That which lies just beneath Central Otago's stunning cinematographic beauty is extremely ugly, a police force thats simply out of control.

Has “Middle Earth” become a dumping ground for New Zealand’s most toxic cops?

That which lies just beneath Central Otago's stunning cinematographic beauty is extremely ugly, a police force thats simply out of control.

Laying just beneath Central Otago’s rugged otherworldly cinematographic beauty is an extremely ugly reality, a corrupt police force that’s simply out of control.

Last week LF ran a story on the plight of central Otago man Chris Wardill who stands accused of naming a police officer who had name suppression, despite the cop having admitted the serious sexual offences.

Since that article was published team LF have been bombarded with emails, all detailing corruption in one form or another by officers in the local Central Otago constabulary.

The allegations range from on the job sexual impropriety, extramarital affairs, false accusations, malicious prosecutions, illegal searches, entrapment and police brutality, including “jail house” assaults on individuals in police custody.

It’s also clear that complaints have been made to both the police and the IPCA, but as one would expect with a thoroughly corrupt police force, many of these allegations have not been properly investigated, nor have they been given the media attention they deserved, thus many have inevitably evaporated into thin air – a result which is understandably extremely frustrating for the victims.

In the public interest LF has decided to out some of the officers who have been named in conjunction with this alleged behaviour.

There is another aspect to the allegations that LF have been receiving, it seems that in a number of cases the accused cops have been parachuted in from other police districts around New Zealand where they had previously come under a cloud of suspicion for exactly the same behaviour.

The local top cop Ian Kerrisk wants Kiwi's to believe that there is no problem in Central Otago - Yeah Right!

The local top cop Ian Kerrisk wants Kiwi’s to believe that there is no problem in Central Otago – Yeah Right!

Central Otago is a very isolated place, in fact even the local community, as with many small rural communities, is rather insular in nature. The local media are also a bit of a weird mob, strangely at the beckon call of the local police, more than willing to push good-will spin doctored stories for the police at the drop of a hat. It’s exactley this sort of behaviour, over-blown media engagement, that throws up the first of many “red flags” when one is investigating police corruption, especially in small town New Zealand.

One of the hallmarks of a bent police force is the nature of the relationship a police hierarchy has with the mainstream media, especially local journalists. In fact there is a precedent for this form of unhealthy media police relationship. (see: Gisborne Herald v Solicitor General)

One of New Zealand’s most corrupt police districts during the late 1980’s and early 1990’s also came in the form of a small town, Gisborne, New Zealand. During the height of the police corruption the local media played a major role in concealing the police’s behaviour by both promoting police and poisoning the local jury pool at the instigation of bent local cops.

Central Otago is in our estimation, based on the evidence, little different in that regard – corrupt cops using their local friendly media to promote certain stories and hide important others. Often the journalists responsible have relationships with police outside the work environment, be it rugby, golf or sailing clubs, corrupt police officers are generally members of community organisations and as such have the ability to manipulate those with influence, especially the locals who hold political office or are in what is normally considered the upper echelon of a community, again Central Otago, with the evidence LF has now received, ticks all of these boxes.

Police Commissioner, just how much of his day and the police budget is consumed with lying to the public?

New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush, just how much of his day and the police annual budget is consumed with lying to his fellow Kiwi’s? Does Bush really believe the New Zealand public is stupid? Perhaps he does, perhaps he’s right?

Queenstown, Arrowtown, Cromwell, Alexandra, Wanaka – everyone of these little towns (aka skiing and tourist attractions), make up the Central Otago police area command and as such should really be considered as one, for the purposes of an investigation, not separate as the police would have the public believe – that they are somehow unrelated, a crafty little diversion undoubtedly used by police to assist with the diversionary ploys they have developed over the years.

Judging by the unprecedented interest in the last article, and of course the level of correspondence LF has received, it would appear that the local police have been a serious problem for many years. In fact it seems to us that local Mayor Mr Lepper has perhaps vastly underestimated the level of public disquiet, especially among the communities many parents and young adults.

