“The Police Commissioner needs to front up and prevent an information vacuum from occurring in light of last weekend’s tragic shooting in New Plymouth,” says ACT’s Police spokesperson Chris Baillie....
“The Police Commissioner needs to front up and prevent an information vacuum from occurring in light of last weekend’s tragic shooting in New Plymouth,” says ACT’s Police spokesperson Chris Baillie.
“If leadership is not shown by the Commissioner or Minister, then the vacuum of information will be filled with misinformation and hearsay. We can’t allow a trial by social media to take place where the public is jumping to conclusions based on Facebook comments sections. Everyone involved in the incident deserves better than this.
“It is important that the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) conducts its investigation before we reach conclusions around whether force was justified, but that doesn’t mean the public should be expected to have no knowledge of the event until then.
“As a former Police officer, I know first-hand the dangerous situations officers face and in recent times it’s become much worse. They don’t deserve to be maligned by misinformation that will inevitably fill the vacuum their leaders are leaving wide open.
“Officers who I’ve spoken to feel there’s no support for them from Government. They didn’t even know who the Police Minister was because she’s been so quiet about the issues officers face.
“I’m calling on Andy Coster and Poto Williams to stand up and show leadership. Silence isn’t showing support for the police, and it isn’t reassuring to the New Zealand public.”