Tamatha Paul is right – many in the community fear the Police
Tamatha Paul’s crazy police comments set to clobber the Greens and Labour – Audrey Young
After a terrible spate of violent crimes over the weekend, it looked as though the Government could have the heat turned on this week, as happened to Labour when ram-raids dominated the news. Instead, it was an own-goal by the Greens and one that will not be forgotten. The focus has been on a series of comments by Tamatha Paul suggesting there should not be more police on the beat and that they make a lot of people feel unsafe. The trouble is that she is a constituency MP, not a young list MP speaking at an O-week forum. Her Wellington Central electorate is the third wealthiest in the country and one of the most educated. Yes, it has skewed Labour in most elections since National lost it in 1981, but it is not radical or anti-police. Even Labour leader Chris Hipkins described her comments as “stupid”.
Tamatha Paul is right, many in the community fear the Police.
The face of the NZ Police is the grim guilt of the colonising settler and the pearl clutching response by ACT, NZF, National and even Labour is the predictable bellow of the State defending their stooges.
I believe New Zealand’s remarkable acquiesce towards Police abuse of power is a terrible by product of our colonising settler culture.
Consider the deep investigation as to why NZ Police shoot and kill so many New Zealanders and the ongoing criticism of why Police chase policy kills so many New Zealanders.
Since 2003, New Zealand has seen an exponential rise in car chases – from 500 in 2003 to 2500 in 2010. This mirrors the pattern of Australia, and the UK and the US, the latter two of which have seen car chases rise since the 1990s. In 2009, concerns over the frequency of police chasing led to a review of police pursuit policy conducted by the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA). This review examined 137 police chases that resulted in serious injury or death from 2003 to 2009, with a total of 24 people killed and 91 seriously hurt. In the US, the figures are much more disturbing. Police car chases now kill 30 innocent people every six weeks and one police officer. In Los Angeles alone, more than 10,000 people have been injured by car chases since 2002.
…I think we as a culture turn a blind eye to Police abuse because of our colonising settler culture.
When Pakeha settlers grew nervous about angry Māori youth on the edge of town who were already feeling the negative alienations of colonisation, they gave the mounted constabulary the grim nod of guilty approval to do what ever was needed to ensure our place here on these shaky isles. We turn a blind eye to let the Police ‘do what they need’ because we privately acknowledge the negative impact of our colonisation without ever wanting to rectify that negative beyond heavy handed policing to enforce and ensure order.
The Police get away with abusing their power because we allow them to do it. Holding the NZ Police to account for abusing their power requires us to acknowledge why we’ve allowed them to get away with it for so long, and that’s why the establishment has come down hard on Tamatha for daring to challenge the narrative.
ACT, NZF, National and Labour are behaving like abusive parents angry no one wants to come to Christmas.
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Cradle snatcher and hard right wing journalist Soper disagrees….
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/barry-soper-tamatha-pauls-outburst-shows-helen-clark-was-right-about-greens/WGPJ2FSCB5G7TONMIGSWQ3722A/
He continues to do the rights bidding.
Dog snatcher.
It’s a wonder he’s got the strength after putting up with his child bride.
he just lays there while she rides to the finish
ACAB
Your article was an intelligent discussion on a sensitive topic, while I have a different view to Tamatha. I can understand how she formed her view unlike the majority of the population who are offended that anyone can think differently to them especially regarding the police who many seem to think are infallible.
Tamatha comes from a different perspective from roughly half of NZers and most MPs–that should not negate her views. I have viewed the Police with suspicion rather than a positive group since a teenager, and that perception only grew over the years as their role in the state forces became apparent as I became involved in union action and political solidarity movements. They enforce capitalist property rights above all.
Yes, they help find lost trampers and clean up after gruesome car crashes…and…they have a racist, misogynist, violent macho culture to this day. They hold a grudge, racially profile and target certain groups i.e. photographing and DNA testing young Māori. They use unsanctioned surveillance techniques and tasers as compliance devices rather than a substitute for lethal force.
Half of NZers may suck up to them, but the other half do not.
Exactly.
i am disappointed by the knee-jerk ejaculation of pro police platitudes and criticism of Tamantha Paul, as a mere messenger of reality, that erupted from the mouths of politicians of the other main parties .
They display very poor form, they’re not engaging on the issues.
100%TM. Same experience. I also feel sorry for them for a lot of the dirty work they have to do but everything you say here is correct in my experience.
The fact that the New Zealand Police Association isn’t organizing strikes over the woeful level of training officers receive- especially in making lethal force decisions and employing their weapons properly rather than just dumping mags into drunk Maori guys on the basis that they are holding a stick or whatever- rather decreases my sympathy for them.
Being aware and kind to the police, fair – good. But also the fire service often clean up after gruesome happenings. Governments with a refusal to perform practical legislating so that cannabis can be sold under certain classifications, have ushered in this nasty relationship which keeps getting tougher as life gets harder. People get sick of the false appearance of a frayed democracy that is indecently masking a dictatorship with three year people’s supposed fairs with no maypoles or fun.
As a whitey I am nervous around the police at every protest I go to. Many of them detest us and would rather not have to babysit us every Saturday. In the first roll out of tasers they were not permitted to take these on demonstrations due to concerns that they would be trigger happy. Some years ago this was changed without consultation with the public and are now part of their everyday issue. In order to take pepper spray to demonstrations they have to get permission from the District Commander each time, apparently we are so unruly that appears also to be standard issue.
The scariest thing is the lack of cameras on the new tasers, which also have 10 shots on them, the previous ones had 2 shots.
They take photos often at these events and are supposed to destroy them if there is nothing illegal going on. The cynic in me says ‘yeah right’.
I think the majority of Kiwis think if you are stopped and / or arrested by police it is because you have definitely done something wrong so you deserve it.