It’s not just those who have been directly affected either, whilst they are certainly large in number, it appears to be the community in general who have serious concerns, not just with the police but the whole structure, starting with the police, the courts, the local media, the local politicians and those who have arrived in the area flush with cash and eager to exert the influence that wealth buy’s.

Perhaps that is best demonstrated in the preferential treatment that sex offender, ex National Party politician Grahame Thorne was afforded by the local police, crown law, the local court and the media. Of course Thorne’s victim is from Cromwell, whilst Thorne himself hobnob’s it with Queenstown’s cashed-up movers and shakers, most of whom could not, by any stretch of the imagination, be considered locals.

In fact it may well be that there is a serious parallel social problem that underlies the polices behaviour. A social inequity and resentment that’s been a driver of the police corruption. Money and a sense of entitlement that’s undeserved can often lead to a resentment amongst multi generational locals who are perhaps not as well off and who’s lives are impacted daily by development and crass displays of wealth, issues of “ownership” in its wider context often arise in this type of environment.

We’ll however leave the possible underlying social problems for a sociologist to figure out. Our concern is solely with the misuse and abuse of power, in this case the police’s culpability in this form of offending. There is absolutely no doubt that Central Otago police as a group are guilty of the systemic abuse of power and corruption.

The seriousness of the problem was made more than obvious when two police officers, based in Cromwell, where both convicted of perjury. The victim in that case having battled for years to prove his innocence and have those responsible charged.

What amazed team LF at the time was the apparent preparedness of New Zealander’s to believe police when they claimed it was an isolated case. Clearly, in such a small police outpost there is no such thing as an isolated case of perjury. If one or two officers have been caught conspiring to lie, to falsely accuse an innocent victim, then it’s very rarely, if ever, an isolated case. More often than not the offending is a result of an underlying systemic problem that has remained undetected, or worse has been encouraged or condoned, often for decades.

In our opinion this is certainly the case with the Central Otago police. The emails we have received all reflect this type of corrupt behaviour and an obvious belief by the offending officers that not only can the do what ever they like but that even if they are caught there is the unbridled arrogance in knowing that the offending will be swept under the carpet and they’ll continue to get away with their unlawful behaviour.

What struck us was the pattern that quickly emerged with every new email, a pattern that included allegations of the exact same behaviour. The other thing that struck us was that some correspondents were willing to vouch for senior sergeant Ian Kerrisk, Detective Sergeant Derek Shaw and a few of the other officers we had included in a list we had obtained from an Otago Daily Times article found online. That list was however not in itself an accusation, nor was it exhaustive as we pointed out. It was a list of the known suspects, all suspected simply because they were all Central Otago police officers.

We roundly reject that criticism, simply because the naming of these cops eventually resulted in the naming of constable X, which is exactly what we expected would happen. The argument however that there are a few good cops out there doesn’t really wash either, especially when these so called “good cops” are in there “boots and all” defending their bent mates, solely responsible for concealing the bad ones; whether using court orders, name suppressions or just by simply refusing to identify a bad cop to an inquisitive journalist, at the end of the day its pretty much all the same thing.

The fact is the public have the completely legitimate right to know what has been done in the public interest, at the expense of tax payers.  The public as a whole are undoubtedly more than capable of  judging for themselves whether or not a police officer should be afforded the degree of trust required to function as their communities police officer, but in order to do so they do however require accurate information, not lies, deceit and or spin doctored rhetoric from police commanders the likes of Ian Kerrisk, or further up the food chain, police commissioner Mike Bush.

After all, isn’t it true that the justice system depends almost entirely on the good sense of members of the public when they are called on perform their sworn duties as jurer’s, without fear or favour?

