Sentencing of former Corrections Officer sends clear signal to community

Police say the sentencing of a former Corrections Officer on charges of cultivating and supplying cannabis should send a clear signal that Police and the Department of Corrections take a zero tolerance approach to this type of offending.

Jeffrey Reid, aged 45, was sentenced in the Wellington District Court earlier today on two charges of cultivating cannabis and conspiring to supply it.

Officer in charge of the Wellington District Covert Operations Group Detective Inspector Darrin Thomson says Police take this type of offending extremely seriously.

"When offending of this nature is identified, Police do and will continue to deploy necessary resources to investigate it thoroughly. We will continue to be vigilant in this area and expect to have the continued support of Corrections staff in the future."

Detective Inspector Thomson says, "We will continue to work towards reducing the harm caused by drugs such as cannabis, whether that be inside a prison or amongst our communities."