KEY POINTS:
The Government is moving to upgrade the police radio system to stop criminals from eavesdropping on police and staying one step ahead of them.
At the law and order select committee yesterday, New Zealand First MP Ron Mark grilled Police Minister Annette King over the ease with which criminals could dodge police.
"Anyone can go to Dick Smith and spend $50 for a cheap piece of junk that allows them to monitor your forces everywhere."
Ms King assured Mr Mark that efforts to upgrade the system were moving quickly. "The old analogue radios have been around for a long time and the problems you've identified are very real. Cabinet awaits the business case for digital radios."
After the meeting, Mr Mark said it was disappointing the Cabinet had not already received the business case.
"The need for secure communications is proven to be a continual problem, and increasingly so."
He said he was with police in Christchurch a few months ago when they were alerted to a serious violent offender. "When we got into the house, the first thing we spotted sitting on the stove was a police scanner, and the offender was nowhere to be seen.
"The officers were speaking in code [on the radio], frequency hopping, but you can't hide an operation with insecure communications. If we are serious about reducing crime, we need to give police the tools."
Ms King and the heads of police came under intense scrutiny from the committee yesterday, which questioned them over the Bazley Report, the botch-up over stab-proof vests and the battle against gangs.
National MP Chester Borrows said there was a lack conviction in dealing with gangs and accused police of "taking your foot off the throttle".
But Ms King said this did not reflect reality. She pointed to the Government's organised crime strategy due in October, and the organised crime agency model due in August.
Deputy Commissioner Rob Pope said police took a "holistic" approach to gangs which centred on intelligence-gathering. "A number of organised crime squads have developed around the country. In the Eastern District, in the first six months of the squad there were over 100 arrests. We've seen similar results reflected through the country."
Mr Mark pushed a case for outlawing gangs, saying this worked in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Singapore and parts of Canada, but Mr Pope would say only that police were contributing to the discussion of possible law changes.
He also repeated police apologies over delays in rolling out stab-resistant vests, which was originally scheduled to be completed by June 2006. The deadline is now December.
"I accept absolutely that this project has not been well managed. That is regrettable," Mr Pope said.
Acting Police Commissioner Lyn Provost said police morale was very good despite high-profile botch-ups and criticism from the Bazley Report.
Ms King said a new code of conduct would be in place by the end of the year. "There will be no doubt to the men and women of New Zealand Police [that they have] to act to the highest level of integrity and professionalism, and New Zealanders expect nothing less."
The first progress report on putting the Bazley recommendations into practice is due on July 2.
Mrs Provost declined to give a timeframe for when the issue of Assistant Commissioner Clint Rickards' suspension would be resolved.
Mr Pope was asked why a police surveillance squad was not deployed in the hunt for murderer Graeme Burton in December, reportedly because they were on leave.
"I'm not privy to the reasons why a veto was put on that particular request," he said.