Screen Shot 2015-01-13 at 1.10.59 pm

We have also been criticised for publishing the name of Central Otago youth Tyler van den Yssel. Of course that particular criticism is well and truly misplaced as Tyler van den Yssel himself was responsible for publishing his own name on an anti police corruption Facebook page. Whats more he did so along with his allegations and is clearly unrepentant for having done it. In fact we applaud Tyler for displaying  a degree of guts well beyond that which has been displayed by the majority. It seems that only a few in Central Otago have the balls to step up and tell it how it is.

Every right to complain publicly

Tyler van den Yssel has every right to complain publicly, if true the cops behaviour in fact deserves a lengthy prison sentence.

What New Zealander’s need to clearly understand is that the New Zealand Police have invested significant sums of money into monitoring social media, with Facebook and Trademe being just two of the polices bigger targets for that surveillance. In fact New Zealand’s police force is among very few in the world to engage in this behaviour, most others who do are also renowned for their atrocious human rights abuses. Absolutely anything and everything that New Zealander’s post on their Facebook pages can and is accessed by New Zealand police, irrelevant of the privacy settings the owner may have in place.

Many who have sent us emails have hidden behind nom de guerre’s, which is all well and good, but is far from helpful when we need to test the veracity of the information we receive. Those readers who did write to LF using their genuine identities have been of great help and should be commended for their honesty and more than apparent desire to bring about the much needed change.

Chris McAnally

Chris McAnally, the mysterious contstable “X”

As a result of the many hundreds of emails we received team LF have, we believe, now managed to isolate the identity of the mysterious Constable “X”, the man responsible for setting in motion the police’s malicious and corrupt response to a series of false allegations that resulted in the harm inflicted on two innocent Central Otago teenagers.

The mysterious cop that senior sergeant Ian Kerrisk was for some strange reason loathed to name is Constable Chris McAnally, the Cromwell police officer euphemistically known as “constable X”.

McAnally has not been a cop for that long, nor for that matter could he be considered a Cromwell local. Policing was certainly not his first career choice, not withstanding the fact that most of his working life he worked as a printer and then a personal carer, it is also very clear from the way this case has unfolded and the way in which he has handled himself since being in Cromwell.

Back in March 2010 the local rag ran one of their police media relations office inspired PR spin pieces introducing McAnally to Cromwell locals:

Personal police approach preferred in Cromwell

Friday, 19 Mar 2010

Rosie Manins

Cromwell residents can expect to become familiar with the town’s latest police officer, who is enthusiastic about the personal approach to small-community policing.

Constable Chris McAnally (36) started working as a frontline officer in Cromwell this week, following 18 months stationed in Gore.

He said the benefit of working within a small town was being able to get to know people properly.

“It [Cromwell] is small enough that you can stop and speak to people, and get a feel for the community. You lose that in big cities,” he said.

Originally from Dunedin, Const McAnally said working in a small town brought a greater sense of making a difference as a police officer, and he hoped to focus on youth issues in particular.

“There are some problems in Cromwell around youth and drinking. You especially want to keep a place safe if it is where your own kids are growing up,” he said.

Const McAnally and his wife Rachel have two sons – Jordan (11) and Leighton (10).

Both attend Alexandra Primary School, but will likely enrol in a Cromwell school soon.

The family lived in Alexandra for four years before moving to Cromwell last week.

Const McAnally trained as an officer for five months from March 2008, before graduating and being posted to Gore.

He remained an Alexandra resident, commuting to the Southland town.

Before joining the force, Const McAnally worked as a printer for 14 years and was a support worker for people with disabilities at Living Options.

He wanted a change of career and thought the police would offer variety.

“I love the job,” he said.

Source: http://www.odt.co.nz/the-regions/central-otago/98167/personal-police-approach-preferred

It’s commendable that Constable McAnally loved his job, but of course when he said that back in March 2010 he had not been in the job for very long and perhaps had not had sufficient time to get to know his bent central Otago police colleagues.

