Community Patrols of New Zealand

Patrol Paper Trails – August 2015

Community Patrols of New Zealand

The Paper Trail for New Patrollers

BACKGROUND

An issue has been identified in the processes some patrols use for new Patrollers.

A check of the current manual does not outline or explain how each of the currently used forms fits into the whole process. This guideline assists to address those issues for when new or potential patrollers wish to join your Community Patrol.

All current forms used by CPNZ are located on the CPNZ Website / Members’ Area

The most used forms that are in current use are:

  • Quick Reference Form
  • Application to join a Patrol
  • New Security Clearance Form
  • CPNZ Code of Conduct
  • Confidentialityof Declaration
  • CPNZ ID Card application Form
  • Patrol Paper Trail.

CPNZ encourages patrols to create individual personal files for each patroller. This enables any papers relating to the Patroller, or any course certificates to be kept in one place.

Each Patrol is reminded of the requirements of the Privacy Act in relation to the Security, Accessibility and Storage of those papers.

Quick Reference Form (QRF)

A complete Quick Reference Form is required from all Patrols. The information on this form is used as follows:

  • To send electronic information to Patrol contact persons.
  • Used by District Representatives and the District Committees to maintain contact with patrol office holders.
  • Used by Police Staff to maintain a separate contact list for all Police Liaison Officers nationally.
  • Used by National Comms Centres as emergency contacts for each patrol
  • Used by each District Command Centre to communicate with patrols

A completed QRF should be sent to the National Office at least once a year and preferably immediately after the Patrol Annual General Meeting.

If changes occur to the Patrol Management team, a partially completed QRF advising of the changes to the single position is also acceptable.

Each QRF submitted should have the Patrol name, and current number of patrollers and the current mobile phone number being used.

Application to join a Patrol

This form is one completed by the Applicant and remains with your patrol. It supplies your patrol with personal information that is important for your patrol to know.

It also gives your patrol the applicant’s written authority to make enquiries with the nominated referees. This may assist your patrol in reaching a decision as to the suitability of the applicant.

Please DO NOT send this form to the CPNZ National Office.

New Security Clearance ‘Request & Consent’Form NZPVS-CS-03-18

As previously advised there were likely to be changes to the new Request and Consent (Vetting) process. To save confusion, disregard any previous instructions sent and use these as the most current version.

As previously requested, please disseminate this as required.

Significant confusion was created by the first version sought by NZ Police Vetting and Validation Section. As a result of our last meeting with them, NZ Police accept that CPNZ can have nominated agents acting on behalf of CPNZ Inc.

This will enable those nominated persons to ‘sign off’ the Request & Consent Forms before they are sent to the National Office for processing.

CPNZ ‘Vetting - Authorised Persons’ Form:

The trade-off is that CPNZ has created a form that asks each patrol to nominate TWO authorised persons to be used to send and receive information to and from the National Office.

The first nomination will be the person most likely to be the contact. The second nomination is the person who will take that role when the first is unavailable.

Your patrol’s Police Liaison Officer has also been included but is only accepted when either of the first two are not available. Each person is required to sign the acknowledgement that they’re complying with the requirements laid out on the new Request & Consent Form AND that they are acting as an agent on behalf of CPNZ Inc for the purposes of the Request & Consent Form.

The form only needs to be completed once and a record will be held at the National Office. Forms signed off by persons other than those listed will be returned to the patrol without being actioned.

Should the nominated person/s change for any reason, a new ‘Authorised Vetting Person’ form is to be completed and sent to the National Office.

CPNZ ‘Vetting - Authorised Persons’ Form:

The CPNZ ‘Vetting - Authorised Person Form’ remain current and it is now very important that your patrol maintains the correct contacts by submitting updated forms to the National Office. The original form containing original signatures is still required and should be posted to:

Community Patrols of New Zealand

Post Box 3017

WELLINGTON 6140

I remind you that CPNZ has created the form that asks each patrol to nominate TWO authorised persons who will be the contact points for this office in relation to the ‘Request and Consent’ Form.

The first nomination will be the person most likely to be the contact point for new potential patrollers. The second nomination is the person who will take that role when the first is unavailable.

Your patrol’s Police Liaison Officer has also been included. Each person is required to sign the acknowledgement that they’re complying with the requirements laid out on the new ‘Request & Consent’ Form AND that they are acting as an agent on behalf of CPNZ Inc for the purposes of the Request & Consent Form.

The form only needs to be completed once and a record will be held at the National Office. Should the nominated person/s change for any reason, a new ‘Authorised Vetting Person’ form is to be completed and sent to the National Office.

