Police News Sept 07.indd - New Zealand Police Association

The Voice of PoliceVOLUME 40 • NUMBER 8 • SEPTEMBER 2007Welcome home CaneChampion policedog Cane earnshis retirement ATTACKS ON POLICE OFFICERS SHOW SIGNIFICANT INCREASE ENZO LAYS DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIEND ASSOCIATION RENEWS CALL FOR COMMISSION OF INQUIRY

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceThe Voice of PoliceVOLUME 40 • NUMBER 8 • SEPTEMBERE2007175LAYING DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDNZ Police Association Police News is the magazine of theNew Zealand Police Association and incorporates the NewZealand Police Journal fi rst published in 1937.Editor: Steve PlowmanSeptember 2007, Vol. 40, No.8ISSN 1175-9445Deadline for next issue Thursday, September 14, 2007.Published by the New Zealand Police AssociationP.O. Box 12344, Willbank House, 57 Willis Street, Wellington.Phone: (04) 496 6800, Facsmile: (04) 471 1309Email: editor@policeassn.org.nzWebsite: www.policeassn.org.nzPrinted by City Print Communications, Wgtn.Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of theAssociation.COPYRIGHT: NZPA Police News must not be reproduced inpart or as a whole without the formal consent of the copyrightholder - the New Zealand Police Association.Contents178A STALWART’S SERVICE ACKNOWLEDGED184VEALES BOWL ‘EM OVER• Front page: RELIEVED, REUNITED, RETIRED: Rotoruadog handler Jason Owen had a worrying few days while hiscanine partner Cane recovered from serious stab woundsinflicted by an offender the dog had tracked and held. ButTauranga dog handler Kayne Cording was in mourningafter the death of his dog Enzo while apprehending anoffender in dense Bay of Plenty bush.See pages 174 and 175.- Photo courtesy of The Dominion Post.From the President 171Letting your fingers do the talking 171Attacks on police officers show significant increase 172/3Election notice: Nominations for President of the Police Association 173Cane earns his retirement 174Enzo lays down his life for his friend 175Originals of Newtown Police Depot meet again after 59 years 176Scottish puppy webcam a huge hit 177Field Officer vacancy 177Obituary: Linda Marie Clarke 178The Biggest Loser competition proves to be a winner 179Secondment opportunity: Industrial officer 179Association renews its call for Commission of Inquiry into gangs 180US legislators adopt policy of using injunctions against gangs 181Oakland police officers reject 12-hour shifts 181Challenge Cup up for grabs 181Sports News 182/6Amendment to cashing up TOIL 183MOT reunion 183Need a 2008 wallplanner? 183Rodgers Wing Reunion/Memorial Wall/Copper’s crossword 187Letters to the Editor 188/90Did you serve in Waiouru or Gisborne 190Keen on Wine/View from the bottom 191Maori-oke competition an outstanding success 192US legislators go for injunctionsin war against gangs - page 181170September 2007

New Zealand Police AssociationA healthy dose of cynicismOne of the features of being a cop is that weinevitably become very pragmatic in howwe view and regard people.Once we have heard all the excuses, thelies, the plain old bull dust that those wedeal with throw our way and we have beenburnt by believing the same, we quicklylearn to apply the ABC of policing; Acceptnothing, Believe no-one, and Corroborateeverything. Failure to apply this formulausually leads to embarrassment in court, infront of our boss, and worst of all, in frontof our workmates.It’s a journey to get to the stage when wecan apply the formula quickly and withconfidence. We all start by believingeveryone, get to the stage where we believeno-one, and then find some middle ground,which is just plain cynical. That’s calledexperience.We begin to apply that cynicism to muchof what we observe around us. We certainlyapply it to media reports, enhanced bythe fact that no report on any incident orcase we were personally involved in everresembled what we knew to be the truth.We certainly apply this to the debate“That means developing some real leverage overpeople who aren’t overly worried about the usualrange of punishments available. That’s got to start withmaking every cent they receive in benefits being totallyconditional, or the child is removed from their ‘care’.The word would soon get around.”following yet another murder of a youngMaori child. We have all been to the house,smelt the stale booze, cigarettes, dope,rotten food, dampness and been abused bythe foul-mouthed solo mum, who swears infront of her kids and everyone else and whohas some criminal as a partner/boyfriend.He may or may not have fathered one of herkids and will be most likely hanging aroundwith other like types.We just wish that the commentators andcolumnists, who either offer excuses or totallyimpractical and ill-informed solutions, couldjust develop a smidgen of cynicism so theycould look for some real solutions. Solutionsthat are pragmatic and take into account thereality of the type of people we deal with.That means developing some real leverageover people who aren’t overly worriedabout the usual range of punishmentsavailable. That’s got to start with makingevery cent they receive in benefits beingtotally conditional, or the child is removedfrom their ‘care’. The word would soon getaround.Most importantly, it’s got to be overseen andadministered by people with a healthy doseof informed cynicism. They have to have theappropriate powers so that not only can weprotect these kids, we can actually give thema chance of escaping their inevitable destinyof growing into the same people theirmother and father are.Letting your fingers do the talking…a wee trap for Vodafone cell usersBy Steve Plowman, Editor,Police NewsA change to the Vodafone dialling optionsto obtain pre-pay balances could lead toan unexpected connection to the 111emergency network if users let theirfingers do the talking and get it slightlywrong.Vodafone users dial 777 to access theiraccount information menu and a pleasantfemale voice then directs them to dial “1”to do so. The voice then tells them thatthe next step in the process requires themto also dial “1” if they want to access theirtop-up or pre-pay balance and to get theirfinal pre-pay balance, guess what? Youguessed it, you have to dial “1”.Then the pleasant female voice tells youyour balance. At this stage everything isfine, apart from the fact that you nowhave 111 on your screen, along withthe word “Options”. Options gives wayautomatically to the word “End” and if youpress that option it leads to “Call”, whichof course leads to 111 being dialled if youmake the mistake of pressing once againinstead of hitting the clear button, which isdirectly to the left of the “Call” button.Police aware of potential problemNational Comms Centre Manager,Superintendent Steve Fitzgerald, said thatPolice were aware of the potential falsediallingproblem and had been involved inrecent discussions with Vodafone about thematter.A Vodafone spokesman told Police Newsthat the company would be working withPolice to see if changes could be made toovercome the potential for 111 misdialling.Police say that telephone providers suchas Telecom and Vodafone are very goodat co-operating with Police when potentialproblems are identified. One of thesehas been Call Line Identification (CLI) inemergency situations where Police needto identify callers or find street addressesquickly. Telecom phones provide instantcaller ID while Vodafone phones donot. There have also been issues underVodafone’s privacy policy. Telecominitially handle all emergency calls inNew Zealand and then transfer them onto the relevant emergency service – Fire,Police or Ambulance.*555 issuesPolice News understands there was anearlier issue with misdialling relatingto the *555 number, which Vodafonequickly remedied. The *555 dial-upis used by members of the public toalert Police to issues such as dangerousdriving, road blockages or other trafficissues. Another issue that had irked somemembers of the public recently was thatsome Telecom users had been charged45 cents to ring *555 and Police havesaid they will alert the public to thisrequirement on their website.Telecom handle 2.7 million calls onbehalf of emergency services a year anda million of those calls are for Police. Ofthe total calls to emergency services some1.6 million are either misdialled or hoaxcalls.September 2007171