His “personal approach” is also commendable, although it seems to have been derailed at some point since 2010 when McAnally was first posted to Cromwell. Now it seems to be more a case of personal vendetta’s that have guided constable McAnally. Certainly in the case of the two youths he was a party to falsely accusing that seems to have been the case, although the vendetta cannot be said to be his own in entirety.

LF’s attention has however also been drawn to a series of additional allegations of impropriety, behaviour that is in fact bordering on police corruption, particularly given the context in which these allegations have unfolded and the results of McAnally’s unlawful actions.

Constable McAnally has been accused of unlawfully accessing police data bases for purposes other than police business. He also stands accused of providing confidential police information, including court and criminal records, to non police officers, third parties with absulutely no entitlement to the information, again for purposes other than official police business, or the execution of his duty as a sworn police officer.

LF will be investigating these matters further, however at this point in our investigation it seems to us that senior sergeant Ian Kerrisk’s faith in constable McAnally may have been misplaced.

It would also appear that the police force’s training of McAnally and other potential cops is seriously deficient, in that whilst recruits may well be told that certain behaviour is unlawful or discouraged, those responsible for the instruction might be failing to mention that should recruits run into a superior officer who engages in, or in anyway condones, unlawful or otherwise corrupt behaviour then they should immediately report the offending to an officer of higher rank than their immediate supervisor.

McAnally was undoubtedly aware of his two colleagues propensity for breaking the law, for unlawful searches, threatening behaviour and false allegations, of that we are certain. In fact much of Central Otago had been aware of their corrupt behaviour for years, behaviour that was obviously swept under the carpet. or by their supervisors turning a blind eye so long as convictions were obtained.

We are also certain that McAnally should have been named, as should the other two officers “Y” and “Z”. In failing to name all three officers Ian Kerrisk has potentially perverted justice. He has done so by concealing information that might encourage other citizens to come forward with complaints against all three.

CORRUPT COP: Gordon Stanley Meyer, 45, follows his lawyer Jonathan Eaton outside the High Court in Christchurch, where he admitted charges of corruption and bribery

CORRUPT COP: Gordon Stanley Meyer, 45, follows his lawyer Jonathan Eaton outside the High Court in Christchurch, where he admitted charges of corruption and bribery

This is of course standard practice, the type of behaviour expected of the New Zealand police in these situations. Police did exactly the same thing when they investigated (and eventually charged) Christchurch cop senior constable Gordon Stanley Meyer with corruption, the offending also being sexual in nature.

Police withheld all information, including the fact that he was being investigated, until such time as Meyer was charged. They also withheld specific details of the allegations until Meyer was convicted, eventually being sentenced to a paltry two years, four months prison (released early on probation).

Then police had the audacity to publically state that there may be other victims and that they should contact police with their complaints.

Now had it been a normal citizen, that call for further complainants would have been made during the investigation, not after the offender had been convicted. We do not need to provided evidence of that reality as newspapers are constantly running stories calling for, as yet unknown, victims to come forward. In the case of a cop the procedure is always executed in an “arse about face” fashion, police not wanting to interfere with the possibility that their comrades might just be acquitted of the one offence.

Kerrisk’s letter of apology to the two boys who had been targeted is pretty much standard fare, but as we noted in our last article it did hold a clue to what it was that Kerrisk might have been concealing.

Senior sergeant Kerrisk had failed to name the third cop, which were now know was constable Christopher McAnally, aka “X”. In fact the Otago Daily Times journalist clearly also thought the omission strange, especially given that it was McAnally that had started the ball rolling;

The letter does not name Officer ”X” who made the initial accusation and is still serving as a police officer in Central Otago. The News asked police why that officer was not named in the letter of apology, but police did not respond.

Source: http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/central-otago/326865/were-sorry-police

A clue to Kerrisk’s reluctance is perhaps to be found in the March 2010 spin doctors article. Kerrisk and his wife have two children who were at the time aged 10 and 11.

Its the elder of McAnally’s two boys that is of interest to LF in this case – Jorden. Now aged 16, Jorden McAnally was known to the two teenagers who had been falsely accused by McAnally and his two fellow police thugs, or “old fashioned” cops, as senior sergeant Ian Kerrisk prefers to call them.

