Waikato police want chief reinstated

Waikato police have called for the return of the region's top officer, who remains suspended despite being acquitted of rape charges on Wednesday.

Superintendent Kelvin Powell, the Waikato district commander, was stood down on full pay in February last year after being charged with raping a woman at Rotorua in 1984.

Mr Powell admitted having sex with the woman but said it was consensual. He was found not guilty by a jury in the High Court at Hamilton but has not learned whether he will return to his role.

Police officers spoken to by the Herald said they backed Mr Powell and urged Commissioner Rob Robinson to allow his immediate return to work.

Mr Robinson said after the verdict that while Mr Powell's future on the force was assured, what role that would take would be discussed in the coming days.

He said he would meet Mr Powell and "quietly work through ... employment matters".

That delay was not supported by a Huntly officer who did not want to be named.

He said Mr Powell was a popular boss who retained the respect and support of his staff.

"It is time to move on. He has been found not guilty - let him return to work."

A senior Hamilton policeman who also did not want to be named said that a number of his peers had doubted the strength of the allegations and questioned why the case had been allowed to get to court.

He said the feeling among staff was that Mr Powell had gone through enough and should have been reinstated as soon as the not guilty verdict was delivered.

A police spokeswoman said yesterday that no timeframe had been set for deciding Mr Powell's future.

It is understood a meeting of more than 100 Waikato police officers and the commissioner was held yesterday to discuss morale and recent uncertainty in the force following a number of high-profile court cases.