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceAttacks on police show significant increase;Some officers feel “let down” by the judiciaryBy Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsFrontline police say that they are beingsubject to more violent assaults and themost recent statistics available bear out theirconcerns.Assaults on police officers rose by 13.6%between the 2004-05 and 2005-06 Policereporting years (up from 1,869 to 2,123).That means, on average, six police officersare assaulted every day. (Source: NZ PoliceAnnual Report 2006)But while most officers know that theoccasional assault is part and parcel of theircareer they also say that in some instancesthey feel “let down” by the judiciary whencases come to court.Disparities?“There seems to be quite a disparity in someinstances with some judges seemingly resortingto the wet bus ticket approach while otherstake a very dim view of assaults upon police.It’s hard enough on the frontline without thenfinding that some judges are basically sayingto you that being spat at, bitten and punchedcomes with the territory,” a frontline constabletold Police News.Some officers said that offenders had toldthem: “Nothing will happen to me if Ipunch you copper.” “The trouble is that insome instances you get the feeling they maybe right,” the officer said.Chief District Court Judge, Russell Johnson,was not available for comment by the timethis issue went to press.A Taranaki-based officer said that on oneoccasion a man he was arresting had spata mouthful of blood in his face and whenthe case went to court the judge convictedand discharged the offender. “I had to betested for possible HIV infection and ittook me several months to get the resultsback. It was Hell waiting for that result tocome back and then for the judge to turnaround and do that was just adding insultto injury,” he said.A West Auckland police officer was recentlybitten by an armed offender as he fled froma stolen car. The officer needed a tetanusshot after suffering eye, ear and arm injuriesin the attack.GuidelinesA senior sergeant said that he felt that judgeswere “generally given fairly clear guidelinesaround the seriousness of assaultingpolice officers” but suggested there maybe “other directives”, which made judgesfavour home detention and electronic bailas options rather than custodial sentences.“Most judges seem to take it pretty seriouslybut I think there are wider issues that feedinto this matter, and not the least of thoseis the problem of remand prisoners andovercrowding of prisons,” he said.The most recent prison population figuresindicate there are 8,090 people incarcerated,already exceeding prison populationforecasts by 131. The remand prisonproblem is showing no signs of abatingeither. Prisoners spent the equivalent of16,500 nights in police cells in the first sixmonths of this year, compared with 18,500in the whole of 2006.It costs $253 per night to incarcerate a prisoner($92,345 per annum), according to a recentCorrections Department report tabled beforea Parliamentary select committee.Association Vice-President, Stuart Mills, saidthat officers needed the law to have meaningwhen it came to assaults on police officers.“If the judiciary diminish the seriousness ofan assault on a police officer then it sendsentirely the wrong message to criminals.They will be emboldened by that perceivedweakness in the law. Criminals will thenbe more likely to resort to violence againstofficers than they would if the judiciary senta clear and consistent message that attackson police will not be tolerated.”Better reportingLonger serving officers say that officers aremore likely to report being assaulted thesedays. “There was a time when you may nothave bothered with the paperwork but withthe likelihood of PCA complaints, officersfeel more obliged to keep things on therecord these days,” a Tauranga officer said.A veteran officer said that training hadimproved in respect of dealing withpotentially volatile situations with StaffSafety Tactical Training (SSTT) initiativesand police officers having “better tools todo the job”. A senior sergeant told PoliceNews that while, anecdotally, frontlineofficers would probably say there hadn’tbeen a great increase in assaults, they wouldprobably concede those they might beinvolved in would be more violent.He said that P was probably a factor in thelevels of violence some police officers wereencountering and suggested that Policeshould look at extending the ‘last drinks’survey question Road policing staff typicallyasked of drunk drivers, to other offendersfor drug use. “Currently we canvass veryeffectively on the use of alcohol but, as faras I am aware, no one is asking the obviousquestion to offenders about drug use,” thesenior sergeant said.Minister suggests P may be a factorJustice Minister, Mark Burton, recentlyspeculated that the drug P could be acontributing factor in the dramatic rise inviolent youth offending between 1995-2006, which was the subject of a Ministryof Justice report on youth offending. “Whilethe overall trend is in the right direction, itis a worrying trend that mirrors the widerpopulation in terms of that increase inviolent offending,” he said.An analysis of the assaults reveals that therate at which criminals are resorting tothe use of weapons against police officershas also risen dramatically. Between thesame fiscal years (2004-05 and 2005-06),assaults with weapons (excluding firearms)rose from 50 to 62 – a 24% increase. A yearprior (between 2003-04 and 2004-05) therewas an 11% rise.Firearms-related assaults saw a decrease overthe last full fiscal year (up to 2005-06) – downfrom 37 to 22 – a 40% reduction. Whenfirearms incidents are included into the total‘assault with weapons’ category there has beenan overall rise of assaults (with any type ofweapon) on police officers of 10.7% duringthe last available fiscal year.Need for SRBA highlightedThe figures, especially in relation to the useof knives and other edged weapons againstpolice officers, confirms that the PoliceAssociation’s call for officers to be issuedwith stab-resistant body armour (SRBA) wastimely. The roll out of the vests has beendelayed several times but Police say that allofficers in the districts should have theirvests by October with all officers havingvests by the end of the year.Police said that two shipments of the vestshad been sent from the manufacturers at timeof writing. The third and final shipment wasunder manufacture at present and would beair freighted so its arrival coincided with theearlier sea freight consignments.One of the more worrying trends in recentmonths has been police interaction withlarge groups of drunk youths, often fromrowdy parties or the street racing scene,who are willing to ‘have a go’, as one officerput it.The student riot in Dunedin recently wasjust such a volatile situation with Policeresources stretched in dealing with largenumbers of intoxicated students.172September 2007

New Zealand Police AssociationUS legislators adopt an ‘injunct them out ofexistence’ approach to gang problemWhile the NZ Government looks at new ways to combat the gangproblem with proposed tougher sentences and possibly giving Policewider powers to combat organised crime, Fort Worth and SanFrancisco legislators have come up with a new tactic in their fightagainst gangs – injunct them out of existence.Fed up with deadly drive-by shootings, incessant drug dealing andgraffiti, cities throughout the USA have filed lawsuits against gangmembers, asking courts for injunctions barring them from hanging outon street corners, in cars or anywhere else within certain designatedareas.The injunctions are aimed at disrupting gang activity before it canescalate. They also give police legal reasons to stop and question gangmembers, who are often found with drugs or weapons. In some cases,they don’t allow gang members to even talk to people passing in carsor to carry spray paint.CriticismPolice are pleased with the “proactive” approach but critics say thelawsuits go too far, limiting otherwise lawful activities and unfairlytargeting minority youth.Civil injunctions were first filed against gang members in the 1980s inthe Los Angeles area, a breeding ground for gangs including some ofthe country’s most notorious, such as the Crips and 18th Street gang.The Los Angeles city attorney’s suit in 1987 against the PlayboyGangster Crips covered the entire city but was scaled back after ajudge deemed it too broad.Chicago tried to target gangs by enacting an anti-loitering ordinancein 1992 but the U.S. Supreme Court struck it down in 1999, saying itgave police officers the authority to arrest without cause.InjunctionsSince then, cities have used injunctions to target specific gangs or gangmembers, and so far that strategy has withstood court challenges.Los Angeles now has 33 permanent injunctions involving 50 gangs,and studies have shown they do reduce crime.The injunctions prohibit gang members from associating with eachother, carrying weapons, possessing drugs, committing crimes anddisplaying gang symbols in a safety zone - neighbourhoods wheresuspected gang members live and are most active. Some injunctionsset curfews for members and ban them from possessing alcohol inpublic areas, even if they are of legal drinking age.PenaltiesThe penalty for a breach of the laws is up to one year in jail. Prosecutorssay the penalties are a strong deterrent.“Seven months in jail is a big penalty for sitting on the front porchor riding in the car with your gang buddies,” said Kinley Hegglund,senior assistant city attorney for Wichita Falls.Last summer, Wichita Falls sued 15 members of the Varrio Carnalesgang after escalating violence with a rival gang, including about 50drive-by shootings in less than a year in the North Texas city. Sincethen, crime has dropped about 13% in the ‘safety’ zone.Fort Worth recently sued 10 members of the Northcide Four TreyGangsta Crips in May after two gang members were killed in escalatingviolence.Oakland police officers say “No way”to proposal to work 12-hour shiftsPolice officers in Oakland (USA) are balking at the prospect of 12-hour shifts.The Oakland Police Department has recently included the proposalin a dramatic reorganisation, which the mayor and the Police Chiefcontend is crucial in their efforts to reduce crime and violence,according to a recent report in the Oakland Tribune.The proposal, which is known as the ‘3/12’ – requiring officersto work 12-hours shifts on three days a week, has met with stiffopposition from officers. At present, the officers work a 40-hourweek spread over four 10-hour shifts.“That’s the 1,000-pound elephant in the room,” Police Chief WayneTucker said.Three areas planThe change is part of the department’s plan to divide the city intothree geographic areas, with a captain in charge of each area.However, Oakland Police Officers’ Association President, BobValladon, said city officials had provided no evidence the changewould result in a reduction in crime.“Twelve hours on the streets of Oakland is too much,” Valladonsaid. “The Chief doesn’t know what it’s like to be on the streets ofOakland, and that’s the problem.”Union members overwhelmingly rejected the plan with 427 votesagainst and 11 for it. Many officers said they were concerned aboutthe impact such hours would have on their families and theirpersonal lives.A department spokesman said there seemed to be no solution insight.NZ Police Challenge CupRugby Tournament 2007The New Zealand Police Challenge Cup Rugby Tournament will take placein Auckland on Thursday 4th, Friday 5th and Saturday 6th October 2007.The tournament will be played and hosted at the Northcote RFC on the NorthShore.Auckland, Counties-Manukau, Northland, Bay of Plenty and a BarbariansComposite district selection from Hastings/Masterton, Palmerston North andNew Plymouth are confirmed while Waikato is yet to confirm its availability.This team is available for players who are from surrounding districts, who donot have a team or enough numbers to enter a team.South Island team?We also want to see a team from the South Island at the tournament. Theentry of this team will give South Island players an opportunity for selection.Organisers are hoping there are several talented players from the South Islandwho would be keen to play in the tournament.We want all Police rugby players interested in playing in this tournament toattend. Where your district does not have a rugby team, please get hold ofBarry Gallagher or Mark Osbourne via Lotus Notes, as we will do our bestto accommodate you in a team.The games from this tournament will help the selectors pick a NZ Police team.This team will play Australia prior to the Bledisloe Cup test in New Zealand.We will also have other representative fixtures.If you want to be considered for selection, then we need to see you at thetournament. Auckland made a successful defence of the Challenge Cup witha 22-7 victory over Gisborne in Auckland in late July.If you are a premier level referee and would be interested in officiating pleasecontact Barry Gallagher.September 2007181

