Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier has upheld a complaint from Selwyn Times after police failed to meet the deadline for information requested by the newspaper.
The police began a six-month trial on May 1, which involved operating a 24-hour roster from the Rolleston station across most of the district.
But changes led to cutbacks in police staffing at the Lincoln and Leeston stations.
At the time, police answered few questions from Selwyn Times about the changes, leading the newspaper to seek information through the OIA.
In the request, Selwyn Times sought reports, business plans, surveys and studies undertaken by police, or done for police, and emails in relation to the new 24/7 strategy.
Police chiefs waited until the last hour of the 20th working day to respond, asking for an extension saying “consultations” necessary to make a decision could not be made within the original 20 days.
Selwyn Times editor Barry Clarke agreed to an extension.
But police missed the 20-day response time again, prompting Clarke to ask why.
Police apologised but said they were still consulting and were "unable to provide a date for our response".
Four working days later police responded, saying the internal reports and emails sought could not be released “as it would be likely to prejudice the maintenance of the law, including the prevention, investigation, and detection of offences, and the right to a fair trial”.
Police also said a business plan and other planning documents did not exist.
After missing the deadline, Selwyn Times complained to the Ombudsman.
Boshier found police failed to meet the requirements imposed by the OIA.
He is still investigating the police decision to refuse the request to release the information.
“I have recommended that police provide me with a report that covers the issues that led to the delay and what improvements it proposes to make to address those issues and thereby avoid future delays of this kind,” he said in his decision.
Boshier said he had reported his final opinion in regards to missing the deadline to Minister of Police Ginny Anderson.
Clarke said it was surprising no reports or planning documents for the 24/7 strategy existed.
“Does this mean there was no strategy or planning document ever put together?” he said.
“If that is the case, why?
“After police told Selwyn Times the documents sought didn’t exist, we went back to them again to clarify if there were any documents written, or if documents were destroyed or lost.
“The response from the person dealing with the OIA was: ‘My understanding is that there never were any documents’.”
