By Lane Nichols of 
Photo: AFP
An Auckland police custody officer has been suspended from duty after being charged with supplying the class-A drug cocaine.
The 32-year-old civilian police employee is also accused of possessing cocaine and ecstasy.
If convicted he could face a maximum penalty of life in prison.
A police superintendent confirmed the man was facing serious drug charges, including supplying cocaine, possession of cocaine and possession of ecstasy.
"These offences are alleged to have taken place in February this year, outside of the workplace.
"The employee, who is an authorised officer, was suspended at the commencement of a criminal investigation. An employment process remains ongoing."
An authorised officer is an unsworn civilian police employee who is granted authority to carry out certain constabulary duties, often in a custody role.
The man was summonsed on 31 July and appeared in North Shore District Court last week.
Court documents show the offending is alleged to have occurred in Auckland.
His next appearance is set down for November.
The Herald asked police what quantity of drugs the officer was accused of supplying and possessing.
But police said they could not comment further while the matter was before the courts.
Police Association president Chris Cahill said it was "very rare" for a police employee to face such serious charges.
He emphasised that as an authorised officer, the man was not a sworn police officer.
Criminal offending like that alleged would not be eligible for legal support through the association, Cahill said.
However, "if the person was a member of the association he would be eligible for support for the employment process".
Cocaine is a stimulant and is classified as a class-A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act due to its "very high risk".
Other class-A drugs include methamphetamine, heroin, LSD and magic mushrooms.
Ecstasy is a "high-risk" class-B hallucinogen drug.
A Herald report last week showed three Kiwis are dying each week from drug overdoses.
A drug overdoses in Aotearoa report released on Saturday by the NZ Drug Foundation Te Puna Whakaiti Pāmamae Kai Whakapiri found 1179 people died in New Zealand from accidental drug overdose between 2016 and 2023.
Opioids were the biggest contributor, with 516 people having taken at least one opioid before their deaths and - whether or not it was the cause of death - 35.4 percent of fatal overdoses involved alcohol.
The report's findings were heartbreaking, foundation executive director Sarah Helm said.
"Each of these numbers represents a person whose whānau, friend group and community has been ripped apart.
"I think New Zealanders will be appalled to see the number of preventable overdoses in our country is continuing to increase."
As a society "we simply should not tolerate it", Helm said.
- This story was originally published by the New Zealand Herald.
