Police admit their 111 response was tardy

By Tony Wall

Police admit they should have responded to multiple 111 calls from staff and residents of a safe house being terrorised by a knife-wielding man, as patrols were in the area and available.

Police managers say they are "disappointed" a car was not sent to Monte Cecilia House in Mt Roskill last week as promised, but say no one was in any immediate danger during four 111 calls received by operators.

A weeklong investigation into the incident has ended with an operator - who told staff at Monte Cecilia no cars were available - being spoken to about the "human error."

The police insistence that no one was in any immediate danger has angered the manager of Monte Cecilia, Elaine Lolesio, who says four 111 calls should have convinced police it was a dangerous situation.

Ana Lavea, a 20-year-old mother-of-two, was attacked in her room at the home on Tuesday last week by her former partner, who had assaulted her several times in the past. He once kicked her in the back so hard she miscarried.

He smashed up her room and threatened her with a knife, then fled.

Inspector Peter Gibson of the northern communications centre said that as the man had left and there was no immediate danger, when Miss Lavea called 111 she was told to report the incident to a police station.

That was standard procedure and he was satisfied she had been given good advice.

Mr Gibson said three more 111 calls came in three hours later when the man's vehicle was seen parked in the grounds of Monte Cecilia.

He said that at no stage were police informed that the man himself had been seen, but police promised to check out the vehicle and search for the man.

Mr Gibson said the man was located by Avondale police two days later and charged with assaulting a female.

He said policing resources and priorities in Auckland were adequate, and there were no flaws in the dispatch system.

But Elaine Lolesio said she made it clear to police that the man was on the property and that everyone was terrified.

"Would they have liked me to have dialled 111 and screamed the same message to highlight the seriousness of it?"

She said her faith in the system was further dented when Ana Lavea's partner was let out on bail.

He had done further "drive-bys" of Monte Cecilia and Miss Lavea had been forced to move on.