Public at risk because of partly trained police

new-zealand-national-party

Tue Feb 20 2007 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Public at risk because of partly trained police

Tuesday, 20 February 2007, 11:29 am
Press Release: New Zealand National Party

Chester Borrows MP
National Party Police Spokesman

20 February 2007

The Government is putting the public at risk by allowing partly trained police recruits to patrol our streets, says National's Police spokesman, Chester Borrows.

He is commenting after reports that police headquarters admitted that recruits who failed some components of their training at Police College were allowed into the workforce on 'limited duties' till they had passed the relevant tests.

"Public safety must never be compromised in the drive for new police, but by allowing partly trained police to front the public as fully qualified police, this Government is doing exactly that.

"National warned the Government they must not lower recruitment standards to help them reach their target - and Police Minister Annette King promised that would not happen - but they ignored that and look what has happened.

"They lowered the physical requirement standards, and now they have lowered standards for working on the streets."

Mr Borrows is releasing information which shows that at October last year, 33 recruits had passed the new physical recruitment standards after failing the old ones.

"This is proof positive that recruitment standards have been lowered.

"The Government over-reached itself in its rush to tie in NZ First and retain power at any cost, and now that it is struggling to deliver it is scratching around finding other ways of filling the numbers.

"We all want more police on our streets but they must be properly trained.

"By accepting a lower standard for new recruits the Government is exposing the public to greater risk.

"Frontline police also need to know that the officer they go into a tight spot with can cut the mustard."

ENDS

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