A Hamilton schoolboy on a bus stealthily captured footage of a police officer using his phone while driving.
A Hamilton mother is questioning the example police set after her schoolboy son filmed an officer using his phone while behind the wheel.
But police say they’re legally allowed to use phones behind the wheel when “operationally critical”.
A parent supplied a video of the incident that their sontook this afternoon, which shows three officers texting within a police vehicle, including the driver.
The student on the bus captured the officer at a red light, clearly holding their phone, but moments later, the officer drives off seemingly without putting the device away.
The mother spoke anonymously to the Herald, saying she believed this was a bad look for the police.
“It will make [her son] laugh when he gets pulled over in a few years for phone use. Hard to respect someone that can’t live up to their own rules,” she said.
A police spokesperson said officers are legally permitted to use a mobile phone behind the wheel in certain circumstances when it is operationally critical and in the execution of their duties.
Police are unable to comment further at this stage without knowing more about the context of the alleged incident.
According to section 7.3A(2) of the Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004, constables must be aware of the potential for police’s reputation to be damaged by the public witnessing officers using mobile phones while driving.
A Hamilton schoolboy, who was busing home, caught a police officer red-handed using their phone while behind the wheel. Photo / Supplied
“Police must be seen to role model best practice. Unnecessary use of mobile phones while driving undermines this, and officers may be required to justify their actions.”
This comes after a similar incident in Dunedin in 2018, where an officer received a ticket and a talking to.
The officer was caught in the city during a police sting targeting motorists not wearing seatbelts or using their phones.
A police spokeswoman said the officer was issued with an infringement notice and was spoken to and “reminded of police policy”.
“She was using the phone for work purposes, but in the circumstances could have pulled over or waited to use it.”
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers spoke with Kerre Woodham on Newstalk ZB last week on a wide range of issues regarding police staff, including the ongoing criminal case against the ex-Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.
“I will say, obviously, that police people are not above the law, and frankly, rank doesn’t matter. We’re all accountable for the same things.”
Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
