zealand Transport
Agency Inspection Manual, and must not interfere with driver visibility or any vehicle
related safety equipment;
• The device must be operated in accordance with the operator’s manual, and must not
be manually operated when the vehicle is in motion;
• The device and window mount must be removed from public display and securely
stored, when the vehicle is left unattended for long periods of time;
• Police must take care of the device at all times; and
• The purchase of navigation devices is a district or service centre expense.
Associated equipment
The minimum equipment requirement for category A, B and C Police vehicles includes:
• a fire extinguisher;
• a first aid kit (including gloves and a mouth to mouth protective device);
• traffic cones;
• OC spray kit; and
• Police sign pack.
Carrying firearms in vehicles
The carriage of Police firearms in vehicles is covered in the ‘Police firearms’ chapter
which details access, storage and security.
Modifications to Police vehicles
Selection and layout of Police vehicles
Any equipment fitted to Police vehicles must have been selected and approved for use
after careful consideration, consultation and agreement between all parties involved in
their supply.
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The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet.
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Modifications
If a modification to a vehicle is required, approval must be obtained from the Manager:
Fleet Management (FM), PNHQ, before any modification is made. FM will determine
whether the modification will be approved and if so, whether it should be implemented in
other districts. The approval process must consider whether there is any impact on:
• the operation of the vehicle;
• Police communication equipment;
• staff and public safety; and/or
• vehicle and equipment warranties.
Restrictions
Police employees must not make or arrange to be made, any change, relocation,
substitution, addition, deletion or deactivation of a vehicle, any part of a vehicle or any
equipment fitted to a vehicle without the written approval of the Manager: Fleet
Management, PNHQ.
This is an uncontrolled document printed for reference only.
The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet.
Page 5 of 14
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Roles and responsibilities
This section contains the following topics:
• Who is an authorised driver?
• Non-authorised employees
This table outlines the roles and responsibilities in respect of vehicle management.
Role Are
responsible
for…
District Commanders
Ensuring Police district responsibilities in relation to
National Managers
contract requirements for Fleet Management Services
Service Centre Managers
are met. Responsibilities are detailed in Schedule 1.
Authorised drivers of any
Complying with the provisions of the law, this and the
Police vehicle, including
‘Fleeing driver’, ‘Urgent Duty Driving’, ‘Professional
contract vehicles
Police Driver Programme (PPDP)’ and ‘Traffic crashes’
chapters. Specific duties are detailed in Schedule 2.
Who is an authorised driver?
Authorised Officers and constables who have undergone a PPDP assessment are
authorised to drive a Police vehicle, pursuant to their classification (see the ‘Professional
Police Driver Programme (PPDP)’ chapter for further information).
Other employees are considered competent to drive a Police vehicle under normal
conditions if they hold a valid driver licence and they have been first assessed by a PPDP
assessor. All Police employees driving a Police vehicle must comply with the law, Police
instructions, and drive in a manner that prioritises public and Police safety.
Non-authorised employees
In exceptional circumstances (e.g. a search and rescue operation or an operational
emergency), authorised drivers of any Police vehicle may authorise a non-classified
Police employee, or a member of the public, to drive a Police vehicle.
Police employees not authorised to drive marked Police vehicles, may drive them in the
course of vehicle maintenance or to meet an essential need. This is determined by a
National Manager, District Commander or a Service Centre Manager. In these
circumstances, if there is a light bar on the vehicle, it should be covered with an “out of
service” cover.
This is an uncontrolled document printed for reference only.
The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet.
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Vehicle classifications
This section contains the following topics:
• Vehicle classification identification
• Police pack vehicles
• Heavily laden vehicles
• Approved uses of Police vehicles
Police vehicles are classified into four categories, based on their suitability to undertake
particular roles.
Vehicle classification identification
All vehicles (except designated covert vehicles) have their classification displayed on:
• a label placed on the driver’s sun visor; and/or
• a coloured metal tag attached to the vehicle’s keys.
If a vehicle is not identified in any of the above, then it must be:
• used as a Category D vehicle; and
• reported to the Manager: Fleet Management, PNHQ.
Police pack vehicles
These are vehicles fitted with features to Police specifications, such as upgraded
suspension and braking capability.
