| Are you part of Police? | We are not part of Police
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| How do I know if I can complain to you? What do you do? |
We handle and investigate complaints about
We do not re-investigate a criminal case.
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| Will you take a complaint about Police over the phone? |
Due to the high demand on our resources, and to make sure we are clear about the issues and remain objective and independent; we ask people to use the IPCA Online Complaint Form or email info@ipca.govt.nz or write to PO Box 25221, Wellington 6140. If this is not possible, contact the Citizens Advice Bureau who will be able to help you.
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| Will you send me a complaint form? |
Call 0800 503 728 freephone (NZ only) or (04) 499 2050 and leave a message with your name and postal address, and we will post you a complaint form.
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| Do I need the Police officer's name and badge number to make a complaint? | If you have these details that would be helpful, but it is not necessary. We do need to know your name, the time, date and location of the incident(s) you are complaining about.
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| Do I need to send you my Police records? | No, we can obtain these directly from Police. |
| I don't know what to write. | The Citizens Advice Bureau, your lawyer or your local Community Law Centre can help you. |
| Will the Police see my complaint? | The law says we have to notify the Police about your complaint. |
| Is my complaint confidential? | The law says we must keep all the information we have learnt about secret. Please see our Privacy Statement. |
| Can I make an anonymous complaint? | We may not be able to progress your complaint if we do not have your personal details. If you wish to make a protected disclosure, or you do not want us to tell Police your personal details, you should contact us to discuss.
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| Can I complain about something that happened a long time ago? | Yes you can, but the law says we may take no action on a complaint if you have known about the matter for more than 12 months. We will consider your reasons for a delay and the seriousness of the matter when making our decision about this. |
| Will the Authority help me dispute my traffic ticket? | No. Please check which organisation has sent you your fine or ticket. If it is Police, you must write to the Police Infringement Bureau, PO Box 9147, Wellington 6141 or email the Police Infringement Bureau before the due date on your ticket. If it is not Police, you may find more information about who to contact here: Pay fines from speeding, parking, safety cameras or other tickets | New Zealand Government |
| Will the Authority help me with my court case? | No. You should speak to your lawyer, your local Community Law Centre or the Duty Solicitor at court. |
| Will the Authority help me if I don't agree with the Police response to my request for personal information? | No. You should complain to the Privacy Commissioner. |
| Will the Authority help me if I don't agree with the Police response to my request for official information? | No. You should contact the Ombudsman. |
| Can I ask for compensation? | We can't force Police to take particular action. For example, we can't direct Police to investigate a case or prosecute someone. We cannot award compensation, lay charges or take disciplinary action against an officer. |
| How do I know you have received my complaint? | We will acknowledge your complaint quickly - usually within a day, or up to 7 days of receiving it.
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| How long will it take to find out what the Authority is doing about my complaint? | We are experiencing a high demand for our services. We will contact you if we need any more information and to update you on any progress. We aim to let complainants know how we will deal with their complaint within 4 months. |
| How can I send you videos and photos? | You can email these items to case.resolutions@ipca.govt.nz; or if the footage or documentation you want to send is too big to email, please let us know. We will send you a link to securely share it or you can also post hard copies or a USB to us at PO Box 25221, Wellington 6140. |
| Why haven't you contacted me? | Most complaints are dealt with by reviewing what the complainant says in the complaint, and what the Police records say. We do not always need to interview a complainant or witnesses. |
| What happens if I disagree with your decision? | If you disagree with our decision use this online form to let us know why: Expression of Dissatisfaction Form. |
| What should I do if I am feeling unsafe? | The IPCA is not an emergency service. We are not part of Police. Call 111 if you have an emergency or if you cannot decide if your situation is an emergency. The emergency operator will connect you to the right place.
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| How do I get my Police file? | Contact Police directly for Police information. |
| Can I get a copy of my personal information? | Please email info@ipca.govt.nz. Please note that we will not generally provide copies of email correspondence between yourself and the Authority. |
| I've lost what I have written on the online form. | Send an email to info@ipca.govt.nz or phone us 0800 503 728 freephone (NZ only) and let us know and we will email or post you a copy. |
| Do I have a right to obtain official information from you? | No. The Authority is not subject to the Official Information Act 1982. |
| How can I find out about what the Authority is doing about my adult child/spouse/friend's complaint? | You can only receive information about a complaint made on behalf of another person if you have sent us a written authority from that person. |
| Can I make a complaint on behalf of my child? | Yes, but depending on the age of your child, we might need authorisation from them. You can contact us to discuss making a complaint about a Police action in relation to a child. Send an email to: info@ipca.govt.nz. |
| Who do the Authority report to? | We are an Independent Crown Entity, but we are accountable to Parliament for our performance and use of taxpayer funding. |