POLICE COUNCIL OF SPORTTo contact the Police Council of Sport, call Alison Murray at the RNZPC. Ph: (04) 238-3139Cross-country:Conder and Albon too strong for rivalsBy Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsWanganui’s Rob Conder was too strong for theopposition over a true cross-country course at therecent Police national cross-country champs heldin New Plymouth. Conder was a big improver thisyear, having finished fifth in last year’s event InWellington.The 3k circuit afforded spectators a great viewof the race and the organisers could not havedesigned a more testing course, with lots of hillsto test runners’ fortitude and endurance. Unlikelast year’s Battle Hill course in Wellington, whereconditions were very heavy, underfoot conditionswere firm this year.Farm courseThe course was held over the farm at FrancisDouglas Memorial College, which is a sheepand beef lifestyle-size operation. Runners hadto traverse farm tracks, trails and paddocks,which were heavily uneven underfoot from cattletrampling everywhere when the ground was soft.The event attracted 72 runners from various partsof the North Island. Unfortunately, no South Islandcompetitors could make it this year. The Bay ofPlenty region was strongly represented, bringinga team of 22.Conder and local Jeff McGrath shared the pacefor about 7 kilometres before Conder eventuallybroke clear, going on to win by 35 seconds froma very game Jeff McGrath (New Plymouth), whonever stopped chasing Conder all day. McGrathfinished third last year. Ray Arrow (Auckland) wasa further 1 minute and 24 seconds back in thirdspot after a solid effort.Aucklander too strongThe women’s race, over 6,000m was won byAuckland runner Zoe Albon who cleared out to winin 29.06, 58 seconds to the better of a game teammate Ari Pfeiffenberger with 42 seconds back tothird-placed Angelique Walker (Wellington).The veteran men’s title was won by Andy Horne(Hastings) who scored a strong win in 38.15 withthe consistent Mark Chillingworth (Wanganui),who won the title in 2005, home second in 40.19,36 seconds ahead of Wellington triathlete GlenTurner, who was runner-up in 2005.Carolyn Martin (Palmerston North) took out theveteran women’s title, cutting out the 6,000min 31 minutes and displaying real strength overthe testing course, just as she did when she wonin Wanganui in 2004. Taranaki runners AnnaDuncan (32.35) and Wendy Kitchener (35.01)filled the minor placings.Clark dominates againThe draught horse section, which is set aside forrunners 95 kilograms and over, saw defendingchampion Brad Clark of Hastings show his rivalsa clean pair of heels, scoring the easiest win ofthe day, just as he had done last year. Clark cutout the 6,000m in 27.41 with Alan Daly makingit a Hawke’s Bay quinella in battling on well forsecond 21 seconds in front of third placegetterJohn Nelson (Auckland). Nelson was runner-up inthe 2005 event. The winning margin last year forClark was six minutes but this year his nearestrival cut it back to under five minutes but it wasstill an outstanding effort by Clark, who has had amortgage on this event for several years.Taranaki take relayThe three-person relay team race was an allTaranaki affair, with the region’s teams filling thetop three spots, the Kimiora team of Steve Tribe,Bruce McLeod and Peter Lawn taking the tophonours. McLeod was runner-up to Brad Clark inthe 2004 Draught Horse title but elected to run inthe team’s relay this year and the shift proved awinning strategy.The Hastings team won the teams’ trophy againfor the best-placed four runners across severaldivisions.Race organiser Jeff McGrath was appreciative ofthe support provided by the Police Association andthe Police Council of Sport as well as the work ofseveral staff from New Plymouth, who once againvolunteered to assist with the smooth running ofthe event.Results were:Open men (9,000m): 1. Rob Conder (Wanganui)35.51, 2. Jeff McGrath (New Plymouth) 36.26, 3.Raymond Arrow (Auckland), 37.50.Open women (6,000m): 1. Zoe Albon (Auckland)29.06, 2. Ari Pfeiffenberger (Auckland) 30.04, 3.Angelique Walker (Wellington) 30.46.Veteran men (40-plus) 9,000m: 1. AndyHorne (Hastings) 38.15, 2. Mark Chillingworth(Wanganui) 40.19, 3. Glen Turner (Wellington)41.09.Veteran women (35-plus) 6,000m: 1. CarolynMartin (Palmerston North) 31.00, 2 Anna Duncan(Taranaki) 32.35, 2. Wendy Kitchener (Taranaki)35.01.Draught Horse (95 kgs+) 6,000m: 1. Brad Clark(Hawke’s Bay) 27.41, 2. Alan Daly (Hawke’s Bay)32.20, 3. John Nelson (Auckland) 32.41.Three-person relay team race, 9,000m: 1.Steve Tribe, Bruce McLeod and Peter Lawn(Taranaki) 41.32, 2. Charlie Kawana, NickySpicer and Chris Allan (Taranaki) 48.32, 3. GrantKennard, Gary Toa and Kelvin O’Byrne (Taranaki)53.32.• They’re off! The Police national cross-country field gets under way in New Plymouth recently.Visit www.policeassn.org.nz for updated contact details for the Police Council of Sport management committee,District Sports Officers and the latest schedule of events.182 September 2007

