| Wellington (PA): In the wake of the police shooting of Waitara man Stephen Wallace earlier in the year, Police Minister George Hawkins today announced the findings of a commission investigating how police in New Zealand should be armed.
Stephen Wallace was breaking shop windows on the main street with a golf club when he was shot and killed by local police. "As criminals become increasingly sophisticated the types of weapons that they possess and are prepared to use has also become more sophisticated" Mr Hawkins stated in a press release. The Minister went on to add that frontline police officers must therefore also have access to similarly effective weapons to protect themselves and the public, and to uphold the rule of law. Mr Hawkins stressed that lessons have been learned from the Waitara tragedy, and that one key facet of the new initiative is that police patrol cars in both rural and metropolitan areas will now carry a full set of golf clubs. Officers will be fully instructed in their use at a cost of about $1.3 million to the taxpayer. It is envisaged that the firing range at the Porirua Police Training College will be converted into a driving range by the end of this year. "The Stephen Wallace shooting was tragic and unnecessary. Police have learned a great deal from it". Hawkins goes on to add that if the officers had access to weapons similar to the one carried by the offender on the night in question the young man could have probably been taken down using little more than a pitching wedge and a 4 iron. "Divots can be replaced. Human life cannot" said Hawkins. The other main recommendation from the commission was that officers should be armed with replica handguns similar to those used in failed petrol station holdups and corner dairy heists across the country.  Golf Clubs |
| Police Use of Weapons Under Fire |
Sunday, 01 September 2002 12:00
