A police National Integrity Unit has been established in Wellington to protect against and investigate any potential corruption within the New Zealand Police.
Police Commissioner Mike Bush made the announcement on Thursday and says it will be led by a detective superintendent with specialist investigators and it will focus on deterring, preventing and detecting corruption.
He says the unit will play a significant role in keeping New Zealand's top ranking as one of the least corrupt countries in the world.
"Thankfully, corruption is still very rare in our organisation," Bush says.
"As organised criminal groups attempt to grow and proliferate, it is important we remain vigilant against attempts to infiltrate, and have measures in place to protect our staff as much as possible from compromise and corruption."
The new unit will work closely with the police's Professional Conduct team, he says.
"Most other respected policing jurisdictions around the world have established similar units to help maintain integrity within their organisations. I want New Zealanders to have the same reassurance."
The unit is based at Police National Headquarters in Wellington.
