November 14, 2019
Police Complaints Authority slams Hurimoana Dennis
The Independent Police Conduct Authority says the Turning of the Tide crime prevention strategy did not provide any lawful justification for former Inspector Hurimoana Dennis to detain an Auckland teenager in 2015.
The authority today released reports into the incident and into other actions uncovered during the investigation, including pushing for his own son to be put on a marae-based diversion programme after he was charged with the fraudulent sale of iPhones on Trademe.
In May 2017 Inspector Dennis and a custody sergeant, Vaughan Perry, were acquitted by a jury of charges with kidnapping the teenager.
Inspector Dennis, who retired from Police in April 2018, defended his actions by saying he was acting in accordance with Māori lore and the Turning of the Tide strategy.
During the detention in at the Auckland Central Police Station Inspector Dennis and members of the teenager’s family pressured him to end his relationship with a 15 year old girl and move to Australia.
When the teenager returned the next month Inspector Dennis arranged for police based at the Auckland International Airport to intercept him at the door of the plane and put him on another flight back to Australia.
Authority chair Judge Colin Doherty says Police failed to properly investigate the actions of all the officers involved in detaining the teenager.
He says Inspector Dennis repeatedly engaged in improper behaviour that evidences a disregard for the law and Police policy, process, and procedures, amounting to serious misconduct.
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