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Allegations
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Police Commissioner Rob
Robinson has appointed a retired High Court judge to investigate the culture at
Counties-Manukau district, amid claims of violence and inappropriate
treatment of prisoners. The appointment follows
an assault conviction handed down to South Auckland Senior Sergeant Anthony
Solomona. Photographs were
submitted as evidence showing young suspects wearing demeaning signs and a
balaclava-clad person dressed in police uniform wielding a machete and an axe
and making death threats. The commissioner's
office said yesterday that retired judge Sir David Tompkins, QC, would
oversee the investigation. He would be supported
by Inspector Pieter Roozendaal, professional standards manager for North
Shore Waitakere District. The investigation's
terms of reference were to determine if evidence existed of a culture that
"condones or encourages acts of violence or other inappropriate
treatment towards prisoners, suspects or other persons in the
Counties-Manukau police district". Sir David would report
his finding to the commissioner. A copy would be passed
to the Police Complaints Authority. The public could make
submissions to the investigation, the commissioner's office said. --------------- CAPTION: Death threats: A photograph of a
balaclava-clad person in police uniform submitted in the trial of Anthony
Solomona. Picture: Close Up |
