Police seek answers overseas

Police are looking overseas for guidance on investigating their own staff in a bid to restore public faith after several scandals, says Tasman District commander Superintendent Grant O'Fee.

Police have come under fire after scandals including accusations against former and serving police officers by Rotorua woman Louise Nicholas, and pornographic emails found on police computers throughout the country.

Mr O'Fee has been seconded to the police commissioner's office, where he will head a small team which will research how police can improve Police Complaints Authority (PCA) investigations.

Although Mr O'Fee said he was confident PCA investigations were as rigid as any other inquiry, not everyone shared that view and there was general agreement that more resources should be allocated to improving the process.

Mr O'Fee will begin research on police integrity, including looking at issues surrounding recruitment standards and staff education.

Initial improvements for the system included making the process faster - something which would benefit police and complainants, he said.

"It's a very time-consuming process and it's a huge frustration, both for the people who complain and for the officers under investigation."

By the end of the project "I'd like to be able to present the commissioner with some realistic options based on what I've seen and heard from other places".

- NZPA