“The Authorised Officer was serving dinner in the custody suite when the detainee complained that they had a sore stomach and had been passing blood,” the IPCA summary said.
“The detainee requested to see a doctor, which the Authorised Officer refused.”
The acting supervisor directed the authorised officer to call a doctor after learning of the situation.
However, they again refused as they could not see blood from outside the cell and believed the prisoner’s request was spurious.
“The acting supervisor then checked on the detainee and, upon seeing blood themselves, called a doctor. The doctor’s assessment was that the detainee needed hospital care.”
A separate supervisor told the authorised officer to escort the detainee to the hospital.
The authorised officer refused and said they did not feel well and were not capable of managing the detainee if they behaved violently.
The authorised officer was then sent home by the supervisor.
The police investigation found the authorised officer did not comply with police policy in terms of caring for the detainee by refusing a reasonable request to contact a doctor, and failed to comply with lawful and reasonable instructions from their supervisor.
The authorised officer resigned during a police employment process after the investigation.
“Despite the resignation, Police concluded the employment process in accordance with Public Service Commission’s guidelines,” the IPCA summary read.
“The Authority agrees with the findings made by Police and overall accepts the outcome reached.”
Acting Superintendent Lincoln Sycamore, Eastern district commander, said police had a duty of care for people held in the custody unit and high standards were set for police staff.
“The detainee’s concerns should have been taken seriously, and we commend the acting supervisor for taking immediate action to ensure the detainee received appropriate medical attention,” Sycamore said.
“There are clear policies in place to ensure the safety of detainees, and in this case, those policies were not followed.”
The Gisborne Herald sent the police queries around when the incident happened, whether it was in Hawke’s Bay or Tairāwhiti and whether there had been any further outcomes around staff training or police policy after the investigation.
Sycamore declined to comment further as the person was no longer employed by the police.
