Andrew Coster. Photo: POOL / Stuff / Robert Kitchin
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster has welcomed the police watchdog's findings that officers served the public well during the Parliament occupation last year.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) has found that despite a number of police failings, officers exercised professionalism and restraint dealing with a "level of public disorder rarely seen in New Zealand".
It said there were some isolated incidents of potentially excessive force by officers, which were being investigated separately.
Coster said he was immensely proud of the work of staff throughout the protest and on the final day of the occupation.
He said he officers faced an exceptionally challenging, provocative, and sometimes, very volatile environment.
"This was an unprecedented event and it will be regarded as one of the most significant policing challenges in decades.
"Despite that, the authority found we did many things right, particularly the overall use of force being appropriate in the circumstances.
Read the full IPCA report here
"The report also highlights areas for improvement, including public order policing, planning, command and control, equipment, and health and safety."
Police form a line around protesters at Parliament. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The report said some officers were not given enough protective gear on the final day, resulting in a number of staff injuries.
"We have completed a significant amount of work already, such as ordering more equipment, providing staff with more training, and beginning a full review of public order policing," Coster said.
"The review into public order policing will investigate issues of training and equipment. More protective equipment has been sourced already to create a centralised store."
He agreed that ideally, more officers would have had been fully equipped with specialist protective equipment, but at the time of the operation it had exhausted all options to do so, including utilising partner agencies.
Coster said extensive effort had gone into staff safety, and he was confident that health and safety was at the forefront.
He said the final report makes a number of recommendations, which would now be incorporated into the work programme underway.
