INDEPENDENT INQUIRY Police actions at Alexandra

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32788, 13 December 1971, Page 1

INDEPENDENT INQUIRY Police actions at Alexandra

ffieto Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 12. A tribunal will inquire into allegations of misconduct by seven police officers at the September celebrations of the Alexandra blossom festival, and an eighth police officer will appear in court in Christchurch shortly.

“The tribunal will sit as soon as it can be.arranged,” said the Commissioner of Police (Mr W. H. A. Sharp) in Wellington today. j Mr Sharp said a magistrate r would conduct the tribunal I indqpendetoly of the police. ■ At the tribunal a practising [ solicitor, also independent of * the police, would prosecute. !. He also said that the .tribunal’s findings would be > made public. > Allegations of police mis- , conduct at the Alexandra [ blossom festival in Septems ber had resulted in inquiries ■ into incidents. Making inquiries Mf/ Sharp said he appointed a superintendent and detective chief inspector to carry out inquiries. He had studied their,report and had come to the conclusion that up to eight members of the. police may have fallen [ short of standards demanded .of them under the Police Regulations and Commis- ■ stoner’s Instruction. , All the police officers con- , cemed would be entitled to i appoint their own legal representatives at the ■ tribunal, he said. It will be early in the New j Year before the tribunal sits, i as the legal profession takes . its holidays over the Christmas period.