"Police successfully manage and dispatch hundreds of calls for service each day, however [this call] was not dispatched to local staff for attendance," Inspector Whiu said.
Staff were required to make an assessment on the information available to them at the time but, in this instance, a further communication breakdown meant the victim had not been contacted by police since her concerns were raised, and that was disappointing.
The woman endured a terrifying night with her children.
"Every time I heard a car I wondered if it was the police, but it wasn't," she said.
At one point, while she was still talking to police communications, she thought she heard someone walking on the road outside the house. She also thought she saw a light, possibly from a torch or a cell phone. She told the call taker that.
"I was shaking. I was a real mess. I was frightened," she said.
The nearest neighbours were 100m away in either direction, although she believed she could have run that far if necessary. She had steeled herself to do the best she could with the bat if her home was invaded, and to tell the children to run.
But officers never came. She had still not heard from police when she spoke to the Northland Age three days later.
"We have made attempts to contact the victim this afternoon, and will be making a time to meet with her to discuss this matter," Inspector Whiu added.
"We strive to ensure our communities are safe and feel safe.
"We attend hundreds of calls for service, and are fully committed to ensuring that we give the best possible service to anyone who calls the police.
"However on this occasion we acknowledge our response has fallen short."
