Allegations of abuse by NZ Police
	peterellis Home / police allegations / Rickards, Shipton, Schollum vs Jane Doe Page 6 - Further Reaction to Not Guilty Verdict
	Newstalk ZB March 6 2007; 14:20 Anti-police poster slammed Police bosses say a Wellington poster campaign targeting police in the wake of the Clint Rickards trial is making the frontline an even harder place to be for police officers. The poster mimics the current police recruitment campaign poster, based on the theme of getting better work stories. It invites people to join the police to hear great rape stories. In some places around the city the official police posters have been ripped down and replaced, and in others the mock poster has been pasted over the official ones. The poster directs people to a non-existent website and also to an 0800 phone number, which goes through to an apparently unrelated Rotorua holiday park. Tasman District Commander Superintendent Grant O'Fee says police have been heartened by the support they have received by members of the public, who have wanted to acknowledge the contribution made by the police to communities around the country. Mr O'Fee says these are difficult days for the police, but the vast majority of police officers are still working, often under tremendous pressure, for the good of all New Zealanders. He says for individual police officers the current climate does nothing to make that any easier. Mr O'Fee says regardless of what views some people may have about recent events, the continual parodying will take its toll on our frontline staff who every day and night are serving the community. He is appealing to the wider New Zealand public to support their officers throughout the country. The Police Minister has moved to defend the force against the poster campaign. Annette King says it is an appalling slur on thousands of good and honest Kiwis who police New Zealand with integrity and respect every day. She says she is disturbed by the ugly and vicious poster. Mrs King says the people who designed the poster ignore one obvious fact, that the people who brought the prosecutions against the police who were charged recently were in fact police officers themselves. National Party police spokesman Chester Borrows adds it is hugely unfair to taint 7,500 police officers with the actions of three or four. He points out an independent and objective report into the integrity of the police is due out soon.