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Allegations
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More senior police officers
are to be investigated after a judge labelled some practices within the South
Auckland force disturbing. The comments came as a
senior sergeant was found guilty of assaulting a 17-year-old. It is an insight into a
culture within South Auckland police that Judge Bruce Davidson slammed as
sick. But police officers
deny it's widespread. "Absolutely not
indicative of behaviour of the rest of police, um there is no evidence ..
there is simply not that sort of systemic behaviour in the rest of the police,"
says Greg O'Conner of the New Zealand Police Association. Senior Sergeant Anthony
Solomona was found guilty of assaulting a teenager by unnecessarily
handcuffing him, and hitting his head against the lights of his police car. Counties Manukau Police
District Commander, Superintendent Steve Shortland says he is disappointed. "We're appalled
that this sort of practice has been going on," he says. Another photo submitted
as evidence which showed a second teenager with a sign around his neck.
Written on the sign were the words 'I belong to Senior Sergeant Solomona'. Police say the picture
has since been mislaid. But the father of that
youth, whose identity is suppressed, says he was sickened. He says he is very
upset about the way the police handled his son. Other officers who gave
evidence supporting Solomona suggested that such practices were commonplace
across the country. That is being strongly
denied. "This was a
practice that was confined to a very small number of people. All those we identify
as being involved we will be taking further," says Shortland. Community Leader Edwin
Puni says he has not heard of such behaviour but successful policing in South
Auckland can require a different approach. "Some of the
tactics might be out of the ordinary but it does help. Like a clip behind the
ears and giving them a good scolding might make more difference than just
locking them up," says Puni. But now the whole South
Auckland force has been brought into question. "Some of the best
police in New Zealand are Sergeants and Senior Sergeants in South Auckland
and they would absolutely never countenance this sort of behaviour,"
says O'Connor Solomona has been
suspended - his lawyers will next week argue in court for him to be
discharged without conviction. |
