The cops must be more careful now, so let’s find another way of putting Labour out of its misery

It was never going to win, anyway, so we should turn it into dog tucker.

Well, who’d have believed it?

It seems the cops sometimes exceed their authority in shutting down out-of-control parties.

That’s what the Independent Police Conduct Authority report has found, according to a report in the NZ Herald.

Alf had hoped the cops could do anything they bloody well liked to shut down a too-boisterous party.

It seems not, although the authority has acknowledged police are often confronted with difficult situations when called to deal with such incidents.

The authority conducted a review after receiving an increasing number of complaints about incidents in which police closed down parties, authority chairman Sir David Carruthers said.

It reviewed eight cases over five years from July 2009 to June this year. It examined the extent of the police’s legal powers, the reasons why police decided to close down parties, and the methods used to clear partygoers.

“The review found that police usually decided to close down parties due to complaints of fighting or disorder, and they regularly encountered verbal abuse and bottle-throwing from partygoers.”

A number of cases reviewed by the authority showed that the police officers involved misunderstood their legal powers to enter property and remove partygoers.

In some instances police exceeded their authority by closing down parties without obtaining consent from the occupier of the property, Sir David said.

Police attended more than 6500 noise complaints each year, most of which related to parties

They are doing things differently nowadays.

In light of the review and earlier investigations by the authority, police developed a new public order policing policy, which was implemented last December.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Operations Sam Hoyle said today the new policy also focused on prevention, “which includes initiatives such as engaging with party organisers beforehand to ensure they run a safe, enjoyable and lawful event, whilst also ensuring the safety of party-goers, the public and our staff”.

Mr Hoyle said police accepted the authority’s recommendations regarding improved monitoring of social media to engage with party organisers, and continued development of training relating to public order policing.

“The report has also been helpful in clarifying the legal parameters for our staff when entering private property in response to out of control parties, as these situations can be dynamic and complex.”

Alf is bound to say he is seriously disappointed.

He had been contemplating laying a complaint to have the cops close down the Labour Party not so long ago, when its infighting and displays of disorder suggested something should be done in the public interest.

After the election campaign (if not before, on the evidence of the latest poll results) he expects another breakout of infighting and disorder.

A lot of shit will fly, if not bottles.

It will be unseemly.

Closing it down would do it a favour – in much the same way as Alf would have a seriously wounded pet put down.

Come to think of it, maybe that’s the answer. Instead of calling the cops to close it down let’s call in whoever does the business with broken-legged horses at the race track and and have it humanely shot.