Source: Radio New Zealand
Former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. RNZ / Mark Papalii
A former Assistant Police Commissioner says the people who failed to properly investigate allegations against Jevon McSkimming broke the first rule of learning from history.
Nick Perry was given the job of cleaning up the police ranks 20 years ago, after Louise Nicholas brought historic rape allegations against former and serving officers.
He retired as Assistant Police Commissioner in 2013 and told Morning Report that he felt “deep disappointment” when he saw the damning Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report.
Perry said he used to present adult sexual assault courses at the police college and in his opening comments he would say that those who did not learn from history were bound to repeat it.
“I couldn’t help thinking about that when I was reading the IPCA report because it was clearly the fact that certain members of the police executive hadn’t learned from history, although I must add there were clearly those within the organisation who had and did their very best to address the issue that they confronted.”
The police culture had changed for the better in the last 20 years, he said.
Perry said despite retiring in 2013 he had remained in contact with police.
“Last year for example I was speaking to a number of front line officers who had graduated in the previous 18 months, I’ve got to say I’m extremely impressed with the quality of the people, the motivation, it’s all there.”
Police needed to follow a basic process which was not followed with Louise Nicholas nor in this case, he said.
“In terms of investigations it’s relatively simple in terms of whether it’s an investigation into a criminal offence or a complaint. You have to keep an open mind, you have to be unbiased, follow policy procedures and just see where the evidence takes you.
“If you start missing out any of those, particularly the keeping the open mind and being unbiased, that really starts to damage the integrity of the investigation itself and it’s clearly what’s happened in this particular case.”
Both this case and the Louise Nicholas case involved a complainant making a complaint about sexual offending by police officers, he said.
In the Louise Nicolas case her allegations weren’t accepted, the word of police officers were accepted and it was well down the track before an investigation was commenced, he said.
In the latest case, the IPCA report indicates it appears that Jevon McSkimming’s future and potential as a commissioner was foremost in the mind of a number of upper level police staff involved in the investigation, he said.
The case raises the question about the selection processes in terms of selecting senior leadership within the police, he said.
The IPCA report recommended the establishment of an Inspector-General to have oversight of police, a move which the government is moving to do.
Perry said it remained to be seen what their powers would be and what resources they would get.
He said he would encourage strengthening the powers of the IPCA as they did some very good work but really had no teeth so they could not ensure they were followed through.
A joint IPCA inspector general could be a way forward but that remained to be seen, he said.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