New Zealand Police Association• Rob Conder (above) gave Wanganui the win in the men’s open raceover 9,000 metres. He is pictured just ahead of New Plymouth’sJeff McGrath as they prepare to attack one of the many hills in therace. Andy Horne (below) winner of the Veteran men’s event over9,000 metres. Zoe Albon (right) took out the Open women’s titleover 6,000 metres.Amendment tocashing up TOILMembers should be aware that there has beenan additional amendment to the Interim CashingUp of time off in lieu (TOIL) policy, located on thePolice HR/Policies site.Eligible members can elect to cash up TOIL if theymeet the following criteria:• One (1) day of TOIL can be cashed up for eachtwo (2) days of eligible leave taken.• At the time the member applies for leave thatmember should also apply for a cash-up oftheir TOIL.MOT reunionto go aheadThe Ministry of Transport reunion that wasmooted recently (details in the August edition)will be going ahead and is to be held at HanmerSprings on Queen’s Birthday weekend in June2008.Registration forms are available from retiredSenior Constable Les Platt by phoning (03)314-8153 or Email to katrinag@macrocom.net.nz. Those that have expressed interest willbe sent a registration form.Need a2008 wallplannerfor your teamor station?Wait!Don’t order any yet.Our A2 wallplanners are being producedfor 2008.They will be with your local Associationcommittee for distribution very soon.Our wallplanners note useful dates like Policepaydays, date of your pay increase, holidayhome ballot periods, when daylight savingbegins and ends, Police Remembrance Day,school term start and finish dates, RegionalAnniversary Days etc...September 2007183

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceGood effort by Policecross-country teamat NI ChampionshipsThe NZ Police cross-country team competed in the annual North Islandcross-country championships recently in Taupo.The team was selected after the NZ Police national cross-countrychampionships.For the first time in two decades the weather was inclement, with squallyshowers most of the day and wet conditions underfoot making life unpleasantfor most runners.The Police team finished 17th (813 points) out of 43 teams. The teamfrom the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) finished 21st (708 points).The Police team also bettered the performances of harrier teams fromPalmerston North, Wanganui, Glen Eden, Takapuna, Wesley and AucklandUniversity. The accomplished North Shore Bays Harriers were just one placeahead of the Police team; so all round it was a commendable effort againstsome very strong competition.Masters runners showed good form with Wanganui’s Mark Chillingworthproducing a strong run for sixth in the Masters Men’s M50 grade, Policecross-country champion Rob Conder also producing a top effort for 11th inthe Masters Men’s M35-49 grade while Carolyn Martin finished a strongeighth in the Masters’ Women’s M45 grade.Results:Open Women, 5,000m: Zoe Albon (22.35) 32nd; Ari Pfeiffenberger (23.18)34th; Felicity Mansell (26.59) 43rd.Open Men: 9,000m: Ben Cornelius (38.38) 46th.Masters Men (35-49 years): 6,000m: Rob Conder (22.20) 11th; TonyBrownrigg (23.04), 20th; Andy Horne (23.24) 29th; Glen Turner (25.28)51st.Masters Women, 5,000m: Carolyn Martin (24.18), 8th.Masters Men (50-plus), 6,000m: Mark Chillingworth (24.46) 6th; MarkO’Connor (27.35) 31st; Tim Masters (28.10) 35th.• Ben Cornelius (Wellington) working his way through to46th place in a strong Open’s men’s field in testing underfootconditions.- Photo courtesy of Paul RodwayTaranaki repeatsperformance inIndoor bowlsIt was a case of deja vu when the New Plymouthteam of Ray Bailey, Yvonne Bailey, Bryan Whittakerand Craig Bailey won the Championship Fours inthe NZPA Police Indoor Bowls Championships forthe second year in a row.Despite being a close match initially, the Taranakiquartet proved too classy against the Rotoruafamily four of Ross, Bruce, Lance and FrankBarker.The pairs’ final provided a refreshing battlewhen Manawatu’s Greg and Jenny Veale foughtback from being 9-2 down to eventually takeout the title from Ross and Lance Barker. TheVeales have shown plenty of promise in recenttournaments, but this is the first time they havefully demonstrated their true tenacity and talent.They will definitely be the ones to watch at nextyear’s rematch.Plate eventsIn the plate events, Eric Bryan, Margaret Clarc,• TARANAKI DOUBLE IN FOURS: (From left to right): Taranaki team members BryanWhittaker, Yvonne Bailey, Craig Bailey, Ray Bailey (skip), who took out the fours title forthe second year in succession.Mark Lammas and Roly Glass from Centralbeat the Eastern Bay of Plenty team of RussellJoblin, Cliff Inglis, Ray Hill and Les Lilly. TheManawatu pair of Joyce Williams and MargaretGrant withstood a great challenge from Rotorua’sDeverel Thomas and Dawn Mallowes.For the first time in about 15 years, it wasgreat to welcome a team from Waikato to thetournament. Mike Whitehead, Maureen Pruden,Sheryl Whitehead and Cohn Pruden performedwell, making it to the semi-final in the fours beforebeing knocked out by the eventual winning team.184September 2007

New Zealand Police AssociationNZ Police Council of Sport2007 Calendar of eventsFor more information contact Alison Murray extn: 43139 or Email: councilofsport@xtra.co.nzSEPTEMBER11th – 13th Police Association Skiing Champs – Turoa Contact: Malcolm Johnston - 03 363780819th – 21st Police Association Snowboarding Champs – Cardrona Contact: Greg Murton - extn: 3640024th – 29th Police Hockey team to compete in Nationals – Christchurch Contact: Pete West - extn: 69625OCTOBER5th – 7th National Police Squash tournament – Wainuiomata Contact: Geoff Duff - 0274 45209229th & 30th Police Association Cycling Champs – Nelson Contact: Wade Jennings - extn: 39000NOVEMBER4th - 6th Police Association South Island Golf tournament – Balwacewen Contact: Iain Fergusson - extn: 330507th & 8th North Island Lawn Bowls tournament – Taupo Contact: Andy Campbell - extn: 7433621st – 22nd South Island Lawn Bowls – Timaru Contact: Lance Corcoran - 03 6860284North IslandGolf Champson in FebruaryThe Northland District will host the 2008 NZPolice Association-sponsored North Island GolfChamps.The champs will be held from 17-19 February2008 at the Northland Golf Club, Whangarei.All golfers with an official handicap are welcome.The maximum handicap is 24.Entry forms and details on the tournament areavailable from: Ross Kneebone on ext 99039or Email ross.kneebone@police.govt.nz orGavin Benney ext 98330 or Emailgavin.benney@police.govt.nzSouth Island BowlsChamps in Timaruin NovemberThe South Island Police bowls tournament willbe held at the West End Bowling Club, MaltbyAvenue, Timaru, on Wednesday, 21 Novemberand Thursday, 22 November.The tournament will be limited to 16 teams of fourplayers. The teams must consist of a minimumof two serving, retired or non-sworn members ofPolice, male or female. One of those players mustskip the team.Entries are on a first-in-first-served basis.Accommodation can be arranged on behalf ofplayers.Districts will be contacted directly with moredetails.To register or for more information, contact:Lance Corcoran, P0 Box 105, Timaru or Email:pam.corcoran@paradise.net.nzTournament commences 6pm Friday 5 th OctoberEntry Fee: $120.00 per team of 4 or $30.00 per individualFormat: Provincial Teams Event – American ScoringGreat Prizes to be Won !!!Teams to consist of at LEAST 1 Member of NZ PoliceOther players must be registered Squash PlayersEntry includes: Dinner & Entertainment on Saturday NightTheme Night: Fancy Hat Party & Tall TalesFor an Official Electronic Entry Form please Email…geoffrey.duff@police.govt.nzAll other enquiries to Tournament DirectorsChris Wright (04) 564 6203 or 021 221 5759Bryan Knox (04) 566 6659 or 021 241 5322Ray Leevey (04) 977 3667 or 0274 796 016September 2007185

