Police officer hinted he would cancel speeding ticket in return for favour

Thursday, 17 December 2020

A police officer has been cleared of any wrongdoing after a woman laid a complaint with police after she received messages from him which she felt were inappropriate. (File photo)

A Wellington police officer who fined a female motorist for speeding later sent her a text message implying he would cancel the fine in return for a favour. The officer also suggested the woman could buy him a cup of coffee in the future.

But the Independent Police Conduct Authority this week cleared the officer of any wrongdoing for the incident, which occurred in late 2019.

The woman had laid a complaint, saying the text messages were inappropriate.

When the officer was interviewed about the incident, which was subject to a police investigation overseen by the IPCA, he claimed to have sent the messages in an attempt to promote road safety.

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The officer maintained that the favour he requested was that she drive at a safe speed in the future. His name was not revealed in the summary report of the investigation.

“The officer said he did not expect the complainant to meet up with him or buy him a coffee, and he believed she would understand these comments were intended to be humorous,” a summary of the investigation stated.

The investigation found the officer did not act unlawfully or inappropriately when cancelling the infringement notice as he was entitled to provide road safety advice as an alternative to imposing a financial penalty.

It also found there was insufficient evidence to prove the officer had committed any criminal offence or breached the Code of Conduct.

“However, police did take steps to address concerns about the officer's judgment and communication skills during the employment process,” the summary said.

When asked about the officer sending the woman a text message after he had issued the fine, a police spokeswoman said there was no standard procedure or policy governing how an officer should communicate with members of the public.

“We expect, no matter how an officer chooses to communicate with a member of the public, that it is done in a professional manner and upholds our values,” she said.