A new sign seems to have popped up between the self-checkouts at a specific Pak’nSave (note that this is after you’ve entered the store, in fact just before you’re going to leave):
It would be a shame if they had to do this because people were challenging their self-given right to unreasonably search customers.
Last year I sent an Official Information Act request to all the state and integrated secondary schools in New Zealand that have year 12/13 students with a couple of questions about their school balls/formals. Many schools didn’t reply at all, and the Office of the Ombudsman is involved with those requests. Many schools didn’t have much experience with the OIA. And there’s a few things I could have done better.
Here’s what I said:
If you hold a school ball or formal could you please answer the following questions? Do you have a policy on same-sex dates? If so, could you please email me a copy of that policy?
In the past, has the school banned same-sex dates from attending the school ball or formal? If so, could you please provide details?
Do you have a policy on parties before/after the school ball or formal? If so, could you please email me a copy of that policy? [note that if schools interpreted this as a written policy, many will have responded with no policy when they do indeed have common practices and procedures]
And here’s the meat of the replies.
Darfield High is perhaps one of the more honest schools, and might not deserve to be in the same category as the other schools listed below. They admit that in the past same-sex partners weren’t permitted at their balls. This would have happened at other schools too.
Greymouth High School elect a king and queen. This probably happens at other schools too. Is it an inclusive practice?
‘Case by case basis’ is mentioned a lot in these replies. This doesn’t apply to opposite-sex dates that want to attend to the ball. Is it fair to subject same-sex dates to an additional process, just because of their sex?
Rejecting friends and mates of the same-sex as partners also came up. Are friends and mates of the opposite sex declined as dates? Is having to be gay, or having to prove that you’re gay, by signing something, or whatever, to take a same-sex date to a ball/formal acceptable?
Inviting sports teams to the formal/ball also came up as an excuse to treat same-sex couples differently. I wonder if the members of a mixed sports team attending the formal/ball would, as one schools says, “make a mockery out of the occasion”. I wonder how many times a same-sex sports team has attended the event at these schools. If it has happened, I wonder if they are being slightly over-dramatic regarding the negative effect it caused.
Christchurch Adventist School is the only school, out of those that actually replied, that flat-out says same-sex dates wouldn’t be permitted.
Campion College says they “generally [do not permit same-sex dates] due to a previous issue with vandalism”. I wonder if effectively banning same-sex dates is the best solution for this situation. I wonder how vandalism of a significant nature can occur during a supervised event.
Here’s what St Patrick’s College Wellington (the one that was in the news last year) said:
“Do you have a policy on same-sex dates?
No we do not.Has the school banned same-sex dates in the past?
No as this has never arisen before.Do you have a policy on parties before/after the school ball or formal? No we do not.”
—
Wellington Girls College
Sancta Maria College
Darfield High School
St Thomas of Canterbury College
Christchurch Adventist School
Campion College
Kavanagh College
St Bede’s College
Tauranga Boys’ College
Albany Senior High School
Alfriston College
Aparima College
Aranui High School
Aurora College
Awatapu College
Bayfield High School
Cashmere High School
Central Hawkes Bay College
Coastal Taranaki School
Craighead Diocesan School
Cullinane College
Edgewater College
Epsom Girls’ Grammar School
Fairfield College
Freyberg High School
Greymouth High School
Hamilton Boys’ High School
Hamilton Girls’ High School
Hurunui College
Hutt Valley High School
John Paul II High School
Kamo High School
Kelston Girls’ College
Lincoln High School
Macleans College
Mana College
Maniototo Area School
Manurewa High School
Matamata College
Middleton Grange School
Nelson College For Girls
New Plymouth Girls’ High School
Newlands College
Opotiki College
Otaki College
Otumoetai College
Papatoetoe High School
Piopio College
Queens High School
Raglan Area School
Rangiora High School
Rangitoto College
Rathkeale College
Reefton Area School
Reporoa College
Sacred Heart Girls’ College (N Plymouth)
Selwyn College
Shirley Boys’ High School
Southland Boys’ High School
St Hildas Collegiate
St John’s College (Hastings)
St Mary’s College (Ponsonby)
St Peter’s College (Palmerston North)
Taita College
Takapuna Grammar School
Tauranga Girls’ College
Tawa College
Te Awamutu College
Thames High School
Waiheke High School
Wainuiomata High School
Waitaki Girls’ High School
Wanganui Girls’ College
Wellington East Girls’ College
Western Springs College
Westlake Girls’ High School
Image credit: stu_spivack
Their reply to “Random” Pak’nSave Bag Searches. No comment on women with handbags or what happens if I did have something in my bag that I had bought from another supermarket.
Dear Matt,
I can confirm that our bag policy is applicable regardless of a customer’s age and is simply designed to prevent an ongoing shoplifting issue which we are trying to manage. We have a prominent sign in-store which clearly states that ‘We reserve the right to check all bags and may require you to leave large bags with a staff member while shopping.’
While I do appreciate having your bag checked is an inconvenience, unfortunately due to the level of shoplifting we experience in-store, it is an unavoidable part of how we are forced to do business, we would certainly prefer to not check customer’s bags but sometimes even with cameras and other security measures we are left with no option. I apologise if you felt you were unfairly treated and I hope you will continue to shop at my store.
My staff remain committed to giving our customers the best possible shopping experience, and by endeavouring to keep shoplifting to a minimum we hope we can deliver the lowest everyday prices.
Kind regards,
Steven McDonald
Owner
PAK’nSAVE Riccarton
Image credit: Naomi
Update: Pak’nSave responds.
An open letter.
Dear People of Pak’nSave Riccarton,
On 15 December I shopped at Riccarton Pak’nSave with a group of other young people.
