The Department of Building and Housing today released a report identifying critical factors in the failure of the building and found it did not meet construction standards when it was built.
Assistant commissioner Malcolm Burgess this afternoon said police had received a large volume of information from the department.
An initial assessment of that evidence could lead to an investigation and criminal charges, but Mr Burgess said it would be wrong to suggest that would naturally follow.
"We are hoping to first seek legal advice on the report and carry out a preliminary assessment of the evidence.
"That advice and the assessment of the evidence will determine the next steps which may include assigning the file to a lead investigator.''
Mr Burgess said the threshold for establishing criminal liability was "extremely high''.
Potential offences, if liability could be established, would include criminal nuisance, which covers negligent acts leading to harm, and manslaughter.
"Issues of manslaughter and criminal nuisance will only emerge if there are issues of gross negligence that are able to be established to the criminal standard, and as I've indicated, that's quite a tough standard to meet.''
Mr Burgess said police would continue to work with the department during its assessment of the evidence.
"The material that's been provided to police is quite complex and it's going to take some time to interpret and understand.''
It was not yet known when the initial assessment would be completed.
A police inquiry at the time of the building's collapse would be referred to if an investigation was launched.
Mr Burgess said police were very mindful of the many families from New Zealand and overseas who lost loved ones in the building's collapse.
"They can be assured we will be very thorough in our approach to establish if there is any criminal liability for the collapse of the CTV building.''
But the issue of compensation was not within police's brief.
"All we're interested in is criminal culpability - the question of compensation is one for others.''
- Matthew Backhouse and Sharon Lundy of APNZ
