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Conditions on Police data release questioned

Author
David Fisher ,
Publish Date
Wed, 25 Nov 2015, 1:59PM
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Conditions on Police data release questioned

Author
David Fisher ,
Publish Date
Wed, 25 Nov 2015, 1:59PM

Opposition parties have called on Police Minister Michael Woodhouse to explain why police attach conditions to the release of publicly owned crime data to academics.

Green Party police spokesman David Clendon said Mr Woodhouse and Justice Minister Amy Adams needed to speak out over the police contract, which compels researchers to produce a draft which could then be vetoed.

The police contract also tells academics they are bound to work with police over "negative results" to "improve outcomes".

Mr Woodhouse and Ms Adams have refused to comment. Mr Woodhouse's office said it was an "operational" issue for police while a spokesman for Ms Adams, whose office forms justice policy using research such as that affected by the contract, referred calls to Mr Woodhouse.

Mr Clendon said he could understand why police would put constraints around confidential or sensitive information. But not data.

"Basic data about offending - I would have thought that would be readily available."

He said Government ministers needed to speak on the issue.

"It's policy driven," said Mr Clendon. "It's clear the minister sets policy which police then implement."The police minister sits in a different cubicle to the justice minister but it ought to be an integrated system. The justice sector needs to operate in a joined-up way."

Labour's Justice spokeswoman Jacinda Ardern said Ms Adams should be asking Mr Woodhouse questions over the contract. "Ultimately, this is information around justice policy - it just so happens police are the guardians of the information."

The Herald revealed this morning that a police contract governing the access of data used for academic research had a string of conditions and the threat of a "blacklist".

It emerged in a disagreement between renowned gang expert Dr Jarrod Gilbert and the police when the academic and Herald columnist attempted to access data for a Government research project on crime near licensed liquor outlets. Dr Gilbert, a lecturer at the University of Canterbury, also found himself personally banned because of his "association with gangs".

New Zealand Tertiary Education Union president Dr Sandra Grey said such conditions were being found across the public sector and were being created because of the potential for political discomfort.

"Government departments are very sensitive to what headlines look like -- as are ministers. It's shutting down debate," Dr Grey said.

"I can see a case where researchers will self-censor and the integrity of their work becomes problematic. I would caution any academics against signing contracts that threaten to limit academic freedom."

Last year, in an online survey by the New Zealand Association of Scientists, 39.8 per cent of respondents said they had been kept from making public comment on controversial issues by their employer's policy or for fear of losing funding.

Police deputy chief executive Mark Evans has stood by the contract, saying it was necessary in cases where academics didn't understand or misrepresented information from police.

As part of accessing the data, academics were "expected" to sign a contract in which police set expectations around accuracy, balance and purpose. "Police reserves the right to discuss research findings with the academic if it misunderstands or misrepresents police data and information."

There was a "high value" in research which "provides evidence to improve police policy and practice", he said.

Mr Evans said police would block further access of anyone breaching the agreement -- but didn't use the word "blacklist" which is in the contract. He said there was no one currently banned.

No details for the banning of Dr Gilbert were revealed, although Mr Evans said the academic had been told his objection had led to police reconsidering its position.

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