Every police officer in New Zealand has been ordered to complete a new online training module on alcohol breath testing after an internal audit revealed more than 100 staff under investigation for falsifying tens of thousands of test results.
The discovery came when a new algorithm flagged 30,000 tests as false or erroneous, revealing that some officers were repeatedly activating testing devices without actually engaging motorists.
Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Jill Rogers told state-funded media the practice undermined public trust and confidence in road policing, adding that the training—covering correct device operation, data procedures, and road safety responsibilities—must be completed by 4 December.
Rogers confirmed that while no officers have yet been stood down, employment and possibly criminal investigations are underway.
The falsifications were detected nationwide, with many linked to dedicated road policing teams that had otherwise achieved record numbers of legitimate tests and the lowest alcohol-related road deaths last year. Police partners, including NZTA and the Ministry of Transport, said they were informed of the issue in September and are closely monitoring the situation. NZTA maintained that enforcement targets remain effective for road safety but is conducting an independent evaluation of its Road Policing Investment Programme.
Image credit: Malte Luk
The ones that got away
I never realized there were so many Masons in NZ
Stand with Your feet pointed outwards
Anything to do with quotas?
All of these officers have lied and knowingly provide false evidence to their employer about a job they have been paid to do.
How can any of these officers trusted to give truthful statements in a court of law??
That could result in someone going to jail.
They should all be sacked, what they have done is grounds for instant dissmisl in the private sector.
No amount of retraining is going to make someone honest,set an example for the officers left behind.
In my experience online learning/training is superficial ie. does not stick very well, there are too many distractions both visual and audible, and too easy to skim the surface without obtaining a thorough depth of understanding. There are too many bureaucrats involved heavily with their computer screens ticking the boxes which, at the end of the day, just pass data on with no effect on the real world. It is a kind of cognitive dissonance where virtual results are claimed to be real world results and vice versa. If the police want to regain the trust of the people they might look at less dependance on the algorithm driven by tech manufacturers.