Temporary constables 'hate' new casual uniform

Temporary constables are understood to be anxious about being forced to wear casual attire instead of the traditional police uniform.

One said this week's directive to wear the new garb - a polo shirt and zip-up jacket - would cause "trouble".

"We're dealing with prisoners and we're going to have problems [without the full uniform]. These people are going to see us as not having any authority at all."

He said all his colleagues hated the new outfit and were worried about having to wear it, but their concerns had fallen on deaf ears.

The change had been an ill-thought-out one and was a politically motivated knee-jerk reaction, said the man, who spoke to the Herald on condition that he was not named for fear of losing his job.

He said even the Police Association had distanced itself from the argument. "They say we're going to have to get used to it."

Recently, Opposition MPs attacked rules that allowed temporary officers to wear full uniforms, calling such officers "decoy cops".

Police Minister Annette King responded by saying the practice had been in place only since November.

But the source said yesterday that full uniforms had been worn for "years and years" in some areas, although the extent of their use varied from district to district.

He said that contrary to some reports and public perception, temporary police were in fact fully sworn officers and had limited powers of arrest.

Arrests could only be made inside jail or court, he said. The officers were also empowered to carry pepper spray, handcuffs and batons.

The temporary constables worked mainly as jailers and court escorts for prisoners. Only on rare occasions did they guard crime scenes.

Many officers who worked as temporary constables had previously held permanent positions within the force.