Complaints Bill ‘not attack on police’

Press, 24 February 1987, Page 7

Complaints Bill ‘not attack on police’

Wellington reporter The Police Complaints Authority Bill is in the interests of the police, not an attack on them, said the Minister of Police, Mrs Hercus, in Christchurch last evening. The bill, now before a Parliamentary select committee, would set up an independent authority to hear complaints against the police. Mrs Hercus toid the Canterbury Council for Civil Liberties that an Opposition claim that the bill was an attack on the police was “one of the silliest propositions I have heard.”

The Opposition did not understand that the public was cynical about the objectivity of the police when dealing with complaints, she said. Mrs Hercus said that the standard of police in-

vestigations into complaints was extremely high, but it was important to balance the interests of the police with those of the public. The police administration supported the bill, although the Police Association did not, she said.

Mrs Hercus said that the scope of the complaints authority could change. The present drafting of the bill allowed all complaints against the police to be notified, but Mrs Hercus said that the select committee might consider a more limited scope. The public interest might be sufficiently served if the authority was automatically notified of serious complaints only. It could still deal with minor complaints if

there was dissatisfaction with police investigation, she said.

“Such a provision would enable the authority to concentrate on serious matters but still be able, where required, to examine non-serious matters,” Mrs Hercus said. The authority would also investigate incidents of serious injury or death which were notified by the Commissioner of Police.

Under the bill, the authority would be a barrister or solicitor and serve for two to five years, with the opportunity for reappointment.

A deputy authority would also be appointed, and Mrs hercus said that it was the Government’s intention that one of the two appointments would be, on merit, a Maori.