In fact the three boys had once been friends, at least until Jordan McAnally allegedly started turning up to school with confidential “inside” information on the parents of some of the other pupils, information that could only ever have come from someone with access to the criminal records data base. Armed with this information Jordan McAnally then allegedly set about threatening other teenagers. There have also been allegations of substance abuse (Marijuana), levelled at McAnally junior, being part of the problem.

Clearly if a child’s father is a serving police officer that child then has in a distinct advantage, if he or she also just happens to be the schoolyard bully.

In short that is exactly what has occurred on this occasion. McAnally has made a series of false allegations, allegedly based on information his son had cleverly fabricated for the benefit of his father and police colleagues.

Excerpts from the letter of apology

– ”You outlined in your concerns that you had been blamed for [incidents of petty crime] and had been targeted [by police] since then.”

– ”I have spoken to the officers, and [name of police officer] has acknowledged … the incident of an altercation [with one of the teenagers]. He expressed regret that they [that and other incidents] had occurred but explained it was an `old-fashioned policing style’ that he had.”

– ”I am satisfied that you have not received the level of service or treatment from police staff that you deserve. I am satisfied that the officers’ actions were part of their policing method and not any personal vendetta against you … but I am also satisfied that their actions were not in accordance with the policies and protocols of the NZ police.”

– ”I … take this opportunity … to offer an apology to you and your family for the distress that this has caused. I accept that your view of police has been tarnished and regret that, but hope that through this apology I can help change your views towards the police, especially at a local level.

Source: http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/central-otago/326865/were-sorry-police

In his 2007 article on the Otago branch of the New Zealand Police Ian Wishart as well as exposing the extraordinary corruption makes one very important observation;

Finally, some may ask why Investigate has chosen to release the names of the women making the statements about Milton Weir, given the extreme fear they have for their lives.

The answer is very simple: in our experience of extortion and death threats, sunlight is the best disinfectant. For more than a decade, some of these people have lived in fear of retribution if they ever spoke up. Now that they have been named publicly, the entire country is aware of their plight. – Ian Wishart (To Serve and Protect, published July 2007, url)

Source: http://nzpca.co.nz/investigatemagazine-tv-publish-allegations/

LF too has experience of police corruption, in fact far more hands on experience than Ian Wishart. We too subscribe to the belief that sunlight is the best disinfectant, exposing corruption and just as importantly naming those responsible and the corruption that they have been responsible for.

In doing so we know that the offending party and or the police involved will find it particularly difficult to conceal any future offending or act of retribution committed by that particular officer.

That is why we have named McAnally and laid out the allegations of corruption of which he now stands accused by fellow Otago residents.

The allegations fabricated by Jordan McAnally against the two teenagers where then used by his father constable Chris McAnally and his police colleagues, on the available evidence we suspect John Clarke and David Greaves, the two cops who just happen to have resigned before Kerrisk saw fit to clear the air with his apology, in the hope that it would aid in changing the boys “views towards police, especially at a local level”, then claiming an inability to act on the boys parents complaints because they where no longer police officers.

Cetral Otago Police Officer Dave Greave, quitely allowed to slip out the back door before the shit hit the fan?

Corrupt Central Otago Police Officer Dave Greaves, quitely allowed to slip out the back door before the shit hit the fan?

All of which is double speak on senior sergeant Ian Kerrisk’s part because there is absolutely nothing whatsoever preventing him investigating the nature and purpose of the original allegations. If what has been alleged is true then Police have the power to lay a number of criminal charges in this case, against all three cops and the 16 year old Jordan McAnally.

LF’s sources claims that the allegations where born of a juvenile vendetta is actually supported by Kerrisk’s own letter of apology. Whilst Kerrisk cleverly avoids spelling out the the finer points of the complaints against the police officers he touches on one very important aspect. Whilst quickly dismissing the issue, he does however briefly acknowledge that the issue of a “Vendetta” had been raised. This certainly fits with the allegations that LF have now been made aware of.

