Post by KC on Jan 5, 2007 22:32:45 GMT -5
NEW ZEALAND - Police are investigating the legality of a Palmerston North boy racer website, amid boy racer claims of police brutality.
"We are currently looking at the content of the website in terms of whether the authors of the website are inciting unlawful (street racing) acts," Palmerston North police area commander Inspector Pat Handcock said.
"We are in the process of seeking a legal opinion in respect of that."
The website yesterday featured, among other things, photos of cars doing burnouts, derogatory remarks about police and information on police scanners.
The front page of the website also asks for the personal details of a police officer who was allegedly violent toward them, a boy racer told the Manawatu Standard yesterday.
Mr Handcock said police had concerns the boy racers are seeking personal details of one of their police staff through the website, but would not comment on the violence allegation.
"If they have got a complaint to make they can get in contact with me."
The website said: "A reward goes to the first person that gets us (officer's name) personal details.
"This is due to his 'cool guy' tactics last night. text it to (phone number)."
A boy racer, who declined to be named, said they wanted the policeman's details because he was "getting a bit violent" toward them.
"We want to get in touch with him.
"We would like to know why he was doing those sorts of things and what he is going to do about it."
The website was there for entertainment.
If the police pulled it down they had a back-up plan that would see the site up again within an hour, he said.
"We don't incite anything through the website.
"It's just there for a laugh and it's there to make our opinion known."
Boy racers would do their thing whether the site was up or not, he added.
Anywhere between 50 and 200 people met every weekend for street racing in "lots" of locations around the Manawatu. The public was not put at risk.
www.stuff.co.nz/3920544a10.html
"We are currently looking at the content of the website in terms of whether the authors of the website are inciting unlawful (street racing) acts," Palmerston North police area commander Inspector Pat Handcock said.
"We are in the process of seeking a legal opinion in respect of that."
The website yesterday featured, among other things, photos of cars doing burnouts, derogatory remarks about police and information on police scanners.
The front page of the website also asks for the personal details of a police officer who was allegedly violent toward them, a boy racer told the Manawatu Standard yesterday.
Mr Handcock said police had concerns the boy racers are seeking personal details of one of their police staff through the website, but would not comment on the violence allegation.
"If they have got a complaint to make they can get in contact with me."
The website said: "A reward goes to the first person that gets us (officer's name) personal details.
"This is due to his 'cool guy' tactics last night. text it to (phone number)."
A boy racer, who declined to be named, said they wanted the policeman's details because he was "getting a bit violent" toward them.
"We want to get in touch with him.
"We would like to know why he was doing those sorts of things and what he is going to do about it."
The website was there for entertainment.
If the police pulled it down they had a back-up plan that would see the site up again within an hour, he said.
"We don't incite anything through the website.
"It's just there for a laugh and it's there to make our opinion known."
Boy racers would do their thing whether the site was up or not, he added.
Anywhere between 50 and 200 people met every weekend for street racing in "lots" of locations around the Manawatu. The public was not put at risk.
www.stuff.co.nz/3920544a10.html
