Police require skepticism not more bluewash cheerleading

'HUGE SLAPPING'
Broad this morning hit back at the report saying it looked "like a huge slapping". Broad, backed by Police Association president Greg O'Connor, said the report's overly negative focus could mean a setback for police.

Broad and his chief cheerleader are worried this latest report will be a negative setback for Police? GOOD! It should be a bloody setback because this latest report into Police culture IS REALLY DAMNING!

Let's see...

No action over poor-performing senior staff at police headquarters.

Police files revealed "highly inappropriate behaviour" by staff which was worthy of dismissal but received only a warning.

Rosters based on staff needs, not risk and demand.

Many staff felt the wrong people were sometimes given senior roles.

Wide inconsistency in the abilities of area commanders.

Little confidence in the detection of any concerning staff behaviour.

The commission of inquiry lacked impact as a driver of change.

Police need to implement "basic management concepts".

And let's not forget why this was started in the first place, the original report....

Report slams 'disgraceful' police conduct
The Police Commission of Inquiry sparked by the Louise Nicholas case has found 141 incidents in which there was enough evidence for police to be disciplined or face charges. The report by Dame Margaret Bazley slammed "disgraceful conduct" by serving police officers and says there were times in which police protected their own. Dame Margaret found police management lacked the policies, procedures and practices to deal effectively with incidents of sexual misconduct by police officers. In her commission of inquiry into police conduct released today, Dame Margaret said she had reviewed 313 complaints of sexual assault against 222 police officers between 1979 and 2005. She said she saw evidence of some "disgraceful" conduct by police officers and associates, involving the exploitation of vulnerable people. She said there were also incidents of officers attempting to protect alleged perpetrators. "These incidents, which occurred mainly in the 1980s, include evidence of officers condoning or turning a blind eye to sexual activity of an inappropriate nature; a wall of silence from colleagues protecting those officers complained about; negative, stereotyped view of complainants, and a culture of scepticism in dealing with complaints of sexual assault," she said.

Let's also not forget that while she was working on the original investigation, Bazely was legally stymied by the Police every step of the way (even though the Police had the audacity once the report was released publicly to claim they supported it), in the end Bazely had to personally go to Helen Clark for protection as her investigations provoked such a response from Police hierarchy that she was threatened with having her 20 year old past relationship with someone involved in the Mr Asia scandal exposed!

So through all that, through an investigation into Police culture that highlighted appalling cases, through 4 rape trials (one of which was successful) the icing on this shit cake was that there wasn’t even one mention of sexual misconduct in their code of behaviour...

Police code found wanting
New rules for police behaviour do not mention sexual misconduct, prompting accusations that police have failed to right the wrongs highlighted in a damning report on past abuses.

While not calling directly for an Independent Police Complaints Authority, Bazley did praise further moves to use independent investigators in cases, and she called for all her recommendations to be implemented by a truly independent group as she did not believe the Police had the ability to change on their own from within.

We can’t allow our anger and disgust to paint every cop, but we must use that anger to force a more transparent and credible process of complaint against a force that now doesn’t have the trust of a wide section of the community.

And this is the police force that NZers want to hand over vast surveillance powers to in a move that represents the largest single erosion of our civil rights ever passed in a NZ Parliament.

For the love of Christ folks, why hand over such massive powers to spy on us when the Police force is riddled with this kind of bullshit? I know as a nation we have this bizarre love affair with Police, but we require more skepticism when regarding Police, not more fawning cheerleading.