UNIVERSITY BACKS POLICE

The University of Otago stood by the use by police of plain-clothes
officers on campus if that was what police believed was required when
dealing with people breaking the law there, university director of
student services David Richardson said yesterday.

Posters showing photos of and naming plain-clothes police officers
working on campus recently were posted around the university area this
week.

The posters were labelled "Narks in our Class?" and "Narkiology 101.
How to spot a nark".

Mr Richardson said the university welcomed political debate, but did
not condone law-breaking on the campus.

The university was not consulted on the use of plain-clothes officers
on campus, "but would expect the police to use their normal range of
powers in dealing with such a matter", he said.

The recent issuing of 12 trespass notices was related to a small
number of students and non-students who had been campaigning for the
liberalisation of cannabis law.

The university did not believe misuse of illegal drugs was a
significant problem among its students, he said.

Dunedin and Clutha area commander Inspector Dave Campbell said
yesterday three recent arrests and the issuing of trespass notices on
campus were not part of an undercover police operation.

He said the arrests were made after a complaint was received just
after noon on July 16 that people were smoking cannabis on the
university's union lawn.

Plain-clothes police officers were sent to investigate and, as a
result, uniformed officers were called in to arrest a suspect.

The plain-clothes officers were not working undercover and carried
police identification.

Insp Campbell said plain-clothes officers were often used to carry out
observations when police believed criminal activity might be taking
place. Police were only interested in those who broke the law, he said.