Double Standards in Accountability: Police Internal Investigations vs Treatment of Licensed Firearms Owners

On 21 July 2026, 1News published an RNZ report detailing Official Information Act figures on New Zealand Police staff under internal investigation. While the coverage highlighted sexual misconduct allegations, the data raises important questions about consistency in how allegations are managed within Police compared to how licensed firearms owners are regulated.

Police Internal Investigations

As of 18 June 2026, NZ Police had 271 open investigations involving 325 employees. This included 33 staff under investigation for sexual misconduct, with six of those cases exceeding 500 days. Across all categories, seven investigations had been open for more than 1,000 days, including two at 1,542 days (over four years).

These timelines stand in contrast to Commissioner Richard Chambers’ stated expectation that employment investigations be resolved within 60 days. In response to the figures, Acting Chief Operating Officer Leigh MacDonald noted that the number of staff under investigation represents “a very small proportion of the police workforce” and does not indicate “a widespread problem across the organisation.” With over 16,000 staff, the 33 sexual misconduct investigations equate to approximately 0.21%.

Firearms Licensing Context

New Zealand has approximately 220,000 licensed firearms owners. According to Firearms Safety Authority OIA data (IR-01-24-8056, 24 April 2024), annual licence suspensions were typically 20–60 between 2010 and 2019. Following the 2020 Arms Act changes, numbers rose sharply: 127 in 2020, 1,339 in 2021, 1,146 in 2022, and 1,386 in 2023.

Of the 2023 suspensions, 799 resulted in revocation while 447 were reinstated, with 85 remaining suspended. This means roughly one in three suspensions were ultimately lifted, indicating the licence holder’s rights and property were interfered with before the matter was resolved in their favour. Revocations also increased significantly from pre-2020 levels.

The Asymmetry

There is a clear difference in approach on two key axes.

Framing

Police appropriately describe 33 cases out of 16,000 staff as a small proportion that does not reflect a systemic issue. However, the same proportionate framing is not applied to licensed firearms owners. Instead, regulatory changes since 2019 have treated the broader community as presenting a systemic risk, leading to expanded oversight measures including the registry and broader suspension powers.

Procedural Standards

Police staff under investigation generally remain in their roles while matters are resolved, with lengthy investigations justified by complexity, procedural fairness, and natural justice requirements.

In contrast, under the Arms Act, a licensed firearms owner facing adverse attention can have their licence suspended immediately under section 27B, with firearms and the licence required to be surrendered under section 28. Revocation imposes a five-year stand-down period under section 23. There is no compensation for cases where suspensions are later lifted, and reinstatements are not publicly framed as evidence of measured caution in the system.

The procedural protections and presumption of continuity afforded internally are not extended to the licensed community that Police regulate.

COLFO Position

Licensed firearms owners are overwhelmingly law-abiding New Zealanders who value safety, responsibility, and compliance with the law. COLFO supports robust oversight of those who pose genuine risks, particularly those involved in criminal activity. However, effective regulation must be evidence-based, proportionate, and applied consistently.

A regulatory framework that applies one standard to those administering it and another to those subject to it undermines public confidence. Greater consistency, transparency, and a stronger focus on targeting actual offending—rather than imposing broad burdens on the compliant majority—would better serve both public safety and trust in firearms administration.

COLFO continues to call for practical reforms that uphold the rights of responsible owners while maintaining strong accountability for misuse.

Sources

• 1News / RNZ, “Over 30 police staff investigated over sexual misconduct allegations,” 21 July 2026 (OIA data as of 18 June 2026).

• Te Tari Pūreke – Firearms Safety Authority, OIA response IR-01-24-8056, 24 April 2024.

• Arms Act 1983, sections 23, 27, 27B, 28.