Police investigating why a taxi was sent to a 111 emergency call from a distressed woman at Piha in West Auckland eight days ago, say there were patrol cars available.
Police have launched an internal inquiry into the taxi decision but senior police confirmed today two cars were available when missing Auckland student and part-time model Iraena Asher, 25, made a 111 call on her cellphone from Piha about 9pm on October 10 and asked for help.
Miss Asher, who has bipolar disorder and may not have been taking her medication, was distraught and disappeared a few hours later after wandering off either naked or in her underwear.
Today police said the decision to send a taxi to Piha, at least 30 minutes by road from Auckland, was the subject of a top level inquiry. It is unclear if the taxi arrived.
They said the taxi decision was a judgement call and had nothing to do with police resources, rejecting a suggestion police were too busy with road policing or looking after remand prisoners.
"We are as concerned to know how that decision was reached as anybody," said Superintendent Roger Carson, the district commander for the North Shore-Waitakere-Rodney police district.
However, police refused to say why Miss Asher wanted help, what she told them during the call, or name the two inspectors who were conducting the inquiry.
The 111 call was made to the police Northern Communications Centre and a taxi was ordered. The taxi company was not told it was a 111 call, said Northcom manager Superintendent John Lyall.
Police said the woman chose to make a 111 call for a reason but the people who took the call and sent the taxi needed to explain how the conversation went and their actions.
"A major part of the investigation we are carrying out internally is was why a taxi was sent instead of a police unit," Mr Lyall said.
He said until the inquiry had spoken to everyone, little else could be said.
He said staff had been urged to err on the side of caution with 111 calls.
"If the investigation comes out that we shouldn't have sent a taxi and we should have sent a police car, we will be saying that publicly."
Mr Lyall said the public should have full confidence in the police 111 emergency system. The Northern Communications Centre took about 35,000 111 calls a month and rarely did police have difficulty with them.
"We want this to conclude as quickly as possible. We want the general public to have the confidence to dial 111 and have a very good service."
He said police wanted the time to finish the inquiry and would release the outcome in the next few days.
About five staff were being interviewed over the decision to send a taxi.
"We are desperate to get this thing out in the open as quickly as possible.
"My major concern is public confidence and I want to make sure the public have the confidence that the police are doing the right job," Mr Lyall said.
"What it looks like from the outside is maybe not all roses. But I can't comment until I have had a good look at it," Mr Lyall said.
Police have continued their aerial search for Miss Asher today and continued to knock on doors and appeal to Piha residents to check their properties.
- NZPA
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