Police boss defends pace of change

Photo / File

Police Commissioner Howard Broad says the force has turned a corner towards blanket intolerance of poor performance and sexual misconduct, despite a report criticising its bosses as lacking courage and - according to one officer - living in "bullshit castle".

The independent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers, released last night, follows a warning from Police Minister Judith Collins this month to senior officers to speed up culture change.

The report praised significant steps by police, and pointed to the absence of entrenched corruption, but said "urgent, co-ordinated and decisive action is now required to ensure the case for change is refreshed".

"Senior management lacks the confidence and adeptness to make bold, circuit-breaking and symbolic moves that will change the DNA of the organisation."

Some officers were "poisoning the well", the report said. It noted a disconnection between head office and frontline staff, with one officer saying "the commissioner and all his mates at 'bullshit castle' at headquarters should get back on the street and get a reality check".

The report is part of ongoing monitoring triggered by a three-year Commission of Inquiry, headed by Dame Margaret Bazley and finished in 2007, that received 313 complaints of sexual assault against 222 police officers.

Mr Broad, who is retiring in April, said the effort needed fresh legs and renewed effort, but enduring change would take time.

"Have we made progress? Yes. Am I confident about the future? Yes. Have we sat on our hands? No."

The disconnection between the front line and head office was too wide, but comments such as "bullshit castle" were typical of any large organisation.

He said staff had left in recent years, including more than 50 for bad behaviour in the past two years since a new code of conduct was introduced.

"There are a number of people ... at levels in the police who haven't grabbed the fact that there was a Commission of Inquiry, that it did require a fundamental rethink of how we approach things.

"I'm quite realistic about the degrees of difficulty that exist in an organisation like ours that is large, that's been around a long time, that has a lot of very enduring practices and some attitudes and beliefs that need to be shifted - in some cases quite a distance."

But he added: "I think it will happen. The building blocks are in place."

He staunchly defended his own performance, citing lower crime and higher public confidence in police.

The minister last night said the report confirmed her views about the need to speed up cultural change. She stopped short of saying heads would roll over the slow progress.

STAFF SAY TOP BRASS OUT OF TOUCH

PricewaterhouseCooper's report into progress on police culture change:

*"Senior management lacks the confidence and adeptness to make bold, circuit-breaking and symbolic moves that will change the DNA of the organisation".

*Many changes are not well used in practice, meaning "while compliance may technically have been achieved, cultural change has not".

*Inconsistency in management style, quality and practice at all levels in police and across police districts.

*A widespread feeling among staff that senior management are out of touch with the frontline pressures.

*Change at the police college and the training service centre has not gone far enough and some staff there may be inappropriate role models.