A complaint has been made with police over "nuisance" emails sent to West Coast officials and leaders. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
A man who allegedly targeted West Coast iwi and council leaders with racist and "nuisance" emails has been visited by police.
And the region's top cop is encouraging anyone left feeling vulnerable from any social media or electronic mail threat to contact police in the first instance.
West Coast Police Area commander Inspector Jacqui Corner confirmed to Local Democracy Reporting on 19 June that the police are taking seriously a complaint laid by the West Coast Regional Council against a man who is accused of sending hundreds of nuisance emails.
To date West Coast iwi leaders, the Westland District Council, and the West Coast Regional Council have all been targeted.
Corner said police had visited the individual over his activities, which had evolved into a "scatter gun approach" of random emails to a large range of recipients.
The two councils involved had continued to receive messages, but the emailer was also targeting central government including the police hierarchy.
"None of us are immune unfortunately," she said.
At this point the man's activities were being monitored closely.
"The content is more nuisance than any direct threat of anybody."
Corner said police had discussed with the man "the level of nuisance he is creating".
"He continues to send the emails. Both the councils are forwarding them to police to ensure we are not missing anything."
This was to ensure that any threat within further emails might immediately be contained in direct action by police, she said.
Corner said Westland District Council seemed to be "a particular target".
That had coincided with that organisation undergoing a leadership transition in the council executive team.
At the same time, the role of the West Coast Regional Council with its broader oversight in the region, including the Te Tai o Poutini Plan, had also been targeted.
"The police are remaining engaged with the councils to make sure we have an oversight of what the emails are."
Corner said the police were very focused on behaviours exhibited via digital communications - including the propensity for certain types of "pack" behaviour to escalate via social media traffic.
"Social media is a really dangerous pool," she said.
"If people are feeling threatened by social media or anything they encounter there, they need to report that to police.
"Cybercrime is an ever growing demand: we want to respond."
Anyone who believed they were being targeted via email or social media needed to tell police right away.
If it was a direct threat then they should dial 111, otherwise the 105 police line was the next best option, Corner said.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