Security Clearance Forms signed off by persons other than those listed on the Authorised Form will be returned to the patrol without being actioned.

The New ‘Request and Consent’ Form is available on the CPNZ Website

It is listed under the Membership section and has been renamed Vetting Service Request & Consent form NZPVS-CS-03-18.

It is in WORD Format and has pre-populated areas. Please do not alter or change those indicated areas.

Form Instructions:

The following simplified instructions are advised:

SECTION ONE - Page 1. Applicant Role – Purpose of Vet.

ONLY fill in:

  • The Name of the Applicant to be vetted
  • Enter Patrol Name

Evidence of ID

The nominated person/s on the submitted ‘Authorised Vetting Persons’ Form completes this page.

  • Do not alter or change the [A] I have indication. It is the correct one to use for our purposes.
  • Tick in the box for Primary Document when you have a copy.
  • Tick in the box for Another Form of ID (Secondary Document) when you have a copy.
  • Tick in the box confirming that one of those two forms of ID is photographic AND you have confirmed a comparison of the person making the application.
  • If there is a difference in name between the Primary and Secondary forms of ID, evidence of that name change MUST be included. Tick this box when you have a copy of that document.

Checklist

  • Make sure that the three checked boxes are correct BEFORE submitting this form.
  • Print your name as the Approved Agency Representative (that means you are one of the persons on the ‘Vetting – Authorised Persons’ Form,
  • Print the date,
  • DO NOT tick the ‘Signed in electronic form’,
  • Sign with your normal signature.

SECTION ONE is completed by the nominated person/s

on the submitted ‘Authorised Vetting Persons’ Form.

SECTION TWO - Page 2. Personal Information.

This ‘Personal Information’ section is completed solely by the Applicant. ALL applicable sections must be completed.

  • The first section is self-explaining.
  • The second section is used if:
  • A -The person is known as a different name to their given name. i.e. nick-name, alias or alternative name,
  • M -The persons married name if it is not used as the primary name,
  • P - Any previous name. i.e. Maiden name, previous married names, name change by deed poll or statutory declaration.

Confusion has arisen with the details being supplied under the ‘other names’ section. No proof of name change is required under this section. The only requirement for that proof is found on Page 2 in explaining the difference between the Primary and other identification.

  • The third section is self-explaining.

SECTION THREE - Page 3. Consent to Disclosure.

This section is also completed solely by the Applicant. This gives consent for the ‘Vetting’ to be completed AND the appropriate information supplied to the person on the ‘Vetting – Authorised Persons’ Form.

The Applicant MUST:

  • Sign and date the form.

As with previous forms, if the Applicant signature is older than three (3) months the form cannot be processed. The form cannot be actioned by anyone other than the National Office staff.

SECTION TWO AND THREE is completed by solely by the applicant.

SECTION FOUR - Page 4. Additional Information (for Australian National Police Check).

It is unlikely that CPNZ Applicants will be required to complete and return Page 5, 6 or 7. However, if you are unsure please contact the National Office for advice.

Submitting the document.

Prior to submitting the document, please check the following:

  • Has Section One been completed fully by you.
  • Do you have copies of the Primary, Secondary and any other required document/s.
  • Have you (as the Authorised Person) signed each of the copies of the Primary, Secondary or other document/s as having sighted and confirmed the document.
  • Has Section Two and Three been completed fully by the applicant.
  • Is Section Four required – if not there is no need to include those 2 pages.

There are now TWO different ways to submit this form. You may choose what bests suits your needs.

  1. The forms can still be POSTED to the National Office using either of the address shown below:

Community Patrols of New ZealandInternal Police Mail

Post Box 3017CPNZ at PNHQ

WELLINGTON 6140

If you post these documents, they will NOT be returned.

  1. The forms can be SCANNED and EMAILED.

Important Note:

If you are using this method the National Office will accept PDF Documents. The office will NOT accept document scanned as photographs i.e. .jpg, .jpeg, .tif, .png or similar formats.

It is still strongly recommended that your patrol uses the ‘Application to join a Patrol’ form provided in the Forms section of the CPNZ Website so that full personal details of the applicant are captured for your patrol records.

That form also enables your patrol to undertake local enquiries with the supplied referees.

Ideally both forms should be completed at the same time. Patrols should consider supplying the ‘Application to join a Patrol’ forms to their local Police Station and then completing following enquiries with any potential applicant.

PRIMARY and SECONDARY IDENTIFICATION

The following list contains the only currently acceptable forms of approved documents for Primary and Secondary Identification (Evidence of Identification - EOI).

