New police rules for child welfare

Press, 23 January 1984, Page 6

New police rules for child welfare

PA Wellington The police are now required to consider the welfare of children more carefully. New general instructions have been written as the result of a recommendation by the Chief Ombudsman, Mr George taking. Mr Laking recommended that the police review the instructions after his investigation of a complaint about the treatment of a Tongan girl, aged 14, who was arrested on a warrant requiring her to give prosecution evidence in a minor court case. The girl was handcuffed and kept in a police cell overnight. The new general instructions call on the police to consider carefully the welfare of children with whom they are dealing. “It puts the emphasis on the police to look at the

interest of the persons and not just the system,” said the police community liaison co-ordinator, Chief Inspector Earle Cooper. Mr Cooper said the police would not pamper children who had broken the law, but were expected to weigh up the value of enforcing the law against the future welfare of the child. The instructions state “there will be cases in which arrest and subsequent court action is the appropriate course to take. There will also be cases in which such actions would clearly be counterproductive and in which a suitable alternative should be adopted.” Mr Cooper said the instructions were police policy and it was the responsibility of all police officers to be aware of them and to follow them. In the

incident involving the Tongan girl, the Auckland police commander at the time, Assistant Commissioner Bryan Gibson, said the decision to handcuff the girl and not allow her to see her parents had been an error of judgment. Five police officers were reprimanded for their lack of judgment in the incident. The Ombudsman became involved in the issue when he was asked to look into a complaint against the Social Welfare Department for failing to place the girl in a home for the night. Mr Laking made his comment about altering the police general instructions when he gave his finding on the complaint against the Social Welfare Department. He dismissed the complaint against the Social Welfare Department.