Corrupt Central Otago cop John Clarke, due to be sentenced on the 21st January for sex offences.

Corrupt Central Otago cop John Clarke, due to be sentenced on the 21st January for sex offences.

It also fits exceptionally well with Kerrisk’s reluctance to name constable Chris McAnally, or for that matter his wayward son Jordan, who appears to have been at the centre of the “problem”.

In failing to deal with this issue in an open and transparent manner Kerrisk, honest cop or not, has failed both the complainants and the good citizens of Cromwell.

Kerrisk fails to advance any reasons for why it was that he was “satisfied that the officers’ actions were part of their policing method and not any personal vendetta”. Again this is a classic police avoidance strategy. If the victims are handed nothing, then there is absolutely nothing on which to base criticism or a further complaint.

Has “Middle Earth” become a dumping ground for New Zealand’s most toxic cops?

John Key, Hollywood and Sir Peter Jackson have sent more than a decade and Kiwi’s hard earned tax dollars cashing in on Central Otago’s otherworldly beauty, trying to sell the world a picture perfect image of New Zealand it’s southern lakes and the Hobbits of legend that inhabit the landscape. But its not Tolkien’s Hobbits we here at team LF are concerned with, they do not in reality pose a threat to anyone.

Although as with the threats faced by JJR Tolkien’s otherworldly creatures Kiwi’s face a scourge that has been known to have its own time honoured mythology. Elsewhere its known as police corruption and it’s a beast of legend that the new Zealand police force has spent almost as much time, energy and taxpayer dollars as Peter Jackson trying to convince Kiwi’s does not exist. The reality however is very different.

Sir Robert Peel (30 August 1841 – 29 June 1846)

Sir Robert Peel (30 August 1841 – 29 June 1846)

Sir Robert Peel, the father of modern day community policing, as we now know it, set down nine guiding principles by which a police force should operate. Any deviation from those principles is not only cause for serious concern but makes it nigh on impossible for a police force to garner public trust, and as such for the rule of law to prevail;

Peelian Principle 1 – “The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder.”

Peelian Principle 2 – “The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon public approval of police actions.”

Peelian Principle 3 – “Police must secure the willing co-operation of the public in voluntary observance of the law to be able to secure and maintain the respect of the public.”

Peelian Principle 4 – “The degree of co-operation of the public that can be secured diminishes proportionately to the necessity of the use of physical force.”

Peelian Principle 5 – “Police seek and preserve public favour not by catering to the public opinion but by constantly demonstrating absolute impartial service to the law.”

Peelian Principle 6 – “Police use physical force to the extent necessary to secure observance of the law or to restore order only when the exercise of persuasion, advice and warning is found to be insufficient.”

Peelian Principle 7 – “Police, at all times, should maintain a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.”

Peelian Principle 8 – “Police should always direct their action strictly towards their functions and never appear to usurp the powers of the judiciary.”

Peelian Principle 9 – “The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it.”

The New Zealand police force, arguably unlike any other in the Commonwealth, at least those nations where the population is majority Anglo-Saxon, have for decades failed miserably in delivering policing in accordance with Robert Peels principles.

Of course Sir Robert Peel’s principles were not born of an ideology alone, they were undoubtedly also based on sound observation and working experience, the fundamental and overwhelming message being that police cannot carry out their duties effectively without the support and approval of those to whom they are accountable, those they serve – simply put, the local community.

Central Otago police officer Neil Ford, sentence to over two years prison for perjury.

Corrupt Central Otago police officer Neil Ford, sentenced to over two years prison for perjury.

It is a fact that in so many instances  the New Zealand police have failed the public. The Central Otago area command is but the latest to come under the spotlight, and the victims of constable Chris McAnally and his two bent police comrades John Clarke and David Greave are but the latest victims in an extraordinarily long line.

