2007 Urewera Police Raids
A major armed-police raid in the Ureweras on 15 October 2007 focused attention on the Tūhoe people, and claims emerged that some Tūhoe had run terrorist training-camps in the Ureweras. The New Zealand Police arrested 17 people nationwide and charged them with firearms offences. Solicitor-General David Collins rejected a bid by police to lay charges of terrorism against 12 of those arrested because of concerns over inadequacies of the Terrorism Suppression Act, but said the raids had stopped some "very disturbing activities".
New Zealand Attorney-General at the time Michael Cullen drew attention to Mr Collins' statement that the police had acted appropriately but the threshold was very high.
"Anybody who claims this is some kind of vindication for all those involved is misreading what the Solicitor-General said."
Police Commissioner Howard Broad publicly apologised for the actions of his officers during the raid, acknowledging they had set back relations between police and Tūhoe people. He said:
"We regret the hurt and stress caused to the community of Ruatoki and we will seek an appropriate way to repair the damage done to police-Maori relations. History tells us that episodes such as this can and do take decades to heal."
Read more about this topic: Tuhoe
Famous quotes containing the words police and/or raids:
“He took control of me for forty-five minutes. This time I’ll have control over him for the rest of his life. If he gets out fifteen years from now, I’ll know. I’ll check on him every three months through police computers. If he makes one mistake he’s going down again. I’ll make sure. I’m his worst enemy now.”
—Elizabeth Wilson, U.S. crime victim. As quoted in People magazine, p. 88 (May 31, 1993)
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—Herbert Hoover (1874–1964)