May 23, 2013
Iwi liaison officer’s tokenism
Tūhoe leader Tamati Kruger says the police need to reassess their use of iwi liaison officers in light of the Independent Police Complaints Authority report into the 2007 Operation Eight raids.
He's disappointed the authority accepted the police view that the Māori liaison officers were irrelevant to their investigation of alleged military style training camps near Ruatoki.
A review of the liaison officers' role is needed.
"They are now seen as tokenistic. They are mere totems that are a clip on to the police force – but have not been valued by them," Mr Kruger says.
He says in October 2007 the most informed person as to what was happening in the Ruatoki valley was the iwi liaison officer, but he was ignored.
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