Media Statement
For immediate release
Friday, 22 April 2005

Alexander calls for inquiry with Hawkins, Robinson aside

United Future law and order spokesman Marc Alexander today called for Police Minister George Hawkins and Police Commissioner Rob Robinson to stand aside for a "top to bottom" inquiry into the state of the New Zealand Police.

"We need both Mr Hawkins and Mr Robinson out of the picture for a complete audit of the police, their structures and their resources before the police fall any further in the public estimation," Mr Alexander said.

He said that coming out of the inquiry, there would need to be an ongoing overview of police from a far stronger and more independent body than the current Police Complaints Authority.

"It needs to be truly independent rather than the current 'police investigating police' set-up," he said.

Mr Alexander said the inquiry needed to go right to the top, and look at the way the Minister and the police interact and what pressures are brought to bear from the political level that impede policing.

"The police are one of the base institutions upon which any nation is built. New Zealanders have long had huge confidence in their police force. We need to do whatever it takes to give them reason to have that confidence once again," he said.

Ends.

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