New Zealand's UPD project highlights ethnicity-based disparities in taser use, prosecution and mental health response by police.

New Zealand's Understanding Policing Delivery (UPD) project revealed significant concerns over the country's police practices, including taser use, prosecution disparities based on ethnicity, and inadequate response to mental health situations. The study, conducted over six months, found that 54% of taser discharge events involved mentally distressed individuals and being Māori increased the likelihood of prosecution by 11% compared to Pākehā for the same offense. Māori were also over-represented in taser events and complaints related to racism or racial profiling. The panel recommended a cross-agency response to mental health situations involving police and the creation of a 'systems review' learning approach to highlight good practice and positive outcomes.

August 21, 2024
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