‘Arrest of pickets at discretion of police’

Press, 27 February 1981, Page 3

‘Arrest of pickets at discretion of police’

PA Wellington 1 The arrests of pickets at I [Dunedin and Auckland were I [made entirely at the dis-1 'cretion of the police and: subject to no outside direct-! ion. the Commissioner of: Police (Mr R. J. Walton) has' •said. I Mr Walton outlined action i the police had taken in ar- I resting the pickets. j ; "Events Tn Dunedin and[| 'Auckland where the policejl have been called to act in [I [the industrial area require;! jme to state the police re-| I sponsibilities and duties I 'under the law,” Mr Walton;! 'said. I "The police do not make] I .laws, decide guilt or in-' I nocence, or impose penalties.! We act upon complaints re-! ;ceived and the actual obser-l ivations, of our front-line 'staff. As our past records (show, we are reluctant to ; become involved in industrial disputes but, our sworn (duty to uphold the law recuires us to do so from time! to time.

"The decisions made at ' Auckland and Dunedin were police decisions made on the ; operational front and subject 'to no outside direction. J neither seek nor accept any . such direction apart from the advice of the Solicitori General on legal matters. “Members of trade unions ha v e no special licence to! disobey the law. If they orj ■their leaders consider the [law to be wrong, there are! •lawful means to seek re-1 dress.” Mr Walton said.