IPCA declines to review police mental health withdrawal, cites lack of resources
Thursday, 5 February 2026
The Independent Police Conduct Authority of New Zealand (IPCA) has declined to review the recent police withdrawal from mental health call outs, despite saying it is of a “significant concern”.
The Public Service Association (PSA) requested the review following an incident where a mental health worker made three 111 emergency calls after an alleged assault but was left unattended to by police.
The IPCA is investigating the specific incident itself but stated it had insufficient resources to conduct a wider investigation into the sweeping government changes, which saw police withdrawing from responding to non-emergency mental health events.
“While we appreciate this is a significant concern for mental health workers and the PSA, the Authority does not currently have the resources to conduct such an inquiry,” it wrote.
Read more:
Te Whatu Ora data shows big jump in reported assaults on Auckland hospital workers
Party leaders uniformly reject New Zealand becoming Australia’s seventh state
But the office of Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith, who is in charge of the IPCA, said the body didn’t have the power to do so in the first place, resources or not.
“The IPCA does not have the power to review government decisions. It oversees conduct of the New Zealand Police,” a spokesperson for Goldsmith said, pointing to the founding legislation of for the body.
That legislation does mention that the IPCA can investigate police “policy”, and IPCA resolutions manager Cath Anyan repeated to The Post that the issue stopping it conducting a wider inquiry was resourcing.
PSA secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said the IPCA had essentially admitted that violence and assaults against mental health workers was a significant concern but didn’t have the resources to investigate.
“This is extraordinary. A critical public watchdog is saying 'yes, this is serious, but we can't afford to look into it’. That's a damning admission about the state of Government funding for independent oversight.
“Mental health workers are being left exposed to increasing violence and the very authority that should be investigating doesn't have the resources to do its job. That's very alarming.“
She questioned what other investigations were being ignored due to resourcing.
“What other critical issues are falling through the cracks because oversight bodies are stretched too thin?“
In its last annual report, IPCA chairperson Judge Kenneth Johnston KC said the IPCA was investigating fewer complaints independently and had effectively put a hold on investigating thematic reviews.
“Whilst our revenue remained unchanged, the Government’s strong message of financial responsibility required us to focus even more keenly on our core role, and make adjustments to how we organise ourselves,” he wrote.
It had resulted in modest reduction in staff achieved mostly through attrition, he said.
The IPCA saw a 9% increase in core complaints on the previous year.
Johnston said it was not only the number of complaints that was increasing but also the complexity, which in turn chewed up more resources.
Police involvement in mental health call outs phased out
Phase one of the new system saw mental health transport requests become “subject to a higher threshold before police agree to become involved” and a “streamlined” handover process for voluntary mental health patients.
In April last year, a staggered transition into phase two began, meaning police now leave an hour after taking someone detained under the Mental Health Act to hospital, unless there was an immediate risk to life or safety. Restrictions had also been placed on Act assessments in custody suites.
Phase three began on November 17, 2025, with non-emergency requests assessed against “updated guidance” to determine whether police assistance was required, including reports of missing people with mental health concerns.
Phase four will move towards a 15-minute handover time in hospitals and a shift away from responding to welfare checks where there is no risk of criminality or to life or safety.