After purchasing items at a self-checkout directly in front of one of your staff (really, she was right beside me), she requested to search my bag. I had not touched the bag during my visit so this request was not based on any actual evidence that I had attempted to steal something, like from a store detective or a camera.
It was extremely obvious that this was not a random search, as she called it. It was because of my age. Three other people from our group were selected for a “random” search. I wonder how many women with handbags were searched that day? I know my friend that came through the self-checkout after us wasn’t.
I declined the request.
I waited for the rest of our group and left the store. I was followed by a store manager who put his arm touching up against me, and tried to stop me from leaving. I declined again, which I have the right to do, no matter your signage, and walked away.
It’s disgusting to treat your paying customers like this.
Do you consider that bags contain personal possessions? That most people wouldn’t decline your request to search, because it makes them look and feel like a criminal? That searching personal possessions could reveal, say, a private medical condition?
I wonder what the purpose of these “random” searches are. Say I did consent to the search, I had items in my bag that I didn’t buy or steal from Pak’nSave, but that you sell. I didn’t have the receipt. What would happen then? Would you accuse me of stealing those items? Would you call the police on me? If not, why are you searching young people? Scare tactics? That isn’t the definition of a reasonable search.
If it is your policy to target young people or people with backpacks (read: young people), it needs to change. It is discriminatory and wrong.
If you weren’t the only supermarket at Westfield Riccarton, I wouldn’t shop with you again.
Kind regards
Matt Taylor
Image credit: bfick
Update: Here’s Aliza Eveleigh on bag searches (click for larger version): 
The Ministry of Education has released guidelines regarding schools searching students and confiscating their property. The Education Act doesn’t specifically give schools the power to search and the issue hasn’t come before a New Zealand court before, so the guidelines really are just that. It’s possible though that courts would say that searching is an implied power under the general umbrella of a board having “complete discretion to control the management of the school as it thinks fit.”
On the other hand, it could be argued that as significant privacy issues are involved and that the power of search is not specifically given to schools that such searches are not lawful.
The protection from unreasonable search and seizure comes from the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act:
“Everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable search or seizure, whether of the person, property, or correspondence or otherwise.”
These three words form the basis of the guidelines. The item being searched for must pose a risk to safety.
“Risk to safety means that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that students or staff are at risk of harm from an item that poses an immediate or direct threat to physical or emotional safety.”
I interpret an item posing an immediate or direct threat as one when the student possessing it has an intention to use it right now. In the examples attached to the guidelines, staff involved consider “whether there is an imminent risk to the physical or emotional safety of students or staff …”
I struggle to think of an example where a dangerous item is all at once: not visible (because if it was visible, no search would need to take place), is about to be used, and where it would be a good idea to start trying to search the student rather than try to deescalate the situation so the item isn’t pulled out.
So basically, instead of taking the student away from others and getting the police involved to begin with, school staff should involve themselves with dangerous or illegal items, potentially escalating a volatile situation. And of course, the student that won’t willingly hand over an item they’re suspected to have will obviously be happy to comply with an intrusive and legally questionable search.
“Except in exceptional circumstances you should inform parents or caregivers after a search has been conducted (if you have not already contacted them).”
No. Parents should be contacted first, always.
The guidelines mention searching correspondence under the definition of a search. They state that this would include “written and electronic material (e.g. in a diary, on a mobile phone or on a laptop).” None are mentioned again in the guidelines, except for a laptop in a weak example (see below).
This gives the impression that a diary, mobile phone or laptop could theoretically be searched in accordance with the “imminent risk of physical or emotional harm” criteria. Cue alarm bells. How that criteria could be construed as applying to electronic devices and diaries potentially containing very private material is beyond me.
There is no strong scenario provided with the guidelines where a search should actually be conducted.
Scenario 1: Pornography on a laptop. Example correctly concludes that a laptop isn’t a threat if it’s not turned on and so shouldn’t be searched.
Scenario 2: Students caught smoking marijuana say they were sold it by another student. No search because police have to be called because of the illegal items potentially involved.
Scenario 3: Students are lighting deodorant on fire. Friends of a student hand over their lighters. Student is suspected to still have a lighter. Example says that there is an imminent risk to the physical or emotional safety of students or staff in this situation because “a student could easily be burnt if the activity continues.” Imminent risk, really?
Concludes that “as the risk is significant it is likely that the search should – if it safe to do so – be conducted.” I say education would be better than a search. There’s nothing stopping the student from bringing another lighter the next day after he’s searched. Searching isn’t going to magically solve the underlying problem.
Scenario 4: Hearsay that a student is going to “get” another student and more hearsay about a “knife.” Student seems upset and angry, doesn’t stop when teacher asks him/her to. Example correctly concludes that searching straight away when a situation isn’t calm isn’t a good idea. Example says if staff conclude there’s an immediate risk to call the police. Tick.
Or if the situation isn’t considered an emergency: the student has calmed down, staff don’t feel threatened, they only think a small pocket knife is involved, staff can “proceed to consider … if a search is appropriate in the circumstances.” Except they can’t have it both ways. If the student is calm and wouldn’t use a knife if he/she had one (no imminent threat) then a search isn’t necessary. If the student would use a knife if he/she had one, then the police should be called.
Vanushi Walters, YouthLaw solicitor speaks the truth. If the situation is serious enough for a search, it’s serious enough for the police.
“Search and seizure powers in schools are unnecessary and a breach of the Bill of Rights Act. She said the most appropriate course of action is for principals and teachers to call the police.”
But wait, there’s more.
“The Ministry was also looking in to possible legislative changes to give schools more support in what was ‘a complex legal area,’ she said.”
Give school staff equivalent or greater powers than the police have so they can search students? Okay!
You want to violate my privacy? You’ll have to put up a fight, I don’t consent to this search.
Image credit: Hello Turkey Toe