Tuesday 26 June 2007

Chinese policing and DIY Statements?

A confused, mistake-ridden witness statement taken by a new Christchurch constable has raised fears over its reliability in court.
The statement, taken by a Chinese officer who joined the force this year, contains mistakes and confusing sentences, causing a woman to question whether she can properly defend herself.
The woman faces an assault charge, but she and her former husband, who signed the statement, say it has inaccuracies because of the constable's confusion over some words.
The statement included several spelling and grammatical errors.
In part it read: "Then she went up straightly and was very aggressive. She tell K... get your ... ass out of my coatch. I stood up and cut it out. H... started slashing me. I got long arm. She's just playing up."
Later, the man is quoted as saying: "My nose was bleeding and sour."
The statement has alarmed both parties, who felt they were not accurately represented, and lawyers said it could cause problems in a court hearing.
The Christchurch case comes as police consider formal pre-employment programmes for recruits from ethnic minorities who do not have English as a first language.
The programmes could also be used for would-be recruits who have problems with reading, writing and other basic skills as police battle for staff in an increasingly tight labour market.
The Christchurch complainant, who cannot be named because the matter is before the courts, said he had been misquoted by the officer, in particular over saying he had been slashed. He told the officer he had been scratched.
He said he "gave up and signed it" after the officer took over an hour and a half to take down the 30-line statement.
The man said the interview became an "ordeal" when he could not make himself and his clarifications understood.
He stopped giving some information when the officer "just didn't get it" and signed the statement just to end the painful process.
The constable was with a more senior officer, who appeared to be "babysitting" him, but the officer took his statement alone, the man said.
The woman said that when she obtained the statement as part of her pending court case, she realised how inadequate the officer's understanding of the situation was.
"He couldn't get what was going on and the statement reflects that. How can I defend myself when I can't even understand what I am being charged with," she said.
"The defence could say they didn't know what they had to defend. The whole thing could turn into a fiasco."

Barrister Gerald Lascelles said he had not seen a case dismissed due to poor police reporting, but "the police force is changing".

Both questioned whether he should have been allowed to graduate from police college.
Police national manager of human resources Wayne Annan said new Asian officers received extra language lessons and were supervised, as any new constable would be.

Police Association president Greg O'Connor said he had heard the officer was an exceptional policeman.
"Clearly, people who have English as a second language do have added difficulties, but this is more than compensated for by the huge advantage of having someone who can speak another language," O'Connor said.

Sunday 24 June 2007

Police and Smacking, let the games begin

New police guidelines for handling complaints about smacking children are unnecessarily restrictive and remove officers' discretion.
Police Association president Greg O'Connor said the guidelines defeated the purpose of an amendment meant to allow police discretion when applying the law, which came into force on Friday.

He said they seemed to have been drafted without consulting frontline supervisors.

"Police work on complaints. Police will not be out patrolling children's playgrounds looking for people smacking their children. It will be when it is brought to police attention that something will be done."
Mr O'Connor said that once a complaint was made, the standard would be the same as for reporting family violence - zero tolerance.
"And it must be reported. And unfortunately, as a result of these guidelines, there is very little discretion. We think the guidelines could have been a little more broad."

The guidelines released by police say people can smack children to prevent or minimise harm to a child but not to punish or correct it.
Parents who do so and who are involved in repetitive smacking incidents may also have their actions recorded by police even if they are not charged, the guidelines say.
Police can use their discretion not to charge if actions are deemed "inconsequential" - but exactly what that means is undefined.
Mr O'Connor said "We believe that they are unnecessarily conservative and restrictive. Any action that is corrective is clearly an offence. We believe there should have been discretion there as to whether that was inconsequential, but it's quite clear in the guidelines that smacking them after they've crossed the road by way of correction or punishment is going to require intervention and prosecution."

Do As I Say, Not As I Do - 250 Police Speedsters

Police officers were caught 685 times by speed cameras last year but 435 tickets were waived because they were on their way to emergencies, leaving 250 for accountability.

National Party's police spokesman, Chester Borrows, said officers were expected to abide by the law in the same way as the public, and their Speed Kills campaign should be backed by their own actions.

Further black marks for police recruits

Fresh details have emerged of problems with police recruits following a damning internal report raising concerns about dangerously low training standards.
Information shows 64 charges have been laid against recruits in the past two years, ranging in seriousness from criminal to unprofessional.

It follows the release of a report that Police National Headquarters tried to keep secret - revealing the concerns of senior police college trainer and psychologist Senior Sergeant Iain Saunders.
Some recruits took three attempts to pass the entrance test. One had to be taught "how to write letters of the alphabet by drawing within bubble letters in the same style as a 5-year-old".

