THE PRESS FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 1986. Police deserve praise

Press, 17 January 1986, Page 14

THE PRESS FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 1986. Police deserve praise

Neighbours who watched the day-long drama in Palmerston North this week have praised the “quietness and discipline” of the police. Such praise is well deserved. A young man, armed with a knife and a rifle, held a young woman prisoner for almost 24 hours. Shots were fired. The young woman was slightly injured by a cut. In telephone conversations, the young man sounded erratic and unstable. Thanks to the patience of the police, the incident ended without death or serious injury. The outcome might easily have been tragic, had the police decided on bold action to end the siege, or had they misjudged the changing moods and intentions of the young man. They took the considerable risk that, with an innocent life at stake, it was best to tire out the gunman with time, conversation, and the music he asked for from a local radio station. Had the

young man turned violent, the police would have been criticised for not acting. Had they acted, they would have been criticised for not waiting longer. An incident such as that in Palmerston North is an unhappy diversion of police resources. No organisation other than the police has the resources to handle quickly the threats of an armed, upset person. Nor are such incidents rare, although most do not go on as long, or claim the same attention as the Palmerston North siege. On each occasion the police may learn a little more about dealing with armed people in such conditions, but each incident is always different and raises a frightening dilemma about how best to respond. The police who made the decisions in Palmerston North, and carried them out, are a credit to the force.