Police Assn against issue of arms
PA Wellington The police should only be armed in situations to protect the public and not themselves, the national secretary of the New Zealand Police Association (Mr R. A. Moodie) said.
Mr Moodie was commenting on a submission to be presented to the Government by the central committee of the Traffic Officers’ Union, which suggests that officers should be permitted to carry some form of protection.
“To provide law-en-forcement staff with weapons for their own
protection is an entirely new concept,” he said.
“The question of providing police with batons, handcuffs, and even firearms is related to the discharge of their duty rather than self-defence.
“We would reject arming the police on the basis that it is necessary for a policeman’s defence,” Mr Moodie said.
The type of complaint being made by traffic officers was the sort of thing the police were dealing with by unarmed combat.
The protection submission is one of 18 aimed at giving traffic officers more power.
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Press, 6 July 1977, Page 4
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167Police Assn against issue of arms Press, 6 July 1977, Page 4
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