MP backs 'laddish' police

ACT MP Stephen Franks has defended many of the police caught with indecent images on their computers.

"I may rue this column if too many of the images prove to be truly disgusting and illegal," he wrote in his Unfranked newsletter yesterday.

"But in the meantime I'll stand up for the many normal folk among the unlucky 330 caught by the police November snapshot of their database."

Three issues had to be considered, he said.

* Fairness to the police involved. "What I've heard so far suggests that most of the targets will just be victims of fashionable prudishness, not porn perverts."

Mr Franks said "laddish humour, tasteless and black jokes" were how many healthy work cultures coped with stress.

* Claims by "sad" women's groups that it would deter women from laying complaints.

"Does that mean assault victims should be scared to seek protection from cops who like karate, or boxing or a bit of 'biffo' in rugby? I'd say it means the opposite."

* "Where is this fear of 'objectionable' thought taking us?" What prompted credulous media to "solemnly pass on an expert's warning that undesirable material is a major problem for NZ corporates with over 30 per cent of workplace computers infected?"

For the record Mr Franks says he has neither the time nor interest to surf for pornography himself. He says it's "boring".