Handcuffs find A.A. favour

Press, 28 May 1981, Page 1

Handcuffs find A.A. favour

The New Zealand Automobile Association council is in favour of traffic officers’ carrying handcuffs to control violent motorists. ••

It decided to back the proposal at yesterday’s council meeting only after it had received several assurances from the Ministry of Transport and the police. The Ministry assured the council that officers would receive training up to police standard and that physical standards laid down by the police would be followed. The board also decided to support the arming of traffic officers with handcuffs after it was told that the Commissioner of Police (Mr R. J. Walton) was in favour of the move.

Council members were told that 234 assaults were reported on 161 traf-

fic officers in 1978.Mr G. G. Turbott (Canterbury) said that his board favoured going a stage further and amalgamating the two forces. Mr R. C. Whyte (Central) said that it was fair to say the Ministry did not actively prosecute because of fear of assault. He cited a case in the lower North Island where a motorist was asked to follow an officer while he apprehended somebody in case the officer was as" saulted.

“We must back up the people who enforce the law.” Mr Whyte said. Mr D. Brown, a council vice-president, said that officers could easily gain assistance by calling the police on their radio sets. The representative for Marlborough said that his council was against extending the powers of traffic officers, because it could cause more assaults.