These victims, the two teenage boys, have not been alone in the treatment they received at the hands of Otago’s finest. There have been  other instances, other victims. There have also been other cops.

One of the most extraordinary issues that is evident in the email correspondence LF has received is the share volume of police officers that have been named, all accused of violence and other criminal activity. Constable Chris McAnally, whilst being identified as “constable X”, was in fact the least complained of.

Bent Central Otago cop and prcticing racist Jeanette May McNee, with public anger mounting forced to leave the police force despite getting off scott free

Bent Central Otago cop and practicing racist Jeanette May McNee, with public anger mounting McNee was forced to leave the police force despite getting off scott free

LF has decided to take a closer look at the following officers who had been repeatedly named and we will be posting that story in due course;

John Clarke

David Greaves

Jenny McNee

Sean Hurley

Neil Ford

Daime Cassidy

Peter Read

Greg Nolet

Mike Colligan

Lance Davies

Dean Schroder

Chris McAnally

There are other cops who also stand accused of corruption and or inappropriate behaviour, including behaviour which is sexual in nature, some still serving officers others not. Back in November 2014 yet another “unnamed” Cromwell based officer also came under the spotlight:

Another southern police officer investigated

November 12, 2014

WILMA MCKAY

Another Central Otago police officer is under the microscope, police have confirmed.

A Cromwell policeman is being investigated for an incident at Cromwell, a Southern District spokeswoman said.

Police were in the “early stages of inquiries into an alleged incident that occurred at the Cromwell police station“, she said in a statement responding to Fairfax questions.

Officers would not confirm the incident involved apparent heavy handed treatment of someone being held in custody in Cromwell police cells.

“Police aren’t able to make any further comment at this time,” the spokeswoman said.

The investigation comes hard on the heels of a series of investigations involving officers in the Central Otago/Lakes District.

Yesterday, an unidentified 48-year-old Central Otago police officer, who had resigned, pleaded guilty to one count of making intimate recordings of another person on October 14.

Last month, Queenstown police officer Jenny McNee was found guilty of racially abusing a taxi driver but was later discharged without conviction.

Earlier this year, the Independent Police Conduct Authority found then Central Otago police officers Neil Ford and Dairne Cassidy lied to wrongly pin a car crash involving a police vehicle on teenager Shane Cribb.

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/63112432/Another-southern-police-officer-investigated

 

Otago cop charged with assault still on duty

By Leith Huffadine, Lynda van Kempen

7:44 AM Wednesday Dec 3, 2014

A police officer has been charged with assault, following an investigation into an alleged excessive use of force at the Cromwell station in October.

The constable will appear in the Alexandra District Court on December 11.

Relieving Otago rural area commander Inspector Olaf Jensen said the constable would remain on duty, although restricted from front-line work, while the matter was being dealt with by the court.

A police spokeswoman said there would be no further comment on the matter, as it was before the court.

The Otago Daily Times had asked police whether it was unusual for an officer to remain on duty when facing a charge such as assault, the gender of the constable charged, or if there were any injuries during the alleged excessive use of force.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority is carrying out a separate investigation into the incident.

Asked for comment yesterday, IPCA senior communications adviser Stacey Smith said the authority was waiting on further information from police about the incident and until it received that information it was unable to comment further.

A former Central Otago policeman will also appear in the Alexandra court on December 11, for sentencing on a separate matter.

The former officer pleaded guilty last month to a charge of intentionally making an intimate visual recording of another person, using a police-issue iPhone to record a teenage girl having a shower.

The man, who has resigned from the police, has been granted interim name suppression.

Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11367990 

Note: LF would like to hear from anyone who knows the identity of this cop

Of course amongst a raft of serious allegations there are a few that stand out, entrapment, malicious targeting of residents and their vehicles, malicious prosecution, false allegation, false charges, serious assaults by police, injuries sustained whilst in police custody; these allegations are of course just for starters, clearly the tip of a very large iceberg, all evidence of a very large, serious and systemic problem.

