As the Hawke's Bay reeled in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle and stories of looting and lawlessness spread the Police Minister Stuart Nash came up with a plan to try to reassure the community that he pitched to the Police Commissioner.
Messages released to 1News showed Nash texted Police Commissioner Andrew Coster on 19 February and asked the message not to be treated as coming from him in his role as police minister.
Nash wanted 50 more cops deployed to the region and called for Coster to "dispatch Wally" to Hawke's Bay sit down with gang members "and bang their bloody heads together and get them to stop this s***. It's pretty serious".
Wally Haumaha is the police's deputy commissioner focussed on iwi and communities.
The following day the Police Commissioner texted Nash back: "Hi Minister. Wally had some useful engagement at his meetings today. No silver bullet, but positive opportunities for ongoing discussion and hopefully, de-escalation. King regards, Andy."
The National Party's police spokesperson Mark Mitchell told 1News today that these messages raise serious concerns about the politicisation of the Police Commissioner.
"The recently released text messages under the OIA, of then-Police Minister Stuart Nash and Commissioner Coster, confirm the fact that the Minister was providing operational instructions to the Commissioner, which the Commissioner appeared to have responded to.
"In our view, these texts confirm our concerns around political interference."
At around the same time as Nash was privately admitting to the police commissioner that post-cyclone crime in the region was "pretty serious", the Government was publicly downplaying it.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said on February 20 that there was no state of lawlessness in Hawke's Bay while Minister Michael Wood told the public there was "a climate of hysteria" in regards to crime.
Nash's full text to Coster on 19 February
"Hi Andy and jeanette, Not as police minister... however, two suggestions to quickly hold on to the hearts and minds of this community:
1. Allow us to both announce tomorrow that 50 more officers will be deployed to the region on top of the 100 already here
2. Dispatch Wally up here and get him to sit down with the gang leaders and bang their bloody heads together and get them to stop this s***.
It's pretty serious. As mentioned, the number one concern from the business leaders meeting held with Grant and Damien was security and policing!!! Much appreciated."
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Commissioner Coster responded that he would call Minister Nash.
Nash was sacked as Police Minister in March, after unwittingly disclosing in a radio interview that he had previously phoned the Police Commissioner and attempted to interfere in a police matter.
1News asked if the Commissioner sent DC Wally Haumaha to Eastern following the Minister’s instruction.
They responded with a simple "no".
"The Minister had separate conversations with the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner Haumaha, who has responsibility for Iwi and Communities. Deputy Commissioner Haumaha and the Minister discussed some of the concerns being raised in the community.
"DC Haumaha made his own assessments and agreed that there was benefit in visiting and meeting gang leaders as part of Police’s community reassurance work.
"It is entirely within his brief to lead our reassurance with iwi and communities, by being present in those communities during times of significant stress, tension or vulnerability."
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