police Archive

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  What are the Police doing about bike safety? - by frog

  
  
  
  Many of us love to ride bikes. It’s a great way to get around, keep fit, beat the traffic, and save the planet. But it’s not as safe as it should be. Green Party Active Transport spokesperson and champion of all people who ride bikes, Kevin Hague, recently discovered that Police do very little with [...] read more
  July 4, 2011 1:14 pm - 10 Comments
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  Police fail cyclists elsewhere too - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  It seems the Police are not only failing cyclists here in New Zealand but abroad. In fact, a quick search of YouTube reveals dangerous driving behaviour in all those countries where the car is still king, especially in Australia, the UK, and the USA. This clip from New York shows how one cyclist is fighting [...] read more
  June 14, 2011 12:50 pm - 1 Comment
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  Police failing duty of care to cyclists - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  Have you ever lodged a Community Roadwatch report documenting dangerous driver behaviour on our streets only to get the feeling later on that nothing has been done about it? I have, and when I used the Official Information Act to find out if my experience as a cyclist was shared by others, the Police couldn’t [...] read more
  June 13, 2011 8:53 am - 37 Comments
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  SlutWalking comes to Aotearoa-New Zealand - by frog

  
  
  
  Decades pass, but it seems misogynist attitudes towards women continue. The 1970′s heralded the first of the “Reclaim the Night” protests by women demanding the right to move freely in their communities day and night without sexual harassment or sexual assault. But not much has changed over 35 years.  Sexual assault rates haven’t diminished, and [...] read more
  May 9, 2011 6:15 pm - 97 Comments
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  0800NEWCOPS: Fail in every possible way - by frog

  
  
  
  I can scarcely believe this Police recruitment poster.  In fact, I initially thought it was a photoshopped spoof when I saw it over at LudditeJourno a couple of days ago.  But there’s a link to a NZ Herald story from a couple of weeks back that authenticates it. Cue in the “Clint Rickards wasn’t ever [...] read more
  January 25, 2011 12:27 pm - 46 Comments
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  The banning of “police pursuits” - by frog

  
  
  
  By September this year, 16 people had died in 11 fatal police pursuits – already the worst year on record. The Police have come up with a novel solution to such a tragic loss of life – banning “police pursuits”. They are not banning the actual high speed chases though. read more
  November 15, 2010 11:20 am - 72 Comments
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  Right to silence cancelled - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  It’s great that the NZ Herald, in an editorial this morning , recognises that “New Zealanders stand to lose some hard-won freedoms under a bill [the Search and Surveillance Bill] moving largely under the radar through Parliament.” Decoding that sentence, it means we should have taken the Greens and community organisations more seriously when they [...] read more
  November 12, 2010 2:44 pm - 4 Comments
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  When will we have real police culture change? - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  In 2007, the Herald named Louise Nicholas New Zealander of the Year for her brave exposure of police violence against women. However, as I blogged a couple of weeks ago, female victims of “police misconduct” like Louise have been told they will not be compensated. This week they also witnessed the edifying sight of former [...] read more
  August 27, 2010 1:05 pm - 161 Comments
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  Police culture, Police bars, and pack rapist Shipton’s little helpers - by frog

  
  
  
  Public confidence in and respect for the Police is being undermined by their increasing aloofness and sense of privilege and the continued perception of the Police as tolerating thuggery and corruption. Sadly, on recent evidence, it doesn’t look as though that is about to change. read more
  August 26, 2010 12:21 pm - 24 Comments
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  “Floodgates” of Police rape? - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  This morning the Attorney General announced there will be no compensation for 8 women who were part of an inquiry into police rape cases. The women also said there was no apology. Instead they were part of a confidential forum where “telling their story” was facilitated and compensation was recommended. The Crown however says no [...] read more
  August 11, 2010 4:09 pm - 71 Comments
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  Greg O’Connor – an apologist for Police thuggery - by frog

  
  
