Senior constable's ordeal with workplace allegations ends in posthumous ERA victory for his family

The New Zealand Police's handling of a lengthy internal investigation unjustifiably disadvantaged a veteran officer, whose ordeal continued up to his death, the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) has determined.

The estate of a late senior constable (SC) has been awarded $25,000 in compensation, following a determination that found serious failings in how the Police handled allegations against him and managed his employment during his terminal illness.

The late officer joined the Police in 1988, serving predominantly in the Waikato District, before being promoted to SC in 2004.

In 2016, he suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after attending a fatal accident, and then was diagnosed with advanced mantle cell lymphoma. Despite his illness, he returned to work in a limited capacity as the district fleet manager.

Allegations against the officer

In July 2020, while still recovering, the officer was confronted with a series of serious allegations from his supervisor, including claims of corruption, misuse of police vehicles, and improper use of police resources.

The allegations were escalated to senior management without first being discussed with the officer, and he was stood down from duty.

Criminal investigations eventually cleared the officer of the most serious charges, but employment investigations dragged on, marred by delays, poor communication, and repeated requests...

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