Injuries sustained during an alleged prolonged assault by police officers whilst the victim was in police custody.

Injuries sustained during an alleged prolonged assault by police officers whilst the victim was in police custody. The police boot print is clearly visible

The images above detail injuries sustained from over tightened restraining devices and an assault committed by two cops, David Greaves being one of the officers present, the second officer police was not identified because police refused to identify him when the victim demanded the officers name.

LF’s investigations so far have unearthed a whole raft of problems (including complaints and undisclosed IPCA investigations, some serious) with a number of cops before they where eventually transferred to the Central Otago area command. Perhaps its the areas remote location that the commissioner of police finds appealing

In fact looking at the evidence it certainly does appear that police national headquarters have been using Central Otago as an “out of sight, out of mind” dumping ground for problem police officers, cops that have a history of corruption and violence. Our investigations are ongoing so if readers have more information that they would like to share, please do contact the LF team at email address – laudafinem@bigpond.com

We will of course bring readers the results of our ongoing investigation as it unfolds. We encourage readers to write to us with their stories, any bad experience with the Central Otago police, no  matter how small you may believe it to be.

The fact is, if victims do nothing, hide away, perhaps fearful of the repercussions or threats of retribution, then these corrupt cops will continue to get away with it and nothing will change. It’s up to you to make a difference by taking back control and exposing the bastards.

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http://laudafinem.com/2015/01/06/are-central-otago-police-concealing-more-corrupt-officers-and-their-criminal-offending/

http://laudafinem.com/2014/12/31/new-zealand-police-up-the-stakes-on-snow-job-name-suppression-prosecutions/

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5 Comments

  • I was one of the 2 teen aged boys who was harassed by John Clarke, Brent Paye (gordy) and Chris McAnnaly. The “older style of policing” that was mentioned in the letter was Brent Paye’s words about when he grabbed me by the shirt and whispered in my ear that he was going to beat the shit out of me. Chris McAnnaly phoned the land lord of my first flat i was living in at 17 years old and suggested that he kick me and my flat mate out because we were trouble making criminals. At the time i worked at a tire shop where i was once asked to return a police vehicle to the station after fitting new tires. Chris and John didn’t look happy about this when i returned it so they proceeded to tell my boss not to let me drive their vehicles anymore. Less than one week later there was mysteriously no work for me anymore and i was to find a new job after working there for nearly one and a half years. Central Otago Police are unprofessional, law breaking, hypocritical bullies who crave authority and have selective hearing about what they want to take action on. However i will take this opportunity to say that Ian Kerrisk told us all of our options, gave us a sincere apology and was very understanding and helpful with our situation. He is the only Police officer i have ever trusted and probably ever will, I found Ian to be fair and genuinely caring. Ian Kerrisk is an asset to the Alexandra Police and should not be scrutinized for how he handled our situation.

    Tj Woodrow

  • Common knowledge here in Christchurch there is an internal crime group operating within the Police, they do what ever they want, many of them float back and forth from ChCh to Dunedin and Otago. One of their group is the most vile deviant sexual pervert, blackmailing piece of garbage you could image, a GCSB surveillance contractor who works for the Police ,Richard Renouf. Within this gang are Police Prison Guards and Army members, they all operate with immunity, they stand under the umbrella of the most nasty of all ,the Poison Dwarf, Teflon Tom and interestingly enough he has just been transferred to Dunedin to head serious crime investigations. The poor southern public won’t have an idea what’s going on once the hooks go in and poison begin to flow.

  • Tectonic Taniwha says:

    David Bain knows about how corrupt the Dunedin police are. The small, firtive man seen out the back of the property, not even looked into by the police, that the neighbours said was definitly not David was infact the murderer, not the father, and I bet he was a cop! just look at all the divisive legislation that has been past through the beehive while many were playing the Dad and Dave blame game!

  • Is it pronounced Mic – Annally ?

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