Police radio eavesdropper brings grief to family

A family falsely thought for almost an hour they had lost a loved one because of the "negligent" actions of a person listening in to police radio conversations, police say.

The person responsible has been severely criticised by police for putting the family through unnecessary distress, though it is not known if criminal charges will follow.

Police say new digital radio technology being introduced will put an end to such incidents.

The family received the mistaken information yesterday as police investigated the death of a man in a logging accident near Blenheim.

The 34-year-old forestry worker died after being trapped beneath a fallen log at a logging site in Robin Hood Bay.

Sergeant Mike Porter, of the Blenheim police, told the Herald that while police were planning how to deal with the death, someone listened in to their radio conversations, using a scanner.

That person was mistaken about who the victim was, and contacted the family of that worker to tell them.

"It was reckless. [The person] showed no respect for the family, and made it more difficult for us, and of course has caused considerable angst for the family that was advised."

When police were able to finally verify the identity of the victim, they then were able to assure the family given the false information that it was not their loved one, Mr Porter said.

"I believe it was cleared up within three-quarters of an hour ... but even two minutes would be too long."

Police were still establishing yesterday who the provider of the information was and what motivated the person.

"Our priority now is looking after the family of the actual deceased."

Asked whether the person would be prosecuted, Mr Porter said: "It's something we will look at in the cold light of day, and see what steps we will take next."

It is legal to listen in to police radio communications, but it is illegal to act upon information heard.

The logging firm involved in the death said yesterday it did not know who the wrongly informed family was, or how the mistakehappened.

Police are in the process of introducing new digital radio technology, with encrypted channels, that will stop the public listening in to their communications.

Spokesman Jon Neilson said the new technology was adopted to replace ageing technology, and to make it a secure network.

It would prevent people acting on information they heard on police scanners, such as yesterday's incident, and prevent criminals from following the movements of police, he said.

The new technology is already operating in Wellington. It is in the process of being introduced in Auckland, and Canterbury will follow this year.

Mr Neilson said the goal was to have it operational in the main centres in time for next year's Rugby World Cup.