Heavily laden vehicles
A Police vehicle is heavily laden if it has
four or more occupants. This will result in the
vehicle having reduced cornering and braking capacity. A vehicle may also be heavily
laden when carrying a heavy load, whether in the compartment or passenger area.
Approved uses of Police vehicles
This table shows each category and what the vehicle can be used for:
Category UDD Pursuits
Conditions
• Must
not be used for pursuits if heavily laden;
A
3
3
and
• must be fitted with emergency warning devices.
• Must
not be used for pursuits if heavily laden.
• A pursuit controller must replace this vehicle
B
3
3
with a category A vehicle as soon as possible;
and
• must be fitted with emergency warning devices.
• Can be used for pursuit, if no other vehicle is
available and not heavily laden.
C
3
2
• A pursuit controller must replace this vehicle
with a category A vehicle as soon as possible;
and
• must be fitted with emergency warning devices.
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The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet.
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• Heavy four-wheel drive vehicles in remote areas
may only be used for pursuits or Urgent Duty
Driving if no other vehicle is available and does
not exceed the open road speed limit.
• A pursuit controller must replace this vehicle
with a category A vehicle as soon as possible;
D
2
2
and
• must
not be fitted with radars or used for
mobile radar speed enforcement.
Note: Not all 4x4 vehicles are registered as
category D. Always check the vehicle classification
identification of the vehicle.
This is an uncontrolled document printed for reference only.
The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet.
Page 8 of 14
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Use of Police vehicles
This section contains the following topics:
• No private journeys or unauthorised passengers
• Assessing risk to passengers in Police vehicles
• Carriage of members of the public as passengers in Police vehicles
• Carriage of family members
• Carriage of approved observers (‘ride-alongs’)
• Exemption for senior Police employees
• Retaining vehicles overnight
• Misconduct and monitoring
• Economy in use of Police vehicles
No private journeys or unauthorised passengers
Police vehicles must not be used for private journeys or for the carriage of unauthorised
passengers or private goods, nor must material deviations from routes be made in the
course of authorised journeys.
Assessing risk to passengers in Police vehicles
Authorised Officers and constables must consider the urgency of the job at hand against
the safety and purpose of the passenger/s in their car, without impacting on their ability
to safely execute their duties.
The officer must monitor the situation, continually considering these factors.
Threat
What is the threat to the passenger? Consider:
• How serious is or could the incident be?
• What threat could the passenger be exposed to on the way to or
attending the incident?
Exposure
What is the impact of the passenger being exposed to the incident:
• What type of driving will I need to undertake to get to the incident?
• Does the passenger have adequate training to assist with the
incident?
• Does the passenger have appropriate safety equipment?
• Are there any security risks by taking the passenger to the incident?
Necessity
How urgent is the situation? Ask yourself:
• Why must I attend/respond to this incident now with a passenger?
• What will happen if I don’t respond?
Response
Plan an appropriate response to the incident
• Can I adequately deal with the incident if the passenger is in
attendance/car?
• Decide not to attend – request Comms arrange another unit attend.
• Decide to attend incident – provide additional briefing to passenger
• Decide to attend incident – drop passenger at safe location and
advise Comms.
• Check with your supervisor.
Carriage of members of the public as passengers in Police vehicles
Police employees may carry members of the public in operational situations and in the
lawful execution of their duty as detailed below.
Persons who may be carried as passengers in Police vehicles include anyone:
• being conveyed on official business;
• whose vehicle has broken down away from any ready means of obtaining help and
who needs transport to the nearest telephone or township;
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• involved in a crash and in need of conveyance to a doctor, hospital or public hospital;
• the Police employee in charge of the Police vehicle considers Police are obligated to
carry due to the nature of a particular event or incident;
• Police may carry members of the public in non operational situations when associated
with a community charity function, subject to the approval of the area commander.
For example, providing rides at a school gala, or taking part in a local parade. Area
commanders should consider the nature of the charity or event to ensure that the
reputation of Police is not negatively viewed by the public.
Carriage of family members
Police employees, who work in a rural environment or commence duty from home, may
take members of their family in their vehicle
providing the vehicle is not used for
operational purposes whilst conveying the family member subject to these rules:
• prior written approval of their manager/Area Commander is required;
• the travel must be necessary for official purposes;
• no undue additional mileage must be run;
• times of commencement and return from the duty trip must not be varied to suit a
private purpose; and
• the utmost discretion must be exercised in taking advantage of this privilege. There
can be unfavourable comment from members of the public, if they see a Government
employee frequently carrying their family or friends as passengers in a Government
vehicle.
