Rightwing blogger David Farrar has complained about an excellent post by Morgan Godfery at Maui Street. He thinks Godfery is being unfair to the cops who brutally disbanded a peaceful protest in Glenn Innes on Tuesday. One lady needed to go to hospital and there were a number of other injuries caused by the police's heavy-handedness.
Today, Kiwibog reports:
It's touching that Farrar has faith in the IPCA. However his belief that they will ensure the law is being upheld is unfounded. The IPCA is refusing to release information concerning how many complaints they uphold, which is unacceptable considering they're a taxpayer funded service:
IPCA Communications Manager Kathryn Street replied:
The Independent Police Conduct Authority Act 1988 (PDF), states that they are required to meet their obligations under the OIA, because my request does not prejudice New Zealand's security or our international relations. The IPCA is therefore legally obliged to provide the information requested.
It's likely that very few complaints against the Police are upheld by the IPCA, which would make Farrar's faith completely baseless. Anyway, back to the topic...
Being that the police brutality towards the peaceful protesters was unintelligent, Godfery makes a justifiable association between the intelligence of police recruits and other professions, which Farrar disagrees with:
David Farrar is defending the brutality in Glenn Innes because the police sometimes get a hard time from real criminals? FFS!
An excuse that they are allowed to be brutal because they have a hard job to do is what's really stupid! But I wouldn't expect anything less from the obnoxious David Farrar.
Today, Kiwibog reports:
Personally I would not rush into judgement off one party’s version of events. The IPCA can investigate any complaint of Police “brutality”.
It's touching that Farrar has faith in the IPCA. However his belief that they will ensure the law is being upheld is unfounded. The IPCA is refusing to release information concerning how many complaints they uphold, which is unacceptable considering they're a taxpayer funded service:
Dear Independent Police Conduct Authority,
I write to make a formal request for information under the Official Information Act 1982. Please supply me with the following information:
The total number of complaints made for each year since 2000
The number of complaints that are dismissed by the IPCA by year since 2000
The number of complaints upheld as valid by the police by year since 2000
The gender of the people making complaints by year since 2000
The age group of the people making complaints by year since 2000
The region where the complaints originate from by year since 2000
The amount of Police charged for a crime in relation to formal complaints by year since 2000.
Please give an in-depth explanation if you're not able to supply any part of this formal request for information.
IPCA Communications Manager Kathryn Street replied:
The IPCA is not subject to the Official Information Act, and further, is required by its legislation to conduct its investigations in private.
However some of the data you ask for is available through our Annual Report, which is available on our website www.ipca.govt.nz. For example, the number of complaints accepted in the most recent financial year, and for the previous five years, are noted on p.16 of the Annual Report, and are as follows.
2010/11 2052
2009/10 2049
2008/09 1997
2007/08 2073
2006/07 2016
2005/06 1741
The Independent Police Conduct Authority Act 1988 (PDF), states that they are required to meet their obligations under the OIA, because my request does not prejudice New Zealand's security or our international relations. The IPCA is therefore legally obliged to provide the information requested.
It's likely that very few complaints against the Police are upheld by the IPCA, which would make Farrar's faith completely baseless. Anyway, back to the topic...
Being that the police brutality towards the peaceful protesters was unintelligent, Godfery makes a justifiable association between the intelligence of police recruits and other professions, which Farrar disagrees with:
This is just plain insulting and stupid, especially of a professions where six officers get assaulted every day, one of them seriously. The average officer will probably get assaulted a dozen times in their career. Some get killed or stabbed doing their duty of protecting New Zealanders.
David Farrar is defending the brutality in Glenn Innes because the police sometimes get a hard time from real criminals? FFS!
An excuse that they are allowed to be brutal because they have a hard job to do is what's really stupid! But I wouldn't expect anything less from the obnoxious David Farrar.
