Police Commissioner welcomes Commission of Inquiry

Police Commissioner Rob Robinson has welcomed the Government's announcement of a Commission of Inquiry into concerns raised by the media surrounding Police actions in dealing with the historical rape allegations made by Louise Nicholas.

The Commissioner offered his full support to the work of the Commission of Inquiry.

"Public trust and confidence in New Zealand Police is the supreme issue that must be addressed and that issue can only be resolved by authorities beyond Police.

"I have responsibility to conduct criminal inquiries and internal inquiries. I accept that in the midst of the current debate, these may be insufficient to overcome public perceptions of impartiality.

"As I said on Saturday, my most immediate concern within Police is for the collective reputation of the entire organisation.

As Commissioner I seek to be as open as possible in my public dealings. While a formal public inquiry will now constrain my availability to be a direct commentator of these matters, I will continue to be publicly available for commentary in relation to other policing matters," said Mr Robinson.

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