Steven Wallace- The Independent Police Conduct Enquiry

It will be a great supprise to some members of the public to read in various publications that the Independent Police Conduct Authority(Previously The Police Complaints Authority) is finally about to render its final report on the Police shooting of Steven Wallace.

Court hearings have cleared those members of police involved of any criminal liability for the shooting and the NZ Police Association has stood behind its members and refused to see any shortcomings in their actions which led to Steven's death.

There must be many politicians and members of the police heirachy who wish that the matter could be ended on that note.

This blogger, who having had the experience to see several areas of gross incompetency in the police actions at the time of the shooting, was not supprised when after the public thought the matter was well finalised, a coroner was critical of several aspects of the police actions .

Although some publications are reporting a 'new probe' into the matter, it is not a new probe, merely some finalising investigations before the IPCA releases its findings. There are orbital matters such as the competency of the Police Training Portfolio in the area of "Use of Force' and in the quality of some of the evidence given at the trial which await report also and will likely be recovered in the final report, due in October next.

Having sufered many 'slings and arrows' even locally, for having stuck my head up over the parapets, on this issue, I eagerly await the IPCA's report, which could add even more justification for a public call to re-establish, re-organise, and re-resource our police.