The recent leak of a New Zealand Police memo, directing officers to ignore retail crimes below specific value thresholds (general theft under $200, petrol drive-offs under $150, shoplifting under $500, online fraud under $1,000, and all other fraud under $500) has ignited widespread public condemnation, and justifiably so.
Despite many right-wing propagandists calling for their head, the whistleblower who exposed this directive deserves praise for shining a light on a policy that undermines public trust and incorrectly prioritises resource allocation over justice. This isn’t just a bureaucratic misstep; it’s a betrayal of communities and retail outlets already grappling with high crime rates.
Last week, RNZ reported:
RNZ has seen a directive that was recently sent to staff relating to police's File Management Centre (FMC) titled 'Assignment Changes - Theft and Fraud'.
The directive said that from 26 March the FMC was applying "nationally standardised value thresholds" when assessing theft and fraud files.
The value thresholds are - general theft $200, petrol drive off $150, shoplifting $500, fraud (paywave, online, scam etc) $1000, and all other fraud $500.
"When assessing files with these offences, you will apply the relevant value threshold and file any file under that threshold regardless of any lines of enquiry or IFA score."
The memo clearly instructed police to file away low-value theft cases regardless of investigative leads or solvability scores. Anything Police Commissioner Richard Chambers says after that fact to try and save face is pointless. This approach dismisses victims, particularly private citizens and small business owners, who face growing levels of crime especially since the unchecked cost-of-living crisis has increased crimes of survival.
The New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey (NZCVS) reveals the scale of the issue: 2.47 million crime incidents were reported in a 12-month period, with only about 25% reported to police, likely because victims already know that the police won't bother to attend.
The whistleblower, whoever they may be, didn’t just leak a memo; they exposed a justice system failing those it swore to protect and a government content to let police ignore numerous crimes because they predominantly affect poorer communities, whom they largely view as expendable.
Burglaries (288,000 incidents) and fraud (510,000 incidents) are rampant, yet the memo suggests police are systematically ignoring a large chunk of these. Data from policedata.nz shows that in 2022, only 10-15% of reported thefts led to prosecutions, with many cases closed early due to “resource constraints.” This isn’t policing; it’s selective abandonment.
On Tuesday, 1 News reported:
In a release earlier today, Chambers said the wrong message had been sent to the retail community and the public about police's approach to retail crime.
"I have made retail crime one of the priorities for the police executive and that means increasing the focus on it.
"The memo has been confusing and unhelpful and does not meet my expectations on retail crime or the expectations of the retail community."
He said he had asked for a reminder to be issued to all district commanders that they should continue focusing on apprehending offenders wherever possible and upholding the law regardless of the thresholds set out in the memo.
When the leak hit, Chambers and Police Minister Mark Mitchell scrambled into damage control, calling the memo “confusing and unhelpful” and insisting investigations are triaged, not ignored. Their back-pedaling reeks of disingenuous spin. Chambers claimed the directive wasn’t a “firm rule,” yet the memo’s language was unequivocal, directing staff to sideline cases below certain thresholds regardless of evidence.
Mitchell’s radio appearance on Newstalk ZB to “clarify” the memo felt like a desperate attempt to dodge accountability. Their assurances that police remain committed to “law and order” ring hollow when the New Zealand Crime & Victims Survey shows fraud and deception offences surged from 288,000 to 510,000 in a year, with Māori communities and LGBT+ people disproportionately victimised.
Today, RNZ reported:
Police launch review after controversial retail crime directive
On Friday, a police spokesperson confirmed to RNZ the national value threshold applied to the prioritisation of lower-level theft and fraud offences was being removed.
"A review is being completed on any cases that may have been impacted by those thresholds to assess whether they should be assigned to districts for follow-up," the spokesperson said.
The review will be done by police's data quality team.
"Police want to reassure that cases will continue to be managed locally balancing demand, resources and priorities to ensure the best possible service to victims in those communities."
Why would the national value thresholds applied to lower-level theft and fraud offences need to be removed if it wasn’t a directive in the first place, as Chambers initially claimed?
Despite many on the right pontificating about all leaking being bad, the whistleblower’s actions were justified because they exposed a policy that prioritises cost cutting measures over outcomes. By revealing the truth, they forced a public reckoning, compelling police to confront their own data: victimisations are under-reported, and police attendance is patchy at best.
The minister’s claim that police are “hunting down crime” is laughable when officers are instructed to let low-value theft slide. This isn’t just about the police not having enough resources; it’s about priorities. The public deserves transparency, not excuses from a Minister who is once again trying to sidestep his responsibilities.
