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Whakatupato: Community Policing or the Police Response to a Social Problem in New Zealand?

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Policing and Minority Communities

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Abstract

The article discusses the Whatatupato program within the context of the community policing strategies of the New Zealand Police: ‘Prevention First’ and ‘The Turning of the Tide.’ It further explores the wider impact of the delivery of the program and the possibility of it being a catalyst for improving other social problems in rural Maori communities. The first section of the article examines the literature relating to the public’s attitude toward police (ATP) within the context of community policing. The second section presents the major social issues facing Maori and this is followed by a discussion of the two strategies: ‘The Turning of the Tide’ and ‘Prevention First,’ which have been introduced to improve the relationship between the police and the community and to improve the delivery of policing services to the community. These sections are followed by a discussion of the Whakatupato firearms safety program and the reasons that led to its development and implementation. The article concludes with an assessment of the firearms safety program within the framework of community policing and the relationship of the police with the community.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    ‘Whakatupato’ means ‘take care’.

  2. 2.

    Iwi is an identifiable Maori community and is often a tribe or part of a tribe.

  3. 3.

    A marae is a communal or sacred place, usually a community building or hall, which serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies.

  4. 4.

    Over three-quarters (78%) of Maori are reconvicted within 2 years of their release from prison, a rate around 10 percentage points higher than that for New Zealand European (68%) or Pacific Peoples inmates (66%). At 2 years from release, the reimprisonment rate for Maori is 43%, around 10% higher than New Zealand European (31%) or Pacific Peoples inmates (32%) (Speirs 2002; Nadesu 2009).

  5. 5.

    The Treaty of Waitangi is a Treaty between the Government (originally British and now New Zealand) and Maori signed in 1840 that established a British Governor of New Zealand, recognized Māori ownership of their lands, forests and other properties, and gave Māori the rights of British subjects

  6. 6.

    The Turning the of Tide targets to be achieved by June 2014 were: 15% reduction in prosecutions of Maori, 10% reduction in Maori repeat offending, a 5% reduction in Maori first time offenders, 10% reduction in Maori repeat victims and a 10% reduction in Maori victims of fatal and serious vehicle crashes. Similar targets are in place for Turning the of Tide phase 2, which are to be achieved by June 2018 (New Zealand Police 2011b).

  7. 7.

    Whanau is an extended family or community of related families who lived together in the same geographical area.

  8. 8.

    Whānau Ora (family health) is a major contemporary indigenous health initiative by Māori cultural values. Its core goal is to empower communities and extended families (whānau) to provide support within the community context rather than to individuals within an institutional context (Controller and Auditor General 2015).

  9. 9.

    Kaumatua is a local or iwi leader or elder. It is a title of respect.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Garth den Heyer

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  1. Garth den Heyer
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Criminal Justice and Homeland Security, Pace University, New York, NY, USA

    James F. Albrecht

  2. School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA

    Garth den Heyer

  3. Assistant Professor of Policing and Security, Rabdan Academy, Abu Dabi, UAE

    Perry Stanislas

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den Heyer, G. (2019). Whakatupato: Community Policing or the Police Response to a Social Problem in New Zealand?. In: Albrecht, J.F., den Heyer, G., Stanislas, P. (eds) Policing and Minority Communities. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19182-5_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19182-5_17

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