Information released under the Official Information Act reveals police investigated more than 60 allegations of misconduct against recruits at the police college in the past year.
Charges include assaults against fellow recruits and police officers, attempted burglary, academic dishonesty, bullying, exhibiting offensive material, fraud and failing to pay a taxi fare.
Police refused to reveal any more detail about the infringements because it might identify the recruits.

National's Chester Borrows described the report as "amazing".
He regarded the allegations against recruits as "worrying".
Police Minister Annette King has said it is not her job to screen recruits.
"It's just disgusting that she would try to slide out of responsibility for the standards of recruiting if she is the minister," Borrows said.

NZ First police spokesman Ron Mark said he had been aware "for years" that there were concerns within the police about lowering standards.
"I have heard anecdotal evidence from various officers... They were taking on recruits who didn't meet the standards required. I have heard of communication skills so poor that evidence had to be retaken by other officers. That's crucial."

Police recruit standards plummet

Public safety is at risk as the standard of police recruits plummets, a damning secret internal report reveals.
Police chiefs have been accused of "turning a blind eye" to the consequences.
Many criminals and members of the public would be able to outsmart some officers.
The public are probably being placed at risk or offered very poor service.

A report reveals that Royal New Zealand Police College trainers are increasingly having to warn managers that "poor performers" have graduated and been posted to their area.
Police national headquarters had publicly lauded the number and quality of new recruits - but the information used was "inaccurate, misleading and poorly interpreted", warns the report, which was prepared late last year.
Police risked "significant embarrassment" if the actual details were made public.
Police national headquarters did not want the public to see these findings.

Allowing low-intelligence recruits to graduate as officers had flow-on consequences for police - including decisions they would make in incidents such as high-speed vehicle pursuits, and when to use force, such as a 50,000 volt Taser.

Police Minister Annette King said it was not her job to screen recruits.

Sunday 17 June 2007

Officers Facing Charges

New figures show more than a dozen serving officers are facing criminal charges ranging from rape of a minor to wounding with intent.

The Office of the Commissioner is playing down the number and seriousness of the charges.

Police refused to name those facing criminal charges, but did confirm the 14 sworn officers held the rank of either constable or sergeant, and that they were from the Auckland, Waitemata, Counties Manukau, Bay of Plenty, Tasman and Canterbury police districts.
The charges they face include: male assaults female, injuring with intent, common assault, excess breath alcohol, theft, careless driving, making a false statement, assault with a weapon, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, male rapes female, and male rapes female (aged between 12 and 16).

Some of the charges carry maximum prison terms of 14 years or more.

Police national manager for professional standards Stu Wildon would not say how many of those sworn officers had been stood down, suspended, or were on full or restricted duties.

Monday 11 June 2007

20% of Police from UK have left

Nearly one fifth of officers recruited from the United Kingdom who have served in the New Zealand Police have left.

The National Party last year expressed concern at the high attrition rate from the 2003 group, and called on Police Minister Annette King to look at what is happening.

Clearly, little has been done to arrest the rate of attrition.
You have to wonder if the conditions of work are made clear to them before we put the time and resources into training them.

Police attitude appals Muliagas

Folole Muliaga's children are devastated and their lawyer will lodge a complaint with the Commissioner of Police after an acrimonious meeting between the family and Police.

Talks with the police broke down after they refused "point blank" to show family lawyer Olinda Woodroffe copies of earlier statements by the children.
The Police gave no reason for their refusal, and the confrontation left Mrs Muliaga's 20-year-old son"too upset to talk".

The family were struggling to come to terms with Mrs Muliaga's death, and Saturday's meeting - arranged by Ms Woodroffe and attended by a Samoan interpreter - had left them "astounded" by the police attitude.
They are victims here, not suspects. Police should have a bit more sensitivity.

Ms Woodroffe last night confirmed that when she asked for copies of the earlier statements, the police said, "There's no need for you to see it".
She claims "They came in with an attitude."
She said it was not acceptable that the boys had earlier been interviewed without a lawyer or interpreter and without first being read their rights.

The Muliagas had initiated the meeting, but it did not proceed as Ms Woodroffe did not agree to the terms.
It is not the family's first run-in with police over Mrs Muliaga's death.

To conduct six-hour interviews with the Muliaga boys the day after their mother's death was "absolutely improper".

Bay of Plenty Police Brutality.

Four Whakatane police officers accused of assault have been committed for trial.

