Allegations of abuse by NZ Police
	peterellis Home / police allegations / Rickards, Shipton, Schollum vs Jane Doe Page 6 - Further Reaction to Not Guilty Verdict
	Stuff March 6 2007; 15:50 Police appeal for public support Police say posters posing as police recruitment advertising are offensive to them and to rape and sexual assault victims. The posters which recently appeared around Wellington said a career in the New Zealand police was a way to hear "great rape stories" - parodying the force's recent recruitment campaign which has the tagline "better work stories". Former policemen Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum, and Assistant Police Commissioner Clint Rickards were acquitted by a jury last week on charges of kidnapping and indecently assaulting a then-16-year-old girl more than 20 years ago. Last year the same three men were acquitted of historic sex charges against Rotorua woman Louise Nicholas. Shipton and Schollum are already in prison for a different rape – of a Mount Maunganui woman 18 years ago. There has been a public outcry since that information was made public after court suppression orders were lifted. Superintendent Grant O'Fee said these were difficult days for police. "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. "Police are appealing to the wider New Zealand public to support their officers throughout the country during these difficult days for all of us." Mr O'Fee said the vast majority of police officers were still working, as they always had, often under tremendous pressure, for the good of all New Zealanders. The current climate did not make this any easier for individual officers, he said. Police Minister Annette King leapt to the defence of police. Ms King said the posters were unfair, "ugly and vicious". She said it was important to note that the people who had brought the prosecution against Rickards, Shipton and Schollum were police themselves. "I'm asking the people who put up this poster to think about the huge majority of decent police staff whom they are damaging and hurting by their ill-considered actions." A group of Wellington women who last year broke a court suppression order by distributing flyers detailing Shipton and Schollum's prison sentences, said they were not behind the posters. "But we think they are brilliant and applaud the people behind them," spokeswoman Lenke Rochford said. The poster comes as police are trying to recruit enough staff to fill the 1000 extra positions promised as part of New Zealand First's support agreement with Labour. Opposition MPs say the recruitment drive is failing to meet its targets and police are dropping entry standards in a bid to make up the numbers. - Additional reporting by Fairfax Media