If you are a Pacific Islander in a flash / expensive car you are much more likely to be stopped, and the same of course for Maori.
As usual the media edited her words to create sensation and click bait. Factually she was correct. Police do make some sections of our community uneasy or afraid. However there is no room for nuance in the world today. You are with us or against us. You support the police, no matter what, or you are a supporter of murderers, rapists and thieves.
You forgot pedophiles Peter and they usually get the bracelet especially if they are rich and old or both.
Fact is that while people can collectively and spontaneously come together to counter police abuse, tangata motu do need their own formally constituted security services if they are to be made safe from the New Zealand Police.
Allow me to correct her statement:
Many (criminals) in the community fear the Police.
As well they should!
Incorrect Handy Andy.
I’ll respect police authority, but trust them? – you can forget that.
In my experience police culture wallows in deceit, from petty to serious.
I back her 100% I am sick of the overreach by the police in the Hutt Valley since the change of government. I find them to be over the top, they speed around at extremely high speeds looking for action and if your Maori they always try to see in your car. Also having experienced being pulled over for doing nothing a few times, I can relate to what Paul is saying, but it’s hard for many red necks when they have not walked in your shoes to understand. And the scaremongering is bad it’s also over the top; we have become a police state.
I remember being surprised about racial heavying in Canada – can’t find exact one but many under google –
If use keywords – Canadian story about racial profiling stopped multiple times the atlantic
And that shows it is important to keep control on this as police can get so OTT.
This patronising prejudice can happen to ordinary people as well as stars:
https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/04/i-was-racially-profiled-in-my-own-driveway/360615/<
…A police officer from West Hartford had pulled up across the street, exited his vehicle, and begun walking in my direction. I noted the strangeness of his being in Hartford—an entirely separate town with its own police force—so I thought he needed help. He approached me with purpose, and then, without any introduction or explanation he asked, “So, you trying to make a few extra bucks, shoveling people’s driveways around here?”…
There are bad apples in all work places .Bullies ,racists sexist they are everywhere Unfortunately due to the power police have if they are any of those it is the poor voiceless people that suffer the most . However for a politician to make a statement that implies all police are to be feared is just as bad as saying all Maori, Chinese, English are bad .
The most important message to get out there is if you have a problem you will be listened too and will be believed and something will be done to stop it . The biggest lesson to be learnt from the enquiry on abuse is to listen to those offended against.
And the opposite to what you said Trevor is true
Why does your comment not surprise me.
Because it’s true.
Then sweep it under the carpet
Having watched her interview and the impressive way she handled herself compared to the responses of the four stooges I’m definitely thinking Green.
Me too but they dont stand a candidate in my National part area .
COVID didn’t happen then? We could have had a Muslim uprising if Jacinda had not shown the compassion she did, the foot in mouth CoC would have been a disaster. Things might be better for you now but most of the population is worse off after almost a year and a half of this incompetent government.
Correct again
And yet hete you are supporting the brainless coalition Gaby, what does that make you?
Right wing tanking, Greens gaining confirms you are an idiot.
Fuck it was great Frank the wank what are you in about!
How come our police are going on cultural trips to China and getting perks from the CCP. And what’s Mitchell doing about it,nothing. Instead hes busy filling our prisons with Maori.
I advocated for more frontline police more than a decade ago when there was a real need for it and I’m rather impressed that it has eventuated. It is disheartening when the Police Force do not have much of a presence and this is primarily because life is a lot more dangerous these days than what it was.
Yep so far only 13 new police after 18 months and 600 more gang members under the we will have 500 extra police in two years and wipe out the gangs .Make kiwi build look fucken awsome eh
Bad does’nt come as a colour ….
does in NZ
ALL CRIMINALS ARE BROWN
ALL UNEMPLOYED ARE LAZY MAORI
ALL BENFICIARIES ARE CUNNING MAORI
These are facts according to people I had morning tea with the other day .
While I was there a 20 year old white male called in .Thats our criminal grand son they said proudly .OOPS did not fit their statement a few minutes earlier ALL CRIMINALS ARE BROWN .
I have to support Tamantha Paul. However, having said that ( and battled autocue over the spelling of her name) I would like to state that at one point in time I have seen police uniforms for sale in a surplus store. In these days of digital and physical impersonation, data misappropriation etc. anything is possible and unless you have been abused by real or bogus police it is hard to understand this viewpoint.
An innocent victim of a clever impersonator may be targeted erroneously.
Greywarbler’s (first) comment is to be commended thank you.
Thank you also to Martyn for giving a space to comment on the front-page outrage which whitewashes the real problems facing real ppl.
Frank it’s not working now, even though we are well clear of Covid. All this bullshit about patches hasn’t reduced crime and it was never going to. Three strikes is a f’ing waste of time too.
bARRCADE , sars lip elbow bash police large thump thrust, eh!, Athletic Park, stop this racist goverment playing rugby here.
Not all cops, are fuckers.
HAD SHE NOT BEEN A BROWN WOMAN would there have been any comment from any one ?I doubt it .Much like the 3 waters which was being introduced by an elected Maori minister of the government of the day .Had she been a white fat male three waters would be up and running by now .Now the red neck Mayors that rejected it on racial grounds are scrambling to get on board at much higher expense .Now we have the situation where water care is being set up to fail so it can be privatised and pakeha will have stolen the water .This would never have happened under 3 waters because the whole top of the north would have been in the same region .
LOOKS like I will have to jump onto the Maori roll so I can vote green instead of only having a choice of lying Barb or some low ranked Labour candidate to chose from .This young lady and Hana Mapi-clarke will make a great team as voices for young people of NZ regardless of colour .
This old white fella has had enough of the current bull shit that this country is handed every election .