Cameras proposed for safety in cop cars

Police cars and patrol wagons should carry cameras to deter assaults by police officers and false accusations from prisoners, says a civil liberties group.

The call comes after Martin James Folan was acquitted at the Auckland District Court yesterday of six charges of assault against five prisoners.

Last year, two other police officers from West Auckland, Alan Douglas and Gareth Needham, were found guilty of assaulting a teenager in a West Auckland park.

Civil Liberties Council spokesman and defence lawyer Michael Bott said cameras would protect police officers and prisoners.

"It stops the potential for false accusations, but also police will be aware that what they are doing will be watched by someone else."

He said he was heartened to see so many officers willing to give evidence in Mr Folan's trial.

"I hope their careers won't suffer with a glass ceiling. It shows the independence and professionalism of the police in that regard," he said.

"For the constables to be willing to come and give evidence against one of their own, it should give the public confidence in the police."

But he said there was no doubt that unreasonable violence was used by the police and that the number of occurrences of this was not necessarily decreasing.

He also suggested the Independent Police Conduct Authority appoint people from outside the police to be involved in investigations.

Authority head Justice Lowell Goddard visited Mr Folan's Henderson police station in March last year to speak to officers and inspect the cells.

"Given the number of allegations against Sergeant Folan, the number of independent witnesses, and the serious nature of the allegations, the only appropriate course of action for the police was to prosecute him," Justice Goddard said.

She praised the police officers who gave evidence at Mr Folan's trial and their seniors.

Waitemata District Commander Superintendent Bill Searle said he could not comment on Mr Folan's case but spoke in "general terms".

"I'm proud of any police officer who will stand up and be prepared to raise issues and give evidence on matters where they feel their peers have acted inappropriately."

He said the community could be reassured that police officers would be investigated when complaints were lodged.

Asked if police officers who gave evidence against their colleagues might face problems at work, Mr Searle said he hoped all staff at Waitemata would share his pride.

"I would like to say how proud I am of any officers that stand up for what they believe in. They are a credit not just to the district but the police as an organisation."

Police Association president Greg O'Connor said there was a public myth that police officers did not give evidence against their own, but that had been shown time and time again to be untrue.

"Nobody is interested in having anyone in the police who shouldn't be there. What everyone is interested in is having a police force who is fairly treated."

He said if that did not happen then police became either too tentative or stopped "giving a stuff" about their job and no one wanted that.

"No one wants brutal or corrupt police, but they also don't want a tentative police force or police who give up. Getting a balance is what it is about."

POLICE VIOLENCE

* Officers Patrick Garty and Wiremu Bowers Rakatau were found guilty of punching and kicking a group of students while off-duty in 2009. A third officer, Christopher Renata, was found not guilty.

* Officers Alan Douglas and Gareth Needham were found guilty of punching a teenager in a West Auckland park last year. The pair are applying for a discharge without conviction.

* A High Court judge last year found Whakatane police had subjected Rawiri Falwasser to excessive abuse of power over seven hours in a police cell. The police officers were found not guilty of assault in 2008.