Police call for drug trafficking evidence

Press, 11 June 1979, Page 7

Police call for drug trafficking evidence

PA Wellington: The police have damned the “clamour for public exposure” of their drug investigations and have appealed to people to provide evidence of drug trafficking. The Commissioner of; Police (Mr R. J. Walton), I has said that drug misuse in I New Zealand was obviously! increasing. , “Law enforcement alone will never be the final' answer. The po'ice can only ‘ hold the lid on the situation while society takes remedial action," he said. “If the police are given iniormation, it is treated confidentially- The clamour for public exposure of police Investigations '-s going to d'scourage people from assisting the police because of the tear of being named publicly. “Public inquiries as to investigations will achieve absolutely nothing. The police have enough difficulty getting information even on a confidential basis when the anonymity of the indi- [ vidual is preserved: “This is an opportune rime once again for the police to appeal to everyone ■ V provide evidence of drug i trafficking." Mr Walton said | Asked if the police needed: and wanted wider powers in the drug field, Mr Walton • said that the Minister of. Police (Mr Gill) had called i for a paper on any require-: ments for additional powers | of .the police and drug oper-j ations. He said the matter was being considered and that, if necessary, a paper would be submitted to the Government. The difficulty in charging! drug traffickers was not sol much any deficiencies in the i powers available to the] police but in obtaining the I co-operation of persons who’ could provide evidence. “Too often the only persons who can provide evi- i dence, as opposed to rumour and hearsay, are those in-) volved in offences, and naturally they are reluctant to I incriminate themselves,” Mr; Walton said. However, there was a potential for increased drug! enforcement as there was in! other areas, he said.

* He would not disclose the ; amount of money budgeted for drug enforcement, saying that such finance was dispersed in the police vote. Asked how many police [were employed on drug law ; enforcement at present, Mr | Walton said that every | member of the police was I involved. The police were aware that the names of prominent I New Zealanders were being :bandied about in connection with drug-dealing, Mr Wai-. ton said. |

’ | “The point here is that rulimour, speculation, and idle ; I gossip do not amount to evi- • dence if, indeed, any offences have been committed : by the persons named. The ■ police require evidence to ■ take persons to court,” he ' said. Asked if the police were satisfied that they knew the names of most, if not all, drug importers, Mr Walton ; said that police knowledge i was extensive but whether it | encompassed all major deallers was beyond assessment.