Police Commissioner Andrew Coster is under pressure over how Parliament’s occupation has been handled, but will not be drawn on whether he is confident he will retain his job.
In an interview on Q+A with Jack Tame, Coster said: “I’m focused on the job at hand, I think that’s what people would expect me to do, and that’s a matter for others.”
Coster noted that Police Minister Poto Williams expressed her confidence in him on Friday, but accepted that there was a “wide variety of views” among the public of his performance.
He said he was not currently thinking about standing down in the event of a loss of public confidence.
Andrew Coster says there is a “good opportunity” to de-escalate the protest and get to a place where it can be resolved without the need to bring large-scale violence. (Source: Q and A)
The inability of the police to remove protesters from Parliament and the surrounding streets of Wellington has been heavily criticised by many residents.
However, Coster was concerned about the possibility of a “long term loss of trust” in police if he orders the use of more violent tactics to clear the protests.
Andrew Coster says the crowd is diverse, with a mix of peaceful protesters and a "fringe" who are making violent threats to MPs and journalists. (Source: 1News)
“You have a substantial crowd, which police would have to move in using batons, probably using tear gas, to clear that crowd. It’s likely to lead to extended confrontation," Coster said.
“During the Springbok Tours, one of the things was a real hardening of the protest activity, based on the law enforcement response to it, so we have to look quite carefully at how we manage that picture.”
As for how his performance will be viewed, Coster said “ultimately I will be judged by the history of this and what happens, in the moment I need to make the best decisions I can”.
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