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceThree police officers in NZ team selectedfor World Dragon Boating ChampionshipsKiwi Paddling Club (KPC) is a mixed Dragon Boatteam (including three police officers), based inAuckland. There are 20 paddlers in the boat, plusa drummer and a sweep.The drummer sits at the bow and calls the ‘ratingwhile the sweep stands at the rear of the boatand steers.With a lot of hard training, the team competed inNational regattas held in Auckland and Wellingtonin March. The squad also competed in the NationalChampionships in Christchurch. The races wereover 250 and 500 metres respectively and theKPC team remained unbeaten through the threeregattas.The KPC team was subsequently selected by theNew Zealand Dragon Boat Association (NZDBA) torepresent New Zealand in the Premier Open Mixeddivision at the World Dragon Boat Championshipsin Penrith, Sydney, Australia from the 19th to the23rd of September.PinnacleThe Dragon Boat World Championships is thepinnacle of Dragon Boating worldwide and this willbe only the second time New Zealand has beenrepresented at the event since 1985. An openmixed squad of 28 paddlers and a managementteam of two will be sent to Sydney.European, Asian and Pacific Rim countries usuallycompete at the champs.The KPC squad will continue to train hard over thenext few months, a difficult task in the depths ofwinter, but the side is focused on bringing homesome medals.There are 28 members in the KPC team, whichallows for interchanges between paddlersfor races. With such a large number of teammembers, paddling well together takes a lot oftraining and co-ordination.Police trioOf the three officers, Ra Greenwood of AucklandMetro Crime and Operations Support (AMCOS)sits in the number one seat as stroke. Ra andher opposite number set the pace for the team tofollow. This involves getting the boat up to speedafter the start, maintaining a good pace for therest of the team to follow, and bringing the paceup again for a good finish.Georgie Were works at Henderson Police asa sectional sergeant and sits in the numbertwo seat alongside Tineka Scott, who works atAuckland Harbour Bridge LET. Tineka is currentlyon overseas deployment in Tonga. It’s up to thenumber two to keep in time with the stroke andmake sure the rest of the paddlers do not rushthe stroke and cause the timing to get out ofsynch. This requires a lot of discipline and controlon the part of the number two, the idea being toforce those behind to relax and follow those atthe front.Outrigger experienceRa, Georgie and Tineka all paddle for the sameoutrigger team. The coach of KPC Dragon Boatteam approached them to join the squad followingthe trio’s success with outrigger racing. Therest of the outrigger team are now membersof KPC. Between training for outrigging and• The KPC squad getting in some trainingfor the World Dragon Boat Champs inSydney.dragon boating and working in their respectivejobs, the trio certainly needs a lot of dedicationto stay competing at such a high level but thatcommitment has now been rewarded with theirrespective spots in the New Zealand squad.• The crossover between outrigger training and Dragon Boat training has served the three police officers selected for the World Dragon BoatChamps well.186September 2007

New Zealand Police Association50th reunion of the 1957 Rodgers Recruit WingA reunion of the Rodgers Recruit Wing (1957) will be held onOctober 19th 2007 at the Police College, Porirua. The original Wingcontained 100 recruits. Any information on the whereabouts of thefollowing would be greatly appreciated: John Halcrow, Les Maloney,Ray Nichols, Jim Robertson, Maurice Smyth, Jim Taylor, WallyThomas, Doug Adams, Frank Castle, Alan Dunkley, Lyn Harris,Terry McGovern, Polly Perkins, Graham White, Sunday Hawkins,Doug Adlam, Noel Bond, Grahame Harrison, Jim Jones, Jerry Lewis,Ian Smith, J.Carpenter, R.J.Jackson, A.E.Mackay, J.R.Paterson,R.G.Cook, A.B.Pinker.If you have information as to their whereabouts please contact:Pam Sowter, Tel: (09) 828-7322 or Fax (09) 828-7321 or Email:sowter@slingshot.co.nzUseful Information & ContactsNew Zealand Police Association:For immediate industrial & legal advice(on matters that cannot be deferred such as Policeshootings, fatal pursuits or deaths in custody)ring 0800 TEN NINE (0800 836 6463)– 24 hour/seven days servicePolice Network 44446 Website www.policeassn.org.nzFreephone 0800 500 122 Police Home Loans 0800 800 808Police Health Plan/Police Fire and General Insurance Police Credit Union 0800 429 000Quotes & information 0800 500 122 or (04) 472 9645or Fax (04) 496 6819 Credit Union www.policecu.org.nzPolice Fire and General Insurance claims 0800 110 088 GSF information 0800 654 731All enquiries (04) 496 6800 PSS information 0800 777 243Vice PresidentsStuart Mills (027) 268 9416Chris Cahill (027) 268 9411Field OfficersNorthland and Auckland Districts: Stewart Mills (027) 268 9407Waikato, BOP and Eastern Districts: Eric Newman (027) 268 9408Central and Wellington Districts: JJ Taylor (027) 268 9409Tasman and Canterbury Districts: Dave McKirdy (027) 268 9410Southern District Dave Steel (027) 268 9427Regional DirectorsRegion One Steve Hawkins Whangaparoa (027) 268 9419Region Two Mark Leys Papatoetoe (027) 268 9413Region Three Mel Ridley Tauranga (027) 268 9414Region Four Luke Shadbolt Hastings (027) 478 9001Region Five Ron Lek Wellington (027) 268 9417Region Six Craig Prior Sydenham (027) 268 9412Region Seven Tracey Maclennan Invercargill (027) 268 9418We remember…Who passed away…KENNEDY Mark Andrew 23-May-07 Retired member ReeftonMARTIN Richard 21-Jul-07 Retired member GisborneSTEWART Bryan 23-Jul-07 Retired member PukekoheCLARKE Linda Marie 28-Jul-07 Retired member Manukau, AkldHUTTON Roger Scott 31-Jul-07 Retired member ChristchurchDICKISON Nola Maureen 2-Aug-07 Spouse of retired member WellingtonKELLY Maureen 11-Aug-07 Widow of member CoromandelEDMONDS Ashley Brown 16-Aug-07 Retired member AucklandBRUCE Martin David 14-Aug-07 Member New Plymouth1 2 3 4 5 6 7Clues:Across:1. Care for these type of people (4)3. Intentional; without regard (8)9. A former mixed up lower limb (7)10. Ways to an abode perhaps (5)11. Other half of one way (6,6)13. Join together (6)15. Type of Russian roll? (6)17. Remixed interlacings to form one place perhaps (12)20. Type of acid (5)21. Go off on one sometimes (7)22. With regrets I form log-book (8)23. Tribe (4)Down:1. Forward to a specialist (8)2. Part of orange diamond (5)4. Confesses (6)5. Place hopes upon for results (12)6. Beforehands (7)7. Ribbon (4)8. Lies, dishonesty (12)12. Scare (8)14. Pouring (7)16. Fight (6)18. Apt, best for situation (5)19. Able to obtain DNA from (4)89 101113 14 151617 1812August answers:Across:1. Scraps4. Emboss8. Non-violence10. Optical11. Eve12. Fame13. E.S.P.14. Stye17. Urn18. Spinner19. Youth centre20. Radios21. CensusDown:1. Sense ofhumour2. Ransom money3. Prints5. Manila6. Senselessness7. Blacksmiths9. Electorates15. Pseudo16. Annexe1920 2122 23September 2007187