Sergeants Keith Parsons, 51, and Erle Busby, 46, senior constable Bruce Laing, 45, and constable John Mills, 38, are jointly accused of assaulting a man with pepper spray and batons in the Whakatane police cells in October.

Tauranga-based lawyer Rachael Adams entered not guilty pleas on behalf of the four police officers.
All were remanded for a callover in the Tauranga District Court on July 26.

Busby faces three charges of assault using a police tactical baton and one charge of assault using a police side handle baton.
Parsons faces two charges of assault using a tactical baton and one charge of assault using pepper spray.
Laing and Mills are each charged with assault using pepper spray.

Wednesday 6 June 2007

South Auckland Police Racism

Racist remark undermines police efforts with Asians
Racist comments by a senior detective do nothing to encourage Asians to come forward to report crime.
Senior detective Neil Grimstone commented to a conference on Chinese organised crime that some who could be 'blindfolded with a shoelace' couldn’t be trusted.

Counties Manukau police district commander, Superintendent Steve Shortland admitted Grimstone was under investigation.
But Shortland said Grimstone's remarks were "totally inappropriate and unacceptable" and defied police orders.

Muliaga family accuse police of racism
Police investigating the death of south Auckland woman Folole Muliaga have been accused of institutionalised racism by her family.
Family spokesman, Brenden Sheehan, said they were "hugely insensitive" and had shown "institutionalised racism" by not knowing how to deal with other cultures.
Mr Sheehan said he received a telephone message from police saying he was expecting one of Mrs Muliaga's sons to be interviewed with a lawyer present and "could he come down to the police station that day.
"Obviously I didn't return the call but it's outrageous. These people are victims. What hope has any brown person got if they are a suspect in a case in this country.
"If they treat victims like this how do they treat suspects?"
Mr Sheehan said he was also "disgusted and appalled" that the police had apparently said publicly that no charges would be laid because Mrs Muliaga was a very sick woman.
He said the unnamed police source was quoted in The Press newspaper after police had earlier told him they would not comment publicly but then breached their own undertaking by doing so.
He said he was "furious" and did not want to speak yet to police about it but the family now wanted a fresh police team to take over the inquiry.
"I think the investigation is so compromised at this stage that it cannot possibly produce a fair and balanced report."
The officer in charge of the inquiry, Detective Inspector Jim Gallagher, refused to comment on the claims.

Friday 1 June 2007

Another case not being given due diligence - COA.

COA - Cover Our Asses

A woman who alleges she was sexually harassed while she was employed by New Zealand Police has had an application to take the matter straight to the Employment Court denied.
The woman, named only Ms C because she has name suppression, alleges she was harassed in various ways, mostly sexual, while she was employed by the police and it led to her being unjustifiably dismissed in June last year.
She applied to have her case removed from the Employment Relations Authority list and taken to the Employment Court on the grounds that it was of such a nature and urgency it was in the public interest to do so.
Ms C made links to Dame Margaret Bazley's damning report into police conduct and the high-profile trials of police officers.
However, Police Commissioner Howard Broad said Dame Margaret's report was not relevant to this case and it could be dealt with much less formally and at a lower cost by the ERA.
ERA member Greg Wood denied Ms C's application.

Policewatch Mrs C, ignore the protestations of the kangaroo bureaucracy, bring your story out publiclyto us, then that they who should be judged, are, and in full view!
Win, win, further cleansing of the barrel!

Office of the Commisioner - Tweaking

Police Commissioner's rule reviewed

The roles and responsibilities of the Police Commissioner could be in for a tweaking.

"A discussion document" on a proposed revamp of the police legislation suggests the Commissioner's role and powers be clarified. It also recommends clear boundaries be set regarding the relationship between the Commissioner and the Minister of Police.


Policewatch: Who is discussing this document?

Other proposals include amending the Privacy Act for more information sharing, making it compulsory for people to supply ID to police when requested, and strengthening police powers for dealing with groups or crowds.


Policewatch: Dealing with groups or crowds

Patched Gangs ( mongrel mob > boy scouts including the Police themselves fill this category)
Teenage parties alledgedly out of Control?
Fathers Coalition protests outside homes of corrupt Judges and lawyers?
Anti - war peaceniks outside Te Papa?

Review spokesman Superintendent Hamish McArdle says the document attempts to write the independence of the police into law. It also suggests giving the Police Commissioner the power to convene formal inquiries into his or her organisation. Currently this is solely restricted to the Minister of Police.

Mr McArdle is urging the public to make their opinions on the review known.

Policewatch Hamish how do we make our opinion known?