  
  In 2006, Rawiri Falwasser was seriously injured in the Whakatane police cells from being beaten for 20 minutes and pepper sprayed 65 times by Sergeants Keith Parsons and Erle Busby, Constable John Mills and Senior Constable Bruce Laing. Yesterday the Independent Police Conduct Authority found the officers’ actions “unnecessary, unreasonable, and unjustified”. Earlier this year, [...] read more
  August 7, 2010 10:23 am - 51 Comments
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  Yet again, reckless police driving highlights the need for a review - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Since 2007 there have been five accidents caused by police cars u-turning to chase motorists or to respond to calls.  Two of these have involved collisions with cars, which have resulted in damage but no injuries.  The other three have been collisions with motorcycles.  In December 2007 two riders were seriously injured when a police [...] read more
  April 20, 2010 2:15 pm - 18 Comments
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  Heavily pregnant women tasered 3 times – legally - by frog

  
  
  
  From Wired “Although she had told the officers she was seven months pregnant, they proceeded to use a Taser on her, not once but three times, causing her to scream with pain and leaving burn marks and permanent scars.” A federal appeals court says three Seattle police officers did not employ excessive force There’s something [...] read more
  April 4, 2010 9:22 am - 131 Comments
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  Bain verdict time for sober reflection - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  It’s good that the Police have said they will learn from the Bain case if there is any thing they could have done better.   However, it shouldn’t just be admitting they did a few things wrong at the beginning.   The review needs to cover the whole of the last 15 years – since [...] read more
  June 8, 2009 4:58 pm - 24 Comments
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  Legs - by frog

  
  
  
  Nelson’s police force has taken up bicycling.  Good on them, especially for this bit of ‘kiwi ingenuity’: The special lights and sirens can be ordered from the United States for about $US300 ($NZ520), but police had rigged their own up for about a 20th of the cost. The siren was more like an air horn [...] read more
  November 12, 2008 3:26 pm - 6 Comments
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  Security threat - by frog

  
  
  
  John Key is being shadowed by a heavy police presence, with three diplomatic protection squad members accompanying him even to a caucus meeting attended by his MPs and party officials. Poor old John Key!  That doesn’t sound like much of a life, surrounded by DPS guards.  At least they seem to have isolated the threat as [...] read more
  November 12, 2008 3:21 pm - 5 Comments
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  ‘Bzzt, bang’ or ‘bang, bzzt’? - by frog

  
  
  
  While I’m on the topic, there were calls for an arms race in this morning’s Dominion Post: Police Association president Greg O’Connor said police welcomed Tasers but were concerned they could be issued at the cost of firearms. “That can’t happen,” he said. “They must be ‘as well as’, not `instead of’.” Why?  So that [...] read more
  August 28, 2008 10:10 am - 64 Comments
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  Tasers - by frog

  
  
  
  The debate in Parliament yesterday around the use of tasers seemed entirely to be game playing by a government that, up until now had been unwilling to politically debate the issues around tasers – claiming it was an operation matter for police, not a political one for MPs. Nonetheless, it is an important issue, and [...] read more
  August 28, 2008 9:58 am - 41 Comments
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  No longer alone - by frog

  
  
  
  My trusty bike and I got pulled over by the cops yesterday evening.  It was part of a friendly check to make sure cyclists all had the enough lights and reflective gear to be seen in the gloaming.  I passed the test thankfully. But isn’t it nice that there are now enough cyclists on the [...] read more
  June 26, 2008 9:36 am - 17 Comments
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  Blogs I like today - by frog

  
  
  
  A few worthwhile reads from other blogs: Anna McM at the Hand Mirror continues a fascinating discussion on the value, or otherwise, of rugby. You’ll also want to read as background the Hand Mirror’s earlier pieces on the casual way our rugby media has brushed aside accusations of rape against the English rugby team as [...] read more
  June 25, 2008 10:58 pm - 7 Comments