Cop chastised for trespass while on duty, using police vehicle to take firewood without permission

An on-duty police officer who used a police truck to try take firewood from Kaingaroa Forest without a permit breached a trespass order, as well as police policy by using a work vehicle for private use, the Independent Police Conduct Authority today found.

The man is believed to have taken firewood from the forest on two occasions while he was off duty - but during a third attempt, and while he was rostered on work, he was caught by security guards.

On January 17, 2016, the police officer drove a vehicle towing a trailer into the Kaingaroa Forest, in the Bay of Plenty region, without a permit. The forest's security manager wrote to him asking for an explanation of why he was in the forest.

When the forest's security manager received no response, they issued a trespass notice against the officer for two years from the date of issue, May 25, 2016.

However, the officer told the authority he was not in his vehicle at the time and despite his best efforts, he did not discover who was. 

On 26 March last year, though, after finishing duty for the day, the officer drove into the forest in a police truck, towing a trailer, to collect firewood. Again, he did not have a permit to enter the forest or permission to take the firewood.

After taking some firewood, the officer drove to his home address in the police truck and kept it there overnight.

The following day, the officer was rostered to work but instead drove the police truck back into the Kaingaroa Forest, to collect firewood.  But on this occasion he was found by two security staff who established that he did not have a permit to be there or permission to take firewood.

The forest security manager realised the officer was still prohibited from entering the forest and notified police.

"The officer not only trespassed in the Kaingaroa Forest, he breached police policy by using the police truck for private use when collecting firewood while on duty. The officer failed to meet the expected standards and values of a police officer," authority chairman Judge Colin Doherty said.

The authority also found that police did not know the officer had been trespassed from the forest until the officer told his supervisor in December 2017.

The officer involved has "been through an employment process", police said in a statement, but added they were unable to provide further information for privacy reasons. He remains a police employee.

Bay of Plenty District commander superintendent Andy McGregor said, "We have high expectations for our officers and we acknowledge this officer’s behaviour in going into the forest was inappropriate."