(20-02-2022, 11:08 AM)Olive Wrote: I've read today that Coster has been let down by his threat assessment staff, who are part of the faction in NZ Police who resent him and his modern philosophy of policing by consent.  That explains why he didn't give instructions to take down the occupation while it was still manageable - they assessed the threat as low.Indeed baffling.
The thing that baffles me is that there seems to have been no effort to establish a perimeter and prevent new occupiers from coming in.
The questioning from Tame went something along the lines of:
Tame: Do you have powers to establish roadblocks and search vehicles?
Coster: We are not doing that at the moment.
Tame: Can you establish a perimeter to prevent more vehicles joining?
Coster: That is not something we are considering.
Tame: Do the Police have power to stop anyone taking a tent onto Parliament grounds?
Coster: Yes, but we are not doing that.
Tame: So I could take a pergola or sleeping bag onto Parliament grounds and nobody would stop me?
Coster: Yes.
And after the interview ended Tame noted that Coster had clarified that Police had powers to set up roadblocks but it was not something currently being used.
And this is our top cop! God save us!
Commentators call him ÔÇ£Cuddles CosterÔÇØ. Simon Bridges publicly accused him of being a ÔÇ£wokesterÔÇØ. And frontline officers have nicknamed him The Lantern (very bright but needs carrying).
So just who is the man in charge of New ZealandÔÇÖs police? And why is he taking a softly, softly approach to the rabble of protesters camping on ParliamentÔÇÖs lawn and paralysing downtown Wellington?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politic...t-protests