Police step backward to suppress info

File photo

Gisborne police have taken a backward step and may create a false sense of security by their decision to restrict the information given to reporters about crime, a group representing the media says.

Last week, Gisborne area commander Inspector Sam Aberahama said police stations in the region would no longer routinely offer detailed information about crimes to the media, in a move to "make the community feel safer".

He said he saw no benefit in "reporting to all and sundry".

The decision coincides with the appointment of new station supervisor Detective Sergeant Mick Lander, who introduced a similar policy in Rotorua where he last worked.

The decision was not national police policy, but was a management matter at a district level, police media relations manager Jon Neilson told NZPA.

However, eastern district police communications manager Kris McGehan said Gisborne was just being brought into line with procedures around the rest of the country.

Restricting public awareness of crime would not restrict crime, Media Freedom Committee chairman Tim Murphy said.

"People will feel safer when they know the police are reducing crime or improving their clearance rates by finding and prosecuting offenders - not when police suppress information on what is going on in their community," he said.

The committee, representing newspapers, television, radio and magazines, said the decision was a backward step and would shut down debate.

"The unilateral blackout will do nothing to improve public respect for the police," Mr Murphy said.

"Secrecy breeds suspicion and distrust."

Yesterday, Police Minister Judith Collins said, at a press conference about a vicious attack on a Hastings police officer, that media reports on police conduct and other issues had contributed to a lack of respect for police.

She said today that police were more open than in the past, and were releasing crime statistics each month on the police website. But she was still unhappy with some media reporting.

"Certainly the headlines, for instance, around police pursuits are often very misleading and try and blame police for doing their job and that's not acceptable," Ms Collins said.

The area commander had to make the decisions about working with the local community and the media, she said.

Gisborne Herald editor Jeremy Muir has criticised the move, describing it as coming "straight out of a Communist handbook".

Information from police, already filtered, was now being "heavily censored".

"We strongly believe that our careful reporting on crime straight after it happens helps our community know what is going on and allows people to play a role in solving crimes," Mr Muir said.

Labour list MP and Gisborne resident Moana Mackey said the relationship between police and media was of mutual benefit, and of benefit to the wider community.

If police were concerned about sensational headlines, the best way to deal with that was to supply the correct information.

"There's nothing like the facts to kill dramatic speculation about what is or isn't happening," she said.

- NZPA