|
|
Allegations
of Abuse in Institutions |
|
|
|
|
New Zealand's top
policeman has hit back at criticism of the trouble-plagued 111 emergency
system -- and warned disgruntled officers not to leak information about
alleged failures. Police Commissioner Rob
Robinson says in the police magazine Ten-One that it is time to "get
real" and acknowledge that road safety has improved since police cracked
down on bad driving. His comments follow a
storm of criticism, including a parliamentary inquiry, that some traffic
officers were refusing to attend priority emergencies. An external review of
the 111 communication centres was also ordered after high-profile failures,
including sending a taxi to a distraught Iraena Asher, who has not been
found. Mr Robinson also used
his article to chide staff for going public with their concerns. "I
sometimes wonder why we make it so hard for ourselves. There are internal
channels available for concerns to be aired. You are strongly encouraged to
use them when necessary." One such claim was that
a Christchurch woman needing help when her child was kidnapped during a
domestic dispute had to wait because officers were on traffic detail and not
listening to their radios. Mr Robinson said the
incident had been investigated and "much of what was said had been
proven to be inaccurate or at least substantially overstated". "The rapid spread
of misinformation surrounding the incident only served to damage the good
reputation of road policing . . . By association the collective reputation of
all police suffered an undeserved blow." But Te Puke woman
Maggie Bentley, who cowered in bushes and made a 111 call as four men
attacked her husband, Peter, accused the commissioner of trying to sweep
problems under the carpet. "What Rob Robinson
is saying, and has been saying all the way through, is `stuff the citizens of
New Zealand'." Police were strongly
criticised over the Bentley case and acknowledged the call-taker wrongly told
the Bentleys that officers had arrived at the address when they had not. However, the
investigation concluded police generally acted correctly in the incident, a
finding that still rankles with Mrs Bentley. Police would not leak
information unless they were "totally frustrated", she said. Ten-One devotes its
first five pages to praising the police road safety and 111 systems, listing
examples where call-takers have saved lives. NZ First MP Ron Mark,
who issued leaked information outlining problems, said Mr Robinson's
"contrite rant" had missed the point. "Officers only leak
information as a last resort, when they've followed the rules and got
nowhere." --------------- CAPTION: |