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceWrite it here! Letters to the Editor are welcome.Signed letters are preferred, but in all cases the writer’s name and address must be supplied. Names will be published unless there is a goodreason for anonymity. The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or decline letters without explanation. Email to: editor@policeassn.org.nz orwrite it to the Editor at PO Box 12344, Wellington. Letters under 400 words are preferred.Flexible employmenta good experienceI write in response to Kim Shields letter in theAugust issue of Police News regarding flexibleemployment options (FEO) and policing. Itconfused me; in the sense that I found it hardto believe Kim and I were working for thesame organisation.I cannot speak highly enough of the FEOprogramme. I think it is a successful scheme.During my time in the Criminal Investigationbranch (CIB), my bosses have accommodatedme and supported me 100%.After returning to work after taking a yearoff on maternity leave it was apparent thatFEO meant not only me being flexible in theposition I was given, but the departmentbeing flexible by giving me suitable hours.I worked at Downtown Station forapproximately two years. My hours werethree days of eight-hour shifts per week. Ithoroughly enjoyed my time there but after awhile decided to further my career.When I made inquiries to join the CIB onFEO, I had an incredibly positive responseand with great assistance from Senior SergeantChris Roberts, a transfer became imminent.I worked as uniform attachment at AvondaleCIB. I had a huge amount of support from mydetective senior sergeant, my three detectivesergeants and the great team I was fortunateenough to work with.The only pressure I felt was what I placed onmyself, by not wanting any of my colleagues tocarry an extra workload because I only workedthree days.After one year, and five modules I wassupported to complete the CIB InductionCourse. When I returned to Avondale, I wasgreeted with handshakes, “well dones”, andmore importantly, a belief from all my bossesand colleagues that I was always going topass.At no time, did any of my bosses treat medifferently or use the FEO card by not assigningme to operations. I was assigned to homicidesand other major operations. Like anything inthis job when things are on, they are on. Asa single parent, I managed to juggle the careof my son and the long hours of a homicideinvestigation without any regrets.I have transferred from Avondale without anyproblems. As long as you do the work, put therequired hours in when necessary, you shouldnot have any issues.Kim, if you have been told that you cannotjoin CIB on FEO this is simply untrue. Youare the only one that can make this happen bymaking the right inquiries and submitting anapplication to join CIB, as normal.I would be surprised if there are any bosseswho would not have you on CIB solely becauseyou are on a FEO, which makes me wonderif there is another reason why you have notjoined the CIB?Kelly CORBY(Auckland)Responding to FEO concernsI write in response to the recent letter (Augustedition) from Constable Shields in which sheexpressed her dissatisfaction regarding FEOemployment in Auckland City District.Her comments about the way she was treated andthe failure to find her a frontline or CIB role andin particular her comment “ It’s been made clearto me that a career in the CIB on a part-time basis isnever going to happen”, cannot go unchallenged.As far as I am aware, she has never approachedanyone from CIB staffing or managementto speak about a career in CIB or whetherFEO would be an option. To my knowledge,Constable Shields has not completed any of herpre-requisite training modules in order to makeher eligible to join CIB.Auckland City District CIB currently has fourstaff in FEO positions and will soon have a fifthperson returning from maternity leave to takeup an FEO position. All are well respected anda credit to the CIB. FEO is not something thatis seen as an encumbrance to their working inthe CIB. They are all in investigative squads androutinely make arrests and become involved inmajor inquires.Constable Shields initially expressed a desireto go into an FEO role on section. These arefrontline priority positions and there is a needto keep these positions fully staffed. She wasoffered a sectional FEO role on the provisoanother member could be found for her to jobshareto make up one full-time position. The O/CStation did all she could to make this happen,but the second staff member had a change ofheart and Constable Shields’ request could notbe accommodated.She was offered other FEO roles, including aninvestigator’s role that would have allowed herto carry out arrests. She declined this.I just hope her letter will not dissuade other stafffrom a CIB career, especially those consideringFEO at some later time in their career.Detective Inspector David Pearson(Auckland City District)Good to hear FEO is alive and wellFirstly, thanks for publishing my letter in theAugust edition, it felt good to have my say.In that regard, I would like to say thanks toall those police officers from various districts,who rang to offer their support. It’s great tohear that the flexible employment option(FEO) is alive and working well in many otherdistricts. You have renewed my hope.Kim Shields(Auckland)Clayton’s identificationparades and montagesIf anyone needs any proof-positive that the“inmates are in charge of the asylum” theyneed look no further than the new EvidenceAct, which came in to effect on 1 Augustand, in particular, the new provisions in thatAct relating to the identification of suspectsby means of identification parades or photomontages.Firstly, what is the purpose of showing awitness a montage of photographs, or of goingto the trouble (and I know, from experience,that it can be a trouble) of conducting anidentification parade? Simply put, the purposeis to try to get the witness to identify theoffender from amongst those photographs orfrom the line-up of individuals. If the suspect’sphotograph wasn’t in the montage, or if he/she wasn’t standing in the line-up, then youwouldn’t be putting the witness to the effort oftrying to identify the offender would you?Of course not.So why on Earth is there a provision in the newAct that demands that the witness must be toldthat the suspect may or may not appear in thephoto montage or may or may not be standingin the identification parade? If I was a witnessin a situation like that, my riposte would bepretty short and sharp, and something alongthe lines of “Well, why the bloody Hell haveyou brought me here if you’re going to showme photographs – or a line-up – if the personI saw isn’t amongst them? What a waste oftime.”Having to give such a “caution” to a witnesscould well cause needless confusion on theirpart and, I suggest, lead to witnesses actuallyfailing (refusing?) to identify a genuineoffender when they (or their photo) were infact being presented.Trevor W.A. Morley.(Wellington)188September 2007

Flammable materials and a historylesson?In a recent issue of Police News the flammablenature of the material used in Police trouserswas mentioned. This matter was first noticedway back when the blue uniform was firstissued. Apparently, a member rode hismotorcycle and his trouser leg brushed upagainst the exhaust pipe and the trousermaterial melted and he was burnt.My understanding is that the material wasthen changed to a wool mix. But it seems thatthis may now have been swapped back againto a synthetic mix. Does no one learn anythingfrom history?Geoff Benge(Otaki)“Lies, damned lies and statistics”As another ex-member, I could not agree morewith Dave Haslett’s letter about Police recruitstandards and his support for Senior SergeantIain Saunders (Police News, August issue).Mr Saunders, a senior and experienced trainer,reported:• Because of the scarcity of suitable applicantsthe Police are having difficulties meetingthe staffing quota of 1,000;• Some trainees are that dim they could notrecite the alphabet;• The bottom 20% are so lacking they shouldnot have been accepted for training in thefirst place;• The public are at risk because some newlyqualified recruits are simply not up tostandard. (Never mind. They were passedand turned loose on the public); and• Statistics presented and statements issuedby Police National Headquarters do notreflect the real situation.He had the guts to speak out and tell it as it isand not as some in the Police administrationwould like it to be or have the public believethe way it should be. The reality obviously didnot make good reading for some at MolesworthStreet and for his honesty and his commitmentto right a serious wrong, Iain is yet anotherto get a taste of the good ol’ Headquartersclobbering machine: ostracism, threats,isolation, intimidation, and special leave.Stick with it Iain. At the end of the day you’llhave something others will not. You willhave self-respect in the knowledge you caredand you did your best by speaking out andby finally exposing the manipulation andsuppression of statistics - statistics that did notfit the official agenda.Wayne Wilkey(Wellington)Copying a failedasset recovery model?It is outlined in the July issue of Police Newsthat the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is lookingat the old UK Asset Recovery Agency (ARA)as a model for a similar body to be set up inNew Zealand to enforce asset confiscation.President Greg O’Connor is quoted as sayingthat the SFO argument was a flawed one. It’salso disclosed that the Police Association fearNZ may simply be following a path that hasultimately proved ineffective in the UK.I suggest that the original decision to set upthe SFO along the lines of the UK model wasflawed as well.It failed to take into account that the UK hasa number of different Police Forces whereasNZ has one. It failed to address the issue ofjurisdiction and the immense benefit of havinga unit within the Police with ring-fenced staffand funding to investigate serious fraud.The expertise was available in the NZ Police.The channels of inquiries to distant locationswere in place. Ironically, it also ignored thebasic fact now being alluded to by DavidBradshaw, SFO Director, that “every time youset up another agency you are basically, in asense, putting resources into the running of itand you have the duplication issue with HRpeople and the rest of it”. What happened tothat view when the SFO was being set up inthe first place?However, the politicians decided to ignorethe advice being given to them at the time bythose in the Police who were involved in theinvestigation of serious fraud. Politicians tendto be like that. They think they know better(and God help us when the politicians decideto “improve” something). Recent history islittered with the disasters they have imposedupon the long-suffering public.The politicians decided on the UK model ofthe SFO then (which was the wrong decision, Ibelieve) and I strongly suspect that they will notreach the right decision in this matter either.Greg O’Connor and the Police Association aredead right in their stance that asset recoveryshould be the responsibility of the Police.Mind you, so should the investigation ofserious fraud. I wish you all the best withyour endeavours but, unfortunately, I do nothave much confidence in a properly reasoneddecision being reached by politicians.Simon Friar(Whangamata)Carbon credits? You must be joking!I had to smile in wonderment in late July whenI observed in the latest issue of Ten One (itself ablight on carbon consumption) that someoneat Police National headquarters (probablywearing a hemp suit and probably not wearingany socks or underwear) is suggesting thatPolice purchase carbon credits on our behalf.What we should define here is what is acarbon credit? How does it prevent crime andwhy are we involved in this merry-go-roundof accounting? Isn’t it a central Governmentfunction to purchase carbon credits? Surely,this should not come out of our operatingbudget?The problem with planet Earth - and I don’twant to digress here, is that Asian, Middle East,New Zealand Police AssociationRussia and America are whacking out enoughcarbon to necessitate the purchase of anotherplanet to offset the effects. It’s only the small‘green’ countries that are actually reducingemissions while the giants are just involved increative accounting.It may be Government policy to purchasecarbon credits. It may even make us all feelgood. But if you asked the New Zealand publicwhat they want I’d be betting they would wanttheir 800 grand to be buying a little morepolicing than we currently have.Maybe PHNQ should take the lead by notproducing a glossy magazine, posters andmission statements for every flavour of themonth scheme they come up with. In fact, ifthey didn’t rebrand every five years that wouldprobably go a long way towards making themcarbon neutral!Personally, I think District Commandersshould lead by example and start drivingHybrids instead of Falcons and Commodores.I am doing my bit to save the planet byprinting all my files on double-sided paper. Itdrives my boss nuts. Then again maybe I amjust all hot air and carbon.Darryl Sweeney(Christchurch)Police discretionI read with bemusement the Police Associationcomments in a recent issue under the heading:“Association applauds clarity around repeal ofSection 59 of the Crimes Act”.The “commonsense resolution” to the antismackinglegislation “negotiated” by ourPrime Minister and John Key is (in lawyers’parlance) simply “weasel words”. The Policethrough the Commissioner always has adiscretion whether to prosecute for an offence,and should not do so where to prosecute is notin the public interest.Will the ability to use “discretion” now beexpressly included in every new or revisedCrimes Act offence? That would be nonsense.The Association’s endorsement of thispolitician’s compromise displays an alarminglack of understanding of the law relating topolicing. Rather than applauding a new (and infact) prescriptive law change, the Association’sresponse should have been to highlight andfiercely protect the existing Police discretionfor any offence – in other words, stand up foritself against flawed political expediency.Mark Copeland(Rotorua)Thanks for your letter Mark. TheAssociation’s position on the repeal of thislegislation has been that commonsenseshould prevail around the Police’sdiscretionary powers and with thecompromise between political parties thatseems for now to be the case. The Policeguidelines on the issue, while endeavouringto clear the air, seemed to further confusethe issue. You are correct, Police will alwayshave the discretion on these matters and, ifSeptember 2007189

