Police ask farmer to investigate 111 call

A police officer asked a farmer to drive 12km to check on neighbours who made a 111 call from their remote Northland property.

Ian Russell said he was phoned at 11.15pm on March 15 by a constable based 30 minutes away in Dargaville.

Mr Russell said the officer asked whether he could "go down and have a look", and establish whether it was a genuine 111 call.

"He said there was a woman that rang 111 and there were male voices in the background and a lot of banging and crashing.

"The people in question had had a couple of serious incidents where they had been threatened and their dogs poisoned. So there was reason for the police to be concerned."

Mr Russell said he had been awake since 3.25am - when he fired shots from his window at intruders on his own property - and wanted to get some sleep.

"I rang a guy who I thought lived a bit closer than I did, but it turned out he was the same distance.

"He was a bit nervous about going to have a look and I had to ring 111 back to relay the message that I had established somebody that would be prepared to have a look, and they kept me in touch with this policeman on the beat in Dargaville."

Mr Russell said the neighbour spoke to a man at the property and it turned out everything was fine at the house.

"I treated it with a bit of frustrated humour, I suppose," said Mr Russell.

"I didn't want to look like I was knocking the police.

"It's a resourcing issue. Policing has to change and that's a management issue."

Mr Russell said he had lost about $500,000 worth of stock and property through crime.

The Government needed to address rural policing.

Northland police district commander Viv Rickard said he had listened to the 111 call and spoken with all parties involved.

He said a male at the property phoned police "about an incident in the home" and his wife then took the phone and said they did not want police to attend and were safe.

Mr Rickard said the communications centre contacted the constable in Dargaville, who said he would look into it.

Mr Rickard said the officer used common sense and made the right decision.

He made it "very clear" he would attend, with back-up if required.