KEY POINTS:
Perhaps the police did not initially assign a detective to the Christmas Eve burglary of an Ellerslie bar for the very reason that it seemed the most obvious of open and shut cases.
The break-in had been caught on camera, and the bar owner had supplied the name, address and picture of the alleged burglar.
Could this be a case that the police, at a time of particular staffing shortage, quite reasonably put on hold while more difficult assignments were given priority?
If so, they should have said so. Or, if their failure to investigate was a simple mistake, they should have admitted that.
Instead, they indulged in hollow excuse-making that served only to undermine their credibility. Most lamely, the bar owner was told he was not the only victim of a burglary in Auckland.
Worse, the police changed tack abruptly when the MP Allan Peachey, Act leader Rodney Hide and the Herald became involved. The file was assigned, but too late to prevent another break-in at the same bar.
The police should have stuck to their guns if they had good reason to give the incident low priority.
They should have explained that they had more serious matters on their plate. They should not have allowed themselves to be pressured into investigating a matter that had apparently been accorded a low status.
Mr Peachey said the message sent by the failure to investigate the theft of about $2000 worth of beer and wine was that "policing is ineffective". The sudden flurry of activity after the MP became involved suggests it is also too easily influenced.
The police say they are now following up strong leads and are confident they will solve the case. Solving the riddle of their own behaviour would be a far more difficult task.
