Simon Power MP National Party Law & Order Spokesman

5 July 2006

Quota or no quota - still no answers

National Party Law and Order spokesman Simon Power is pleased police will be deployed to accident black-spots but says the fundamental questions about ticketing quotas still remain.

"Of course scarce police resources should be focused in areas where they'll do the most good and where they are most needed, but the Commissioner is still unable to give a straight answer to straight questions about ticket quotas."

In a statement this afternoon, the Police Commissioner says 'it is permissible to establish general enforcement targets on a district, area and group basis - but these are not to be allocated to individual staff'.

Mr Power says the top brass are sending confusing signals. "So is it a quota or not? It simply doesn't matter whether individual officers know there's a 'target', because their bosses will know and will allocate resources accordingly.

"It's very well for head office to say the recent memo was 'daft' - but this clarification of policy only serves to reinforce the perception that there are 'quotas' and district-by-district the pressure will still be on to meet those targets.

"Today's attempt to clarify the road policing policy sheds little new light on the situation," says Mr Power.

ENDS

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