Steve Long - 'Professional with a heart'

By JULIE MIDDLETON

Steve Long, aged in his early 50s, is a fifth-generation policeman. But in investigating his own he is taking on one of the tougher jobs of his career.

Long is heading the police investigation into complaints by Louise Nicholas that she was raped by three police officers in a Rotorua police house in 1986, when she was 18.

He will bring together a group of senior investigators to assemble all the files held over complaints made by Mrs Nicholas, the investigations into those complaints and other records relating to others involved.

The Police Complaints Authority will oversee the inquiry.

Mr Long's team is separate from the Government's commission of inquiry, yet to be appointed.

A Herald story from 1997 describes Mr Long as having been a "rural English copper" before emigrating to New Zealand with his wife. He did a short stint in a freezing works before joining the New Zealand police.

In 2000, Mr Long was up against Auckland's top cop, Clint Rickards, one of the men accused by Louise Nicholas, for the Deputy Commissioner's job.

Commissioner Rob Robinson told Prime Minister Helen Clark that "sexual misconduct" allegations had been made against Mr Rickards but that he had been cleared.

The Prime Minister elected to go for the other candidate. She has since said that the allegations were a factor in Mr Rickards not getting the post.

Mr Long holds a master of arts degree in history gained while working as an officer. He once told the Herald it was "helpful in policing to know where you've been, so you know where you're going".

According to one senior officer, Mr Long is "a very mild man, very nice and proper and moral".

A former detective says Mr Long is a "great guy ... he's very astute and has very much a people's touch. He's a Kiwi down to the bottom of his boots nowadays".

Dean of Waikato Father Ian Hanley, a former officer who was chaplain to police at the time Mr Long ran North Shore police, describes the Deputy Commissioner as a man with a sense of humour who is a "safe pair of hands".

"He's a professional with a heart." Any report he produces will be "thorough, fair and detailed".

Mr Long was second-in-command for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Auckland in 1995.

As district commander for North Shore and Waitakere regions, he merged the two into a single command.

In more recent times Mr Long was among the police who turned up in New Plymouth's court to support "Constable A", Keith Abbott, who was acquitted of murdering Waitara man Steven Wallace.

In July last year, Mr Long commissioned a review of police pursuits after concerns were raised that police chases were leading to unnecessary deaths.

When the review was released, he made comments that might seem prophetic in the current circumstances: "I think it's time for change ... we have got to be brutally honest with ourselves about whether things are working or whether they aren't working.

"We have to almost shake ourselves and say, 'for goodness' sake, let's sort this out'."

STEVE LONG - Deputy Commissioner of Police

1975: Emigrates to New Zealand from England. Joins the New Zealand police

1991-1994: Officer in charge of planning, South Island

1994-1997: District commander, North Shore-Waitakere

Other posts include director of training at the police college, and general manager training and professional development at police headquarters.

March 2001: Becomes acting Deputy Commissioner in charge of operations, and two weeks later takes the job permanently, reporting directly to Rob Robinson.