Central Otago police are shocked and upset at the actions of a former colleague who yesterday admitted using his police-issued iPhone to record a teenage girl having a shower.
The former policeman's behaviour was ''in direct contradiction to the core values that police stand for'', relieving Otago rural area commander Inspector Olaf Jensen said yesterday.
His comments came after the defendant appeared in the Alexandra District Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to a charge of intentionally making an intimate visual recording of another person.
Judge Stephen Coyle granted the man, who has resigned from the police, interim name suppression and remanded him to December 11.
The Otago Daily Times understands some police officers in the district are concerned the reputation of police will be further tarnished, as the matter follows an Independent Police Conduct Authority report earlier this year which was critical of police for their handling of a separate matter - a crash in 2005, involving then Senior Constable Neil Ford and 17-year-old driver Shane Cribb.
The report, released in March, found multiple police failures led to the blame for the crash being wrongfully attributed to Mr Cribb.
Conduct authority chairman Judge Sir David Carruthers said the mishandling of the crash investigation ''greatly damaged the reputation of Southern district police''.
In the wake of yesterday's court appearance, Insp Jensen said Central Otago staff were ''doing some excellent work to build strong community partnerships and to keep the local community safe through their actions ... this is a difficult time for them and the community''.
The defendant's behaviour had shocked and upset his colleagues and the wider community, Insp Jensen said. Prosecutor Sergeant Ian Collin told the court the defendant's phone had been set on auto-record and placed on a shelf, partly hidden.
When the teenage girl was drying herself after her shower, she noticed the phone.
She replayed the video, realised what the recording was and deleted the video.
When spoken to by police about the matter, the defendant had no comment to make.
He was a first offender and the incident happened when he was off duty, Sgt Collin said.
Counsel Nic Soper said the defendant had had several sessions with a psychologist who would prepare a report before the defendant's next court appearance.
The defendant was seeking a discharge without conviction and final suppression of his name, Mr Soper said.
Judge Coyle said the public had the right to know the business of the court, particularly in relation to offending where there was a risk to vulnerable people.
Although he granted name suppression in the interim, the sentencing judge would make the decision on whether final suppression of the defendant's name should be granted.
Judge Coyle had been concerned that all members of the Central Otago police would be under suspicion if the name of the defendant was not published, but that was no longer the case now the man had resigned.
As he stood in the dock yesterday, the defendant was impassive, with his head down throughout the proceedings.
Several of his former colleagues were in the public gallery during his court appearance.
