Unrepentant Doone forced to step down

By VERNON SMALL

Police Commissioner Peter Doone has resigned his $275,000-a-year post but will stay on full pay until September, working in the Prime Minister's department. He will then retire.

He quit after two top-level reports criticised his conduct on election night last year when he spoke to a rookie constable who had stopped a car driven by his partner, Robyn Johnstone.

The author of one of the reports, Deputy Commissioner Rob Robinson, said Mr Doone's actions were inappropriate and he should have insisted on "the full treatment for the driver to dispel any later suggestions of insobriety."

Prime Minister Helen Clark said the reports raised issues of judgment which in turn raised issues of whether there could be confidence in Mr Doone.

But Mr Doone was unrepentant yesterday "The incident itself is pretty innocent - it is what people have interpreted from it," he said.

"Without that [media role] this incident would not have reached the proportions that it has."

The resignation deal, hammered out by Attorney-General Margaret Wilson on Monday, pre-empted a cabinet decision that would almost certainly have seen him sacked.

Mr Doone, aged 51, will be on leave until February 29, followed by a six-month contract in the Crime Prevention Unit of the Prime Minister's Department working to reduce Maori crime.

Both Helen Clark and Mr Doone have left open the possibility of a further contract.

Helen Clark said she did not want payments for people doing nothing, so Mr Doone was working out a notice period.

But Opposition Leader Jenny Shipley said that while Mr Doone's departure was the best decision, the deal looked like a golden handshake under the table.

Helen Clark said Mr Doone accepted it was better for the police if he stepped down now to avoid any perception that there was one law for the influential and another for ordinary citizens.

Mr Doone's resignation came after inquiries by Mr Robinson and the Police Complaints Authority, Judge Neville Jaine, into the late-night police stop on November 27 when a patrol spotted Mr Doone's car without its lights on.

Mr Doone left the car and talked to Constable Brett Main, who had only three days' police experience. Ms Johnstone was not breath-tested or spoken to.

Another officer stayed in the patrol car and the incident was witnessed by an off-duty police officer and the teenage son of Superintendent Ted Cox, of Auckland.

Accounts of what happened differ. Constable Main said he was carrying a breath-test sniffer device and he indicated that he wanted to speak to the driver.

He said he felt intimidated by Mr Doone's presence and Mr Doone had blocked his route to the driver, although he was not sure if this was intentional.

Mr Doone thought the incident was a routine check and was not aware of any road safety concerns.

He said his leaving the car had been instinctive and he routinely talked to police officers on duty. According to his version, the issue of speaking to Ms Johnstone had not come up and Constable Main had an easy path to her.

Mr Robinson found insufficient evidence to warrant a case of obstructing police against Mr Doone and Solicitor-General John McGrath, QC, agreed.

But Helen Clark said the interaction between the constable and Mr Doone resulted in evidence not being collected because normal procedures were not followed.

The Police Complaints Authority concluded that Mr Doone's actions were "undesirable" and referred the matter to the cabinet.

Mr Robinson said Mr Doone's actions cast doubt on the sincerity of the police's road safety messages.

Mr Doone said he did not accept that. "Drink driving is not an issue here. My partner, who was driving, was sober; we have evidence to substantiate that."

He said he had stepped down in the interests of the police. "The commissioner is not bigger than the police. There are some perceptions around, misguided as they may be, that can only be put to rest if I retire."

He said political pressure had not been a factor and he did not blame Constable Main. "He did everything right and he shouldn't feel bad in any way, shape or form."

Mr Robinson will be acting commissioner until a replacement is found.

Helen Clark and the Minister of Police, George Hawkins, said they favoured appointing another sworn officer to the top job.