A new automated system that improves the sharing of information between Immigration New Zealand and New Zealand Police went live yesterday.

The system allows Police 24/7 access, making it easier for police to identify a person they are taking enforcement action against.

This is particularly valuable for police when they have arrested a person or suspect that a person has breached a court order, and police believes that the person is not a New Zealand citizen.

The improvements also enable Police to share information with INZ so that INZ can take any necessary compliance action for a non-New Zealander that may be breaching their visa conditions.

'This electronic access is another step towards an improved system of managing the identities of those entering the criminal justice system,” says Manager National Forensic Services Inspector John Walker.

'The improvements allow better linking between government agencies to ensure a cross-sector view of people that Police and INZ are both dealing with.”

The improvements build on recent automated access by Police to driver licence images held by the NZ Transport Agency, as well as the current manual process where Police requests information from INZ via a Contact Centre.

The information sharing through the automated system is enabled by the Privacy Act 1993.

This work, referred to as the Progressive Steps Project, is part of the response to the Government Inquiry into the Smith/Traynor incident.