Don’t Stop Police Recruits Training – Stop The Hiding
Evidence, if it were ever really needed, proving that National and Labour were as alike as two peas in a pod, can be
seen from the desperate tactics imposed on the Police Commissioner by Police Minister George Hawkins, claims New Zealand
First MP and Law and Order Spokesman, Ron Mark.
“Each of the items outlined by Minister Hawkins in his hypocritical reaction to funding concerns within Police such as
closing the Police College, making police recruits pay for their police training and the canceling of wings of recruits,
are precisely the same initiatives advanced by successive National Ministers’ of Police over the past years,” said Mr
Mark.
“The Police Minister should be looking at the wastage of having a serving commissioned officer working in his office on
a full time basis looking after the needs of the Minister as a starting point for saving money – that would add $100,000
plus the cost of a dedicated police car to the front line budget.
“In addition, the thousands being wasted on non core police activities such as global university training for hand
picked senior officers and exclusive private use of police cars would assist to bolster the thin blue line on the
streets also.
“Further savings would result from the driving out from the National Office of Police, long serving officers, many of
whom have sheltered there for decades. These individuals could be out on the street patrolling and contributing to the
Minister’s demands to attend to burglaries within 24 hours as promised by him, but has now disappeared like so many
criminals into the night,” concluded Mr Mark.
Ends.