Update on Police piloting video statements for family violence victims
Thu 21 Apr 2016
New Zealand Police in Palmerston North have been piloting recording family violence victims' statements on video using mobile phones. Victims ...
New Zealand Police in Palmerston North have been piloting recording family violence victims' statements on video using mobile phones. Victims can make statements in their homes rather than being taken to a Police station for a written statement.
The pilot started in December 2015 and was set to end in March 2016, but has been extended.
Police Minister Judith Collins and Justice Minister Amy Adams were briefed on the trial. Police Commissioner Mike Bush reported on his blog that 55 frontline staff in Palmerston North have taken video statements from family violence victims. He said "We will continue to test the end-to-end process in Palmerston North until the end of July. This will ensure we see a number of cases go through the entire court process and that we have the best information to inform wider use of mobile devices to video family violence victim statements and inform any necessary legislative changes."
Related information
For information on other changes to the way NZ Police respond to family violence, see these past NZFVC news stories:
Police introduce family violence disclosure scheme
Police video victim statements under new pilot
NZ Police look at response to family violence
Media
More iPhone statements from family violence victims could be on the way, Stuff, 22.09.2016
Police film domestic violence statements, Radio NZ, 19.09.2016
Police trialing at-home video interviews of family violence victims, Newstalk ZB, 17.04.2016
Image: Pixabay