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Allegations
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A senior policeman
appointed to inquire into a "sick" police culture has quit the role
after revelations he was once the subject of a complaint about inappropriate
behaviour. Inspector Pieter
Roozendaal had been seconded from his complaints investigation role in the
North Shore/Waitakere/Rodney District to help the South Auckland inquiry
sparked by the recent trial of Senior Sergeant Anthony Solomona. Trial judge Bruce
Davidson condemned Solomona's conduct, which included photographing a
15-year-old boy wearing a sign that read: "I am the property of Senior
Sergeant Solomona". Police Commissioner Rob
Robinson said an inquiry would determine whether there was evidence of a
culture "that condones or encourages acts of violence or other
inappropriate treatment toward prisoners, suspects or other persons in the
Counties Manukau Police District". The Office of the
Commissioner last night released a statement which said Mr Roozendaal was
involved in an incident where alleged inappropriate language was used. Mr Roozendaal
reportedly turned to a man who had been in custody for some hours and had
undergone a strip search, and said "have you had your beating
yet?". TV3 reported last night
that the comment was made in the presence of another officer in 1988. Mr
Roozendaal was a detective sergeant working in the Counties Manukau district
at the time. Acting Commissioner
Steve Long said Mr Roozendaal had indicated to police that he was exonerated
from the complaint, but accepted he used words which were construed as
"inappropriate humour". Mr Roozendaal asked to
stand down from the inquiry led by retired High Court judge Sir David
Tompkins. Mr Long said Mr Roozendaal,
who joined police in 1977, had worked hard on the inquiry in the short time
it had been set up. The inquiry team this
week called for public submissions and Mr Roozendaal was quoted saying:
"An investigation such as this is reliant on people coming forward and
telling their stories. For that reason we want to make it as easy as possible
for people to make submissions, so there is an address for written
correspondence as well as e-mail address and a 0800 number." North
Shore/Waitakere/Rodney District Commander Superintendent Roger Carson last
night said he wanted Mr Roozendaal to remain in his job as manager of police
professional standards. "Inspector
Roozendaal has told me he was totally exonerated for his actions at the time
in the late 1980s and I have absolute confidence in his current role." |