I remind you all that one of those forms of Identification MUST be photographic.

One of these / And one of these
Primary Identification Documents / Secondary Identification Documents
NZ Passport
(expired are acceptable –NOT OLDER THAN 5 YEARS)
Overseas Passport
(expired are acceptable –NOT OLDER THAN 5 YEARS)
NZ Birth Certificate– Issued on or after 1998
NZ Firearms Licence
NZ Citizenship certificate
NZ Certificate of Identity
NZ Refugee Travel Document
NZ Emergency Travel Document / NZ Driver’s Licence
International Driving Permit
Community Services Card
18+ Card
Student Identity Card
Employee Identity Card
A current utility bill e.g. Power, phone (Not older than 6 months)
NZ Full Birth Certificate – Issued before 1998
Super Gold Card

PROCESSING

All security clearance processing for potential CPNZ Patrollers is completed by the National Office.

Occasionally ‘Request & Consent’ forms are sent directly to Vetting & Validation at Police National Headquarters. They are unable to process these on behalf of CPNZ and these forms are often returned to the applicant with a request to resubmit via the approved agency.

Please check that ‘Request & Consent’ Forms are sent to the addresses listed in this document.

RESULTS

When the result is released to CPNZ, a standard format email is send to the top person on the ‘Vetting – Authorised Persons’ form.

The second person is used only if this office is advised that the top person will be unavailable for a set period. In the event of a patrol being newly established, often the only person on the form is the local Police Liaison Officer.

The Standard Format email advised if the person is Acceptable or Not Acceptable as a Community Patroller. No other information is supplied.

If the person is acceptable, the Request & Consent form used by that person is destroyed – it is NOT returned to the patrol.

If the person is unacceptable, the Request & Consent form used by that person is then held securely for 3 months. The applicant should be advised that:

  • the clearance has been denied and
  • they are entitled to formally write to the National Office and seek information as to why the clearance was denied.

The National Office is authorised to release that information BUT only to the person involved.

OTHER

If your patrol wants to update the ‘Vetting – Authorised Persons’ form, it is freely available on the CPNZ Website via: If only one person is being changed, the patrol can complete only that section and post the form with original signatures to the National office.

If you are unsure who your patrols Authorised Persons are, contact the National Office.

If you are confused or any questions, please contact the National Office via:

Phone (04) 817 0228or Police Network Extension 41228

Confidentiality Agreement (CPNZ Appendix 4)

This form should be read, understood and signed by the applicant prior to going on any patrol. This may be as a ‘ride-a-long’ prior to formally joining your patrol.

It provides an understanding that Police Information used during the course of the Patrol remains confidential.

During this initial trial period it is also appropriate to discuss the ‘Code of Conduct’ outlining what is expected of patrollers.

If the applicant decides that the Patrol does not suit them, or if the patrol decides that the applicant does not suit them, there is no need to take the process any further.

In that case any papers collected for or signed by the Applicant should be returned to them.

If the Applicant and the Patrol both agree to continue, then the next step should be undertaken.

Code of Conduct (CPNZ Appendix 5)

This is the time that this form should be read, understood and signed by the applicant.

It requires the signature to be witnessed. This could be your Patrol Coordinator, your Police Liaison Officer or another (preferably) office holder from your patrol.

This is also the time to complete the next step.

CPNZ ID Card Application Form

The form is self-explaining and is freely available as a Word or PDF Document from the CPNZ Website.

Please read the guide that is also attached to that form as there are sections that are Mandatory and Sections that are Optional.

DO NOT send CPNZ ID Card Application Form at the same time that you send the Security Clearance Form.

CPNZ ID Card Application Formscan be:

  • Emailed to as an attached Word or PDF Document. (DO NOT send JPEG copies of this form)
  • Email the Applicant photo as an attached JPEG. Limit the size of your photo to 640 x 480 pixels. (Under ½ Mb per photo)
  • Posted to

Community Patrols of New Zealand

Post Box 3017

WELLINGTON 6140

It is preferable that the digital photo is taken against a neutral grey background. Most Police Stations have a suitable wall in their Prisoner Processing Area.

It is recommended that the Patrol keeps a copy of the CPNZ ID Card Application Formsin the Patrollers personal file as discussed earlier.

Conclusion

Hopefully this simple process will allow for an orderly and systematic approach to processing the paperwork associated with any potential patroller.

This should also eliminate the problem of all forms being completed at one time, and ID Cards being produced and forwarded prior to the Vetting Process or Patrol Enquiry being completed.

Any enquiry relating to this can be directed to the National Office.

Page 1 of 8