Allegations of Abuse by NZ Police
	peterellis Home / police allegations / Rickards, Shipton, Schollum vs Jane Doe Page 7 - Further Reaction to Not Guilty Verdict
	The Nelson Mail March 8 2007 Mocking posters a sign of the times Editorial The latest development relating to the sex trials of suspended Assistant Commissioner Clint Rickards is both distasteful and evidence of the damage done to the image of the police said the Nelson Mail in an editorial on Thursday. Posters pasted throughout central Wellington on Tuesday parody the force's recruitment drive, suggesting that applicants should log on to "greatrapestories.co.nz" or phone "0800 bad cops". They appeared a few days after the acquittal of Mr Rickards and former policemen Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum on charges of kidnapping and indecently assaulting a then 16-year-old Rotorua girl more than 20 years ago - and a few days after suppression orders were lifted on the open secret that Shipton and Schollum are serving time for raping a Mt Maunganui woman 18 years ago. The posters were quickly removed, but not before they hit home, provoking strong reactions from Police Minister Annette King and Tasman police district commander Grant O'Fee. Regardless of the acquittals in the latest trial and the Louise Nicholas case last year, the public's perception of the police has taken a hammering. A dark side to the former police culture - at least in the central North Island - has been given an airing that shows the force in a terrible light and raises many questions about how such behaviour, legal or not, was able to take place within the police. It must be remembered that the events in question happened a long time ago, with the likelihood that police thinking, like that of the public, has moved on. More importantly, though, very small numbers were involved. It is right to question what happened and to be appalled by it, especially given Mr Rickards' subsequent rise through the ranks. It is wrong, though, to blame all police for the actions of a few. Mr O'Fee notes that the vast majority are working for the good of all New Zealanders and the statistics back him up. There are 8000 sworn police - a figure reached for the first time last month - and only 26 appeared in court on criminal charges in 2005. Given the nature of their work, it is a very small percentage. However, though Mr O'Fee is undoubtedly right and his plea for public understanding and support deserves to be sympathetically received, there remain some causes for concern. A long-running commission of inquiry into police conduct, begun in February 2004 after Louise Nicholas made her rape claims, will report to the governor-general on March 30. With the background of the three trials setting the scene it is bound to again make life difficult for serving police, but it is vital that the misconduct of the past is exposed if only to ensure that it has been rooted out and that the right checks and balances have been put in place to ensure that it doesn't happen again. It is to be hoped that the report does not uncover widespread abuses of police power but, if it does, the only appropriate response of today's top brass is to accept blame and act to rectify any remaining problems. This country's police have long enjoyed a deserved reputation for honesty, integrity and trustworthiness. That good name is beyond price - and is under threat. A handful of clever, cutting posters are not much in themselves, but are symptomatic of a loss of public esteem that must be regained for the good of the police and the community. This is one reason why the pell-mell push to recruit an extra 1000 officers is problematic. A political deal should not be allowed to compromise recruitment standards. Now, more than ever, the police must be seen to accept only the highest-quality applicants.