Gift-giving: Police accept chocolate, cheese and doughnuts but say no to Mob cloak, All Blacks tickets and mosque food vouchers

Chocolates, food hampers and morning teas were all on the list of gifts accepted by police in the past year. Photo / File

A Māori cloak from one of the country's biggest gangs, a Cartier pen from the Saudi Arabian Government and a raft of top sports tickets, alcohol and food are among the items gifted to police in the past year.

While cheeses, honey, doughnuts, chocolates, food hampers, morning teas, pounamu and a taiaha were all accepted by police other gifts were declined.

A korowai worth $400 donated by Mongrel Mob Notorious was declined after it was offered to a gang liaison officer in the Eastern District last year.

But a $400 taiaha has been displayed in Waikato District headquarters after it was gifted to a sergeant in February this year from an unnamed individual.

It is police policy that all gifts containing alcohol or worth more than $50 be recorded, and generally such gifts are to be declined.

Police Commissioner Mike Bush declined box tickets to an All Blacks match, valued at $370, from Air New Zealand in September last year.

The Canterbury District Police declined 30 NRL match tickets, valued at $600, from Walco Events Ltd on March 22 this year.

The same district also declined rugby tickets and hospitality, worth $275, from Crusaders Rugby weeks later.

Meanwhile police staff in Wellington accepted 32 tickets to a magic show donated by the Lions Club of Wellington last year.

Staff at Wellington District, the Royal New Zealand Police College and Police National Headquarters enjoyed a soccer game after 80 tickets were donated by the Wellington Phoenix Football Club in January this year.

According to a police policy statement every employee must uphold the integrity of New Zealand Police by not being influenced by any kind of gift.

"Gifts or hospitality can be offered for various reasons: both well-intentioned [for
example, to show appreciation, or as part of a ceremonial occasion] and less well-intentioned [for example, as an attempt to gain favour]," it reads.

"The best way of avoiding any perception of influence would be to refuse all offers of gifts and hospitality. However, this is not always workable in practice.

"Gifts, discounts or hospitality should never be accepted if it appears an inducement or
reward is being offered, or if acceptance will result in an obligation to the donor or host."

Police General Manager Professionalism and Assurance Mike Webb said the existing policy was in line with those in other public sector agencies.

"Its humbling when members of the public, and especially victims or their families, drop off small tokens of thanks for the work police staff do in the community, keeping people safe and supporting the vulnerable," Webb said.

"In general, police staff are guided that gifts should be declined unless they are of nominal value (worth less than $50), or refusing them is likely to cause embarrassment or offence."

Any gifts over $50 in value, and all offers of money, vouchers and alcohol, must be reported and recorded in a central register, he said.

"It is not mandatory to report offers of most gifts of less than $50 value, but in many cases staff still choose to report such offers."

A Chinese Embassy representative gifted 25 tickets to the Terracotta Warrior exhibit at Te Papa Tongarewa, worth $500, in January this year.

This was accepted by the assistant commissioner and given to charity.

Two tickets to the World of Wearable Art preview show, valued at $200, were also accepted by police.

They were gifted to a Maritime Unit supervisor by Te Papa Tongarewa in September last year.

A Counties Manukau sergeant accepted two movie tickets, worth $60, from the Botany South Business Association in December last year.

Fonterra donated a $100 selection of cheese and chocolate, complete with a cheeseboard, to an acting sergeant in the Canterbury District which was accepted last year.

Two large bags of sweets, worth $20, were accepted by the criminal investigations team in February this year.

A district manager in Canterbury accepted a Japanese calendar from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in December last year.

Body lotion and hand soap, a gift from the Fiji Police, was accepted and given to charity in May this year.

A carving from Vanuatu Police, donated on March 15, 2019, has been displayed in the Police National Headquarters, while a hamper that came along with it was shared among staff.

Off-duty police officers in the Canterbury District were gifted beer, wine and a Lotto ticket by an unnamed individual the next day, which was declined.

A $500 Cartier pen from the Saudi Arabian Government was accepted on March 29 this year, with New Zealand police making a donation to charity in recognition of the gift.

On March 23, a Hawke's Bay mosque donated $600 of food vouchers which was declined.

"In response to the Christchurch Terror Attacks offers of support and thanks were overwhelming from the community and advice was offered to staff in regard to the best way to manage to offer of gifts or tokens of appreciation," Webb said.