South Auckland police are now required to phone a senior manager following an arrest, to obtain approval to bring an alleged offender into their cells, Stuff reports. The new requirement has sparked frustration among some officers on the beat in Counties Manukau, who do not face the same rules when arresting people in the neighbouring Auckland City and Waitematā districts. The change has the qualified support of the police union, but its boss is warning that taking people into custody cannot become a choice of last resort for frontline cops. It followed a decision by Counties Manukau district commander Superintendent Jill Rogers to bring in senior sergeants to oversee the Manukau custody unit – the busiest cells in the country.

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