Simon Power National Party Law & Order Spokesman

24 November 2005

PCA needs more resources urgently

National's Law & Order spokesman, Simon Power, says the public is being let down by the Police Complaints Authority's inability to investigate cases in a timely manner.

He is commenting on figures from Justice Minister Mark Burton that show the PCA is currently dealing with 2000 cases - one of which has been on its books for six years, 39 for more than four years, and 635 for more than 18 months.

"This is unacceptable and goes directly to a matter of resources," says Mr Power.

"The public have a right to know that the PCA will deal with their complaints in a timely manner that is fair, and the police themselves need to be assured the complaints are dealt with expeditiously.

"Like the rest of the law and order area, the PCA is obviously struggling due to a lack of resources, and it would be nice if the Minister could give some assurances that more resources will be forthcoming urgently, rather than just talking about reviews," says Mr Power.

"An efficient and fair Police Complaints Authority is one of the best ways of building public confidence in the police, but this is clearly not happening right now."

ENDS

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