Carriage of approved observers (‘ride-alongs’)
There are occasions when Police carry persons who are not Police employees, or Police
employees who are not on duty whilst engaged in front line operations. These ‘ride-
alongs’ are for a variety of reasons and always require prior approval as outlined in the
‘Management of observers’) chapter.
Exemption for senior Police employees
Constables above the position of Inspector, or other Police employees of equivalent
position, may carry members of their family or friends when they are required to travel
on duty in a Police vehicle, as set out in the Vehicle Agreement Policy (schedule 3) of
their employment contract.
However, their presence in the vehicle should not interfere with the duty to be
performed. This privilege is subject to these rules:
• the travel must be necessary for official purposes;
• no undue additional mileage must be run;
• times of commencement and return from the duty trip must not be varied to suit a
private purpose; and
• the utmost discretion must be exercised in taking advantage of this privilege. There
can be unfavourable comment from members of the public, if they see a Government
employee frequently carrying their family or friends as passengers in a Government
vehicle.
Note: Constables above the position of Inspector, or other Police employees of
equivalent position, may authorise other Police employees under their control to take
family members and friends with them in the course of a work trip in a Police vehicle,
subject to the rules above. The authority must be
in writing and specifically name the
persons who may be carried.
Retaining vehicles overnight
Police employees may be authorised to retain vehicles at home overnight, if:
• such use of the vehicle is necessary (such as on-call or operational requirements);and
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• keeping the vehicle at home will not limit operational efficiency.
If practicable, reasonable and possible, the vehicle should be parked in a place that
reduces the risk of damage.
Note: There needs to be a degree of flexibility depending on a Police employee’s
circumstance (for example a 1-2-3 person station employee, as per the collective
agreement).
Only a member of the Police Executive, District Commanders, National Managers and
Service Centre Managers may give written authorisation for retaining a Police vehicle
overnight. A separate approval is required for each occasion (except for senior
employee’s contract vehicles) and must specify the nature, occasion and duration of the
purpose. In an emergency, approval may be given by the Area Commander or O/C
station, but approval must be confirmed by the District Commander or National Manager
at the earliest opportunity.
Note: If a district has an ongoing operational requirement for a Police employee to
retain a vehicle at night, this can be authorised in writing by the District Commander and
is not required to be completed on a daily basis.
Misconduct and monitoring
Police employees who:
• use Police vehicles contrary to these provisions, may be subject to disciplinary action
• make use of a Police vehicle for a private journey or, in the course of an official
journey, divert a Police vehicle for a private purposes, may be prosecuted for unlawful
conversion of the vehicle.
Police Executive members, District Commanders, National Managers and Service Centre
Managers must actively monitor vehicle use, and ensure that Police vehicles are not used
for private purposes or taken to a Police employee’s home overnight, except as provided
for in these instructions.
Economy in use of Police vehicles
Police employees must take care to ensure the economical use of motor transport and to
limit its use to actual service requirements.
Police employees authorised to grant permission for Police vehicles to be used, must not
do so as a matter of course. They should first satisfy themselves that material delay and
inconvenience would be caused by the use of public transport.
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The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet.
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Schedule 1
District Commanders
Ensuring Police district responsibilities in relation to
National Managers
contract requirements for Fleet Management Services
Service Centre Managers
are met. Responsibilities are detailed in this schedule
below.
Police fleet management in districts is largely outsourced and responsibilities are detailed
by service level agreements under a contract. Fleet Management Services is contracted
to Customfleet NZ and Crash Management is contracted to Sureplan NZ. Police are
responsible for ensuring access to vehicles is provided and financial approvals are given.
Specific tasks are:
•
Vehicle availability - vehicles need to be available for collection for scheduled
servicing and Wof’s.
•
Authorisations – authorisation is required for services and repairs that are not
safety related that exceed $1000 – for maintenance matters Police should respond
within 3 hours so that work can commence. For crash repair authority – respond with
a decision within 48 hours – involves being informed of where to send the request
onto for authorisation and monitoring the response time so can chase up if necessary.
