Police senior fleet manager Inspector Brian Yanko told the Herald all New Zealand vehicles undergo a comprehensive decommissioning process before sale.
“This includes the removal of police-specific equipment such as emergency lighting, sirens, communications equipment, tactical storage systems and other operational fittings.”
Yanko said records from when police disposed of the vehicle, including the original decommissioning checklist and sale photographs, confirm it underwent that process.
“Photographs taken at the time of sale show the vehicle without Police emergency equipment fitted.”
The gear is subject to “strict asset management controls” and is either moved into replacement vehicles or returned to approved service providers for redeployment.
While obsolete equipment can find its way into private ownership, police do not condone using it in a way that could lead people to think a person is an officer or that a vehicle is being operated as a police vehicle.
“Any attempt to impersonate Police or unlawfully use emergency warning equipment is taken seriously and may result in investigation and prosecution.”
Yanko said police were satisfied the vehicle was “appropriately decommissioned and disposed of in accordance with the processes in place at the time”.
The listing claimed it was legal to drive the vehicle as long as the sirens and lights were not activated.
The seller recommended removing the equipment for daily driving.
A fuse could be removed to disable the equipment, the post said.
University of Waikato law professor Alexander Gillespie told the Herald that even having the appearance of a police vehicle can land you in hot water.
“The law in this area is pretty clear, and you aren’t allowed to impersonate a police officer or a police vehicle.”
The interpretation of the law depends on what a reasonable person would think if they saw the car, he said.
“So a lot of that will go on the visual appearance of what the vehicle looks like if it’s got lights on, if it’s got decals on, if it’s painted in a certain type of way.”
People are still able to own and drive replica or historic police vehicles, but it needs to be looked at on a case-by-case basis, Gillespie said.
He recommended talking to police before selling, making or buying one.
The seller did not respond to the Herald’s request for comment.
According to RNZ, four reports were made to police recently regarding two vehicles which displayed what appeared to be Chinese police markings.
The outlet said the cars unsettled Chinese community members.
In 2018, police warned a West Auckland man he could not drive his replica South Australian police car in public.
Rodney Roper said he believed the authorities were just jealous because his car was better than theirs.