Cops: Fighting evil or promoting justice?

Mandatory 'morality training' for police officers has been labelled as 'patronising and unhealthy' by United Future Leader Peter Dunne.

"While the intentions are good, the reality of trying to teach morality to officers in a seminar looks like the result of an impromptu bureaucratic brainstorming session," says Mr Dunne.

"Trying to endow police with 'a commitment to goodness' and to 'recognise evil', reads like a dummies' guide to being a super-hero.

"Are we trying to train compassionate, community orientated police, or a force of crime-fighting heroes who are sworn to battle 'evil' wherever it may hide?"

"The notion of good versus evil may be repeated in the rhetoric of President Bush and his 'War on Terror', but in New Zealand we need fair and just officers who use common-sense to enforce our laws and keep our communities safe.

"I would suggest justice should be the leading value for our police - not some vague definition of 'goodness'.

"If the police are called to a neighbourly dispute, trying to establish the evil villain and the good victim may be a lot more difficult than the morality seminars suggest," says Mr Dunne.

ENDS

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