•
Vehicle utilisation – manage downtime by encouraging staff to notify Customfleet of
any failures in performance by service agents (feedback from staff) i.e:
-
Scheduled servicing - performed within 90 minutes of scheduled start time,
vehicles picked up and dropped off where it is within 10kms, carry out a free
groom.
-
Non-scheduled work - perform inspection within 15 minutes of vehicle being
delivered, rectify minor work within 30 minutes.
•
Odometer readings – encourage accuracy in reporting odometer readings by staff
when refuelling.
• Receive and arrange action of district weekly (overdue Wof and services), and
quarterly reports from Customfleet and Sureplan.
See the ‘Fleet Managers Handbook’ for further information.
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Schedule 2
Authorised drivers of any
Complying with the provisions of the law, this, and the
Police vehicle, including
‘Fleeing driver’, ‘Urgent Duty Driving’, ‘Professional
contract vehicles
Police Driver Programme (PPDP)’ and ‘Traffic crashes’
chapters. Specific duties are detailed in this Schedule
below.
Before using a police vehicle it is important that a thorough pre-start check is carried out
on the vehicle. Any faults or defects detected must be reported immediately and rectified
prior to the vehicle being used. Remember that it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure
that the vehicle they are using is in a safe and roadworthy condition.
Refer to the ‘Police Driver Training Manual’ under the heading ‘Prepare vehicle for patrol
use’.
Vehicle check
Check all fluids and top up where required, check tyres for tread,damage and inflation,
check all lights are operating.
Check all equipment and ensure it is in safe operating condition.
9-Point pre-drive checklist
Step What
Action
1 Identify
vehicle Is the vehicle front or rear wheel drive. Does it have ABS?
and options
Does it have air bags? What type of transmission does it
have?
2
Adjust seat
Adjust seating and steering column position to provide the
best visibility, comfort and operation of both primary and
secondary controls.
3
Seat belt
Fit seat belt. Does it operate satisfactorily? Is it in good
condition?
4 Handbrake/
Is the handbrake on? Is the transmission in park (or neutral
transmission
for manual transmission)?
5 Start
engine
6
Check all warning
Ensure all warning lights illuminate, self test and cancel out
systems
appropriately.
7
Check fuel level
8 Adjust
mirrors
(external and
internal)
9
Check brakes
Depress the brake pedal to check pedal travel. Conduct a
moving brake check up to 20 km/h, ensuring there is no
following traffic. Apply the brakes to a moderate stop to
identify any abnormalities, such as grinding, pulling or
excessive pedal travel.
Note: This procedure must be carried out at the beginning
of your shift, and after the vehicle has been subjected to
any harsh driving following urgent duty or pursuit. Any
abnormalities detected should be reported and if necessary
the vehicle should be towed for inspection and repair.
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The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet.
Page 13 of 14
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Vehicle servicing
Ensuring your vehicles are serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommended
service intervals is important for:
• your safety
• vehicle efficiency
• maintaining the manufacturer’s warranties.
A warning that scheduled servicing is due occurs each time the vehicle is started. This
warning commences 1,000km before the service is due. It is the vehicle's warning
system which is the correct guide, not the service sticker on the windscreen. It is your
responsibility as the driver to actually ensure that the vehicle is serviced on or before the
due date.
In an emergency situation or in the event of a mechanical breakdown please call 0800
11 23 23 (selection Option 1 for Police, then Option 2)
Crashes or damage
Please call SurePlan on 0800 11 23 23, Option 1 (for Police), then Option 1 (for crashes).
NZ Police are partnered with SurePlan New Zealand to provide Crash Management
Services for the Police fleet.
SurePlan provide day-to-day crash management including:
• repair process for Police vehicles involved in a crash
• sourcing Holden parts at contracted rates
• repair process for third party vehicles involved in a crash with a Police vehicle
• crash reporting
• cost recovery where third party was deemed to be at fault.
You are required to report all crashes to SurePlan regardless of the extent of damage
caused. If a vehicle does not require repairing, the crash should still be reported so
Police can meet our legislative obligations under the Health & Safety at Work Act 2015.
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The controlled document can be found in the Police Instructions site which is accessible via the New Zealand Police Intranet.
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