Praise for N.Z. police

Press, 15 October 1982, Page 23

Praise for N.Z. police

PA Wellington The lack of systematic corruption, brutality, and illegal methods places the New Zealand police head and shoulders above most police in the world, according to a former American policeman who is now director of police studies at Massey University. Opening the annual Police Association conference in Wellington this week, Mr David Burns said the quality and dedication of the personnel he had met or observed in training sessions were im-

press! ve. “I have been most impressed by the outstanding calibre of the young men and women who have been drawn to the police career,” he said. "Combined with their training programme, which is second to none, their dedication and enthusiasm will help ensure that New Zealand will remain a desirable place to live in the twentyfirst century," he said. But he warned against complacency and said that but for the efforts of the

association, combined with public outrage, several communities would have lost "their” constable. He said that a larger number of police on the beat was not an instant solution to crime problems but would have a dramatic effect on those people who had altered their life-style or behaviour because of the fear of crime. Mr Burns said what he was suggesting was that the association could encourage exploration of an over-all decentralisation of police personnel and resources.