PoliceNewsThe Voice of Policeyou look back through past issues of PoliceNews and throughout the media, you willsee that the Association has been a strongdefender publicly of the need for policeofficers to retain those discretionary powers– Editor.Changes in traffic lawsWhose job is it to keep us up to date withchanges to traffic laws? As a keen motorcyclist,on several occasions I’ve been dazzled by thefog lights of other vehicles coming towardme.The visor on a helmet doesn’t have a wiperand when rain gets on it, it becomes hard tosee the road when such lighting hits it and atnight it can be dangerous. So I was rather raptwhen I saw the rule change regarding the useof fog lights. I checked the new Prec book andyes, V309, “Inappropriate use of fog lights”was there.I thought it would take about a year for everyone to be stopped and spoken to about thismatter. Trouble is, those that should beenforcing the law don’t appear to know aboutit. I watch programs like Police 10/7 andMotorway Patrol and see patrol cars that arefitted with fog lights turning up to jobs withthese lights going.I travel down to Wellington on a pretty regularbasis and I’m amazed at the number of policecars with their fog lights on. So whose job isit to tell us of these changes? I only found outabout it from seeing a piece on TV.The Police never seem to give us any training,updated info or even an Email to tell us aboutthe changes. If the people that are meant toenforce the laws don’t know what the laws are,then how can we expect the public to know?Steve McLardy(Turangi)Inspector Dave Parsons (Road PolicingSupport, Police National Headquarters)responds: The offence of “Inappropriate useof fog lights” came into effect in February2005. In short, fog lamps are not to be usedin clear and normal atmospheric conditions,day or night. There have been some instanceswhere Police staff have not fully understoodthe difference between ‘daytime running lights’and ‘fog lights’. To this end, in December 2006advice was sent by Road Policing Support,PNHQ, to all Road Policing Managers toexplain the difference to staff. That advice canbest be summarised as: “To ascertain whetherthe lamps in question are fog lamps or daytimerunning lamps, turn on the headlamps. If thequestionable lamps remain on they are foglamps. If they go off they are daytime runninglamps.Fog lamps should be wired so that they canbe turned on or off independently of theheadlamps, i.e. they can be used in conjunctionwith a headlamp.”Substantial law change and practice will resultin training or information packages beingprepared by PNHQ or the Police College forthe training of staff. However, there is stilla need for staff and their supervisors in thedistrict to keep abreast of smaller changes inthe legislation, which do not always warranttraining packages being prepared.Holiday homes impress AussiesWe recently stayed in your NZ Police Welfarehomes (in association with the IPA) whilston holiday in New Zealand. The homes wereabsolutely magnificent. Your members shouldbe very proud of them.I would like to thank Laurie Leatham, Paul Visserand Marlene Merriman for their assistance. Wewill definitely be back to experience more ofyour hospitality.Thanks also to Trevor Ward of ‘Wardhire’ forassistance with a vehicle for the tour.If we can ever assist NZPA members whilstvisiting Australia, please contact me viaEmail at breitkreutz2@aapt.net.au orbreitkreutz.paulj@police.qld.gov.au(phone 0427592349).Paul and Susie Breitkreutz(Stuart, Queensland)Promotional requirementsFor those of us who are undertaking theVictoria University papers required forpromotion to the rank of Sergeant. What’s thestory?I enrolled in the Management 101 paper,which is one of the requirements forpromotion to sergeant and paid my $549.62,which I was told I would be able to claim backwhen I passed the course…but I will only getthe price of the paper refunded - which was$531.72. No problems, the change of $17.90can be my koha to the University. With thepaper started and the motivation levels high,due to the fact I had over $500 tied up in thispaper, I attacked it with vigour only to find outI had to shell out a further $112 for the textbooks for the paper. So what did the initialpaper fee cover when it stated on the invoicethe $549.62 covered course material? Thento cap it all off, three weeks into the study,the University sends me out an Email sayingthe exam is in November and I have to pay afurther $70 administration fee to sit it. Whatis up with that?Here’s my gripe…I have to complete and passthis paper as a department requirement to bepromoted to sergeant. Out of all the Universitypapers I have completed thus far (four in total),I have not had to pay out any money from myown pocket. Why is Management 101 anydifferent? I would have thought since this is arequirement, that all costs would be met.None of the University papers I have completedhave helped me on the street, I had to go and digout the old modules that were job-specific to gainthe knowledge required. I would be interested tohear from anyone else who thinks these papersare a waste of time and that there should be morejob specific material to study. At the end of theday, what are we trying to be, police officers withpractical skills or desk-dwelling, pinky fingerlifting, latte consumers who faint when theysustain a life threatening paper cut?Tom Savage(Central Districts)Did you servein Gisborne?A new Gisborne Police Station is currentlybeing constructed on the corner ofGladstone Road and Customhouse Street(the Old Farmers Building) and is due foroccupation in June 2008.To mark the move from Peel Street, a farewellfunction is being planned. Members whohave formerly served in Gisborne, who wouldbe interested in attending this event, areinvited to register their interest by contactingSergeant Greg Lexmond by Email at:Gregory.Lexmond@police.govt.nzGreg will keep people who have expressedinterest up to date with details of the eventas they progress. Greg is also interested incontact details of ex-staff who have sinceleft the Police.Did you serveat Waiouru?Construction is expected to start soon on anew police station at Waiouru.An honours board for past and servingpolice officers’ names and dates of serviceis being mooted.Officers who have previously served atWaiouru are therefore asked to send theirname and period of service at Waiouruto Constable Tom Savage. Tom can becontacted by Email at:matthew.savage@police.govt.nzIf you have details of other officers whoserved at Waiouru at the same time, Tomwould also be most appreciative of thisinformation too.Police chaplainappointmentfor Sth CanterburyMembers are advised that Pastor PatLamborn has been appointed PoliceChaplain in the South Canterbury area.Pat’s appointment took effect in early June.Pat’s contact details are:Tel: (03) 688-9498 (work);Mobile: 027 202 1897Email: timaruag@maxnet.co.nz190September 2007

