Police salute conduct probe report

Police Commissioner Mike Bush acknowledged while much has been achieved, ongoing focus is needed. Photo / NZPA

Police have welcomed the Auditor-General's report into police conduct and the culture change the organisation has experienced in the past decade.

In 2007, the Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct criticised the historical conduct, including sexual conduct, of some police officers and their associates.

The inquiry, headed by Dame Margaret Bazley, was sparked by Louise Nicholas' rape allegations against Assistant Police Commissioner Clint Rickards.

The commission made 47 recommendations for the police and yesterday Auditor-General Greg Schollum's final report was presented to Parliament.

He said the police force, since 2007, was a fundamentally better organisation and was more open to scrutiny.

Police Commissioner Mike Bush acknowledged while much has been achieved, ongoing focus is needed.

"We have made significant ... changes over the past 10 years, but this is just the beginning," he says.

Bush said the recent women's recruitment day at the Royal New Zealand Police College and well-received recruitment video were examples of attempts to draw a diverse workforce.

Police Minister Stuart Nash, meanwhile, says Dame Margaret's report identified systemic issues for the organisation which it has been working for 10 years to address.

"There is still much to do to ensure police are representative of the communities they serve," he said.

He said he, as minister, will continue to monitor the questions raised in 2007.

- NZN