Report spotlights Sir Fred’s escorts
IF the Queen’s Representative, Sir Frederick Goodwin, doesn’t drive around with two Police motorcyclists escorting his car in future, here’s why.
The report on the Police review has recommended guidelines be drawn up. Police escorts should only be deployed for VIP movement specified by the guidelines, it recommends.
The report looks at how the current four Police marked motorcycles are used and their need to be used for traffic laws enforcement.
It says: “Traffic staff provide personal escort services for VIPs.
“This is principally the Queen’s Representative and the Prime Minister.
“On those occasions when a Police escort is requested, two officers are committed for the duration of that exercise.
“The current Prime Minister reportedly uses this service sparingly, however the Queen’s Representative likes to use an escort whenever he is travelling on official business.”
The report recommends: “That guidelines for VIP escorts for the Queen’s Representative, Prime Minister and other dignitaries be drawn up and agreed by all parties. Escorts only to deploy for VIP movements specified by the guidelines.”
The report also says the vehicles for traffic enforcement are substandard.
It says:
n the four motorcycles used by the traffic group were operating at the time of the review visit but staff indicated their general mechanical worthiness was fragile;
n the two ‘Police’ marked vehicles on Rarotonga were substandard, with secondhand light bars that did not work on one and worked intermittently on the other.
The radar speed unit could not be used from one of these, it said.
The report says traffic enforcement on Rarotonga needs to be bolstered. “VIP escort duties should be considered as additional to the traffic enforcement effort,” it adds.
Headlines : Times 196 16 April 2007
- PM: Why I now
back Media Bill
- Media Standards Bill select committee
- The loo with a view
- Boxing: Now there’s 4 for Oceania
- New shade house ready next week
- Media Bill steamrolling concerns
- Arorangi sChool Tsunami Drill
- Little Cooks on The Great Wall
- Report spotlights Sir Fred’s escorts
- How Chinese Taipei tested our U19 team
- Big boost for sailors