New Zealand Police Associationby Ricky CollinsFive at FiveOne of my favourite wine shops in Dunedin runsa weekly tasting at five o’clock on a Friday wherethey open five wines. It’s a great opportunity totry some newly released wines, some interestingnew varieties not often seen in New Zealand, orthe latest vintage of some old favourites. With thattheme in mind, here are five wines that I’ve tried recently that I thought wereinteresting and well-priced.Villa Maria Private Bin East Coast Gerwurztraminer 2006 RRP $17This modestly-priced Gerwurztraminer from one of New Zealand’s biggerproducers is a classic example of the variety. It has striking rose petal andTurkish delight aromas, and the Turkish delight is also there on the palate.It’s a softly textured wine with a sense of elegance. There is some residualsugar that gives the wine an appealing sweet lift on the finish.d’Arenberg The Hermit Crab Viognier Marsanne 2006 RRP $16Viognier and Marsanne are two white varieties that originate from theRhone Valley in France. Both varieties have been grown for some time nowin Victoria in Australia, and the wines produced to date have been wellreceived. Viognier is a textural aromatic grape that exhibits dried apricotflavours. It has a lovely floral bouquet along with good acidity that providesstructure to the wine. Marsanne, on the other hand has less acid, but isfull-bodied with nutty overtones. This blending of Viognier and Marsannehas delivered a luscious wine with tropical fruit and hazelnut flavours, goodbody and excellent length. If you’re looking for something a little different,this is well worth a try.Latitude 41 Chardonnay 2005 RRP $20This is a ripe, full-flavoured example of Chardonnay that will appeal to thosewho enjoy the sweet vanilla flavour that oak treatment imparts on a wine.There are grapefruit and peach flavours on the palate, a creamy texture andfine tannins on the finish. The fruit is sourced from Nelson and Marlboroughand is a new label from the highly successful Tasman Bay vineyard.Aragus Garnacha Cabernet 2006 RRP $15This is another very interesting and well-priced Spanish wine brought intoNew Zealand by Master of Wine, Stephen Bennett. It originates from Spain’sCampo de Borja and is a wine from the same Bodegas that produces the Cotode Hayas range. This youthful aromatic blend of Grenache and Cabernet is asavoury, medium bodied wine, with ripe black fruit flavours, crisp acidity andgood length. This wine is great value for money.Corbans Private Bin Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2004 RRP $23Finally, there are a number of producers of New Zealand Syrah releasingwines at an affordable price. This is a good example of what New ZealandSyrah is about. It’s a fleshy wine with fine-grained tannins, ripe cherry andplum flavours and a hint of white pepper that gives it a spicy finish. This is avery enjoyable wine that would be well matched to most red meat dishes.Experts– well sort ofThis column is written by a frontlinepolice officer. It does not representthe views or policies of the PoliceAssociation.The organised crime topic has been around a wee while but she’s been a realbuzz word throughout Government, over the past few months, and me matesat the Castle tell me there has been meeting after meeting and consultationafter consultation on how to attack this segment of society. More funding andmore resources are on the cards, which is fantastic! However, during thistalkfest no one has bothered to talk to our frontliners who are dealing withthis day in and day out. Those detectives and non-commissioned officers(NCO’s) who are working in this area might have a brainwave or two wouldn’tya think?Halfway houseNow one of me mates was dragged in for a chat the other day as part of thisrandom National Intelligence Application (NIA) check stuff. I’m all for catchingout those who might be abusing the system but the word random has reallybeen taken literally here. Those tasked with chatting to randomly chosen staffdon’t even know what they are supposed to be really looking for due to thevery random nature of the check. The data checked was four to five monthsold and no guidelines were given. Whose checking the checkers?Come on PNHQ this is a load of old cobbwash! Get your game together andstop wasting the staff’s time. Implement a system that is workable and hasintegrity. Random is a word my teenagers would use and this sort of approachrightly sits in their environment, not that of a supposedly professional Policeservice.On a good noteWhat about the AB’s getting a work out with our lot down here then. By GodI was proud standing on the sideline seeing the two best teams in the world(different vocations of course) giving each other a run for their money! Notthat I would have fancied my chances at tackling that Collins boy but it suremade my chest swell.Speaking of chest swell, well done to the teams led by Mr Perry and MrCoward. Awesome Effort, awesome results!Tune ya telly, pay ya subscription and wear ya lucky black sox. We are up andrunning. Go the AB’s!See Ya!Use of 0800 Ten Nine phone lineAssociation representatives maintain this telephone line (0800 8366 463)on a 24-hour basis.It is to be used ONLY for matters that cannot be deferred, such as Policeshootings, fatal pursuits or deaths in custody.Important and immediate industrial and legal advice can then be arrangedthrough the Association networks.Please do not phone this line for non-urgent matters.September 2007191

PoliceNewsThe Voice of Police• To the winners the spoils: (From left to right): Clive Puna (organiser) with winner, Moana Ilalio, Megan Wilson (second equal), Jason Shortt(fourth), Brian Yanko (third), Sean Stringfellow (second equal) and another of the organisers, Shona Boyle.Maori-oke competition an outstanding successConstable Moana Ilalio, from Waitangirua,beat 36 other contestants in the Maori-okeevening held at the Royal New Zealand PoliceCollege recently.The Maori-oke singing contest was one ofmany initiatives organised by Iwi LiaisonOfficers (ILOs) from the Wellington PoliceDistrict to mark Maori Language Week from23-29 July.The event attracted Police staff from outsideWellington District and included nine duos andfour groups. The calibre of the singing wasvery high.Maori perspectiveMr Valerie Andrews was the judge.Ms Andrews is an ex-pupil of WhitireiaPerforming Arts. Guidelines for contestantsincluded incorporating Maori words in theirperformance.Moana Ilalio sang her song entirely in Maori.The night was never short of performers,whether they were on stage or on the dancefloor. Former Police Association IndustrialOfficer, Megan Wilson, who is now a recruitat the Police College, took out second placeequal with Sean Stringfellow (Auckland) whosang “Summer-loving” from the hit movie“Grease”. Third placegetter was Brian Yanko(RNZPC) and fourth place went to Jason Shortt(Waitemata). Prizes were kindly donated bythe Police Association.Annual event?Contest organiser, Clive Puna, said WellingtonDistrict Police staff, the Police College and thePolice Association were to be congratulatedfor their efforts in making the Maori-okeevening such a success. It is hoped thecontest will become an annual event.Maori Language week was celebrated at theRoyal New Zealand Police College with severalevents including:• An address by Lana Simmons-Donaldsonfrom the Maori Language Commission onthe origins of Maori Language Week andinformation for staff on Te Reo and how tolearn the language;• The Kura Kaupapa of Porirua provided akapa haka performance at the College;and• The inter-Police station Maori-oke singingcompetition.• Brian Yanko shows the style that took himto third place.192 September 2007• A powhiri of Recruit Wing 247;• A talk by Pat Stodart from Pataka Museumabout historical places and the Maorihistory of Porirua;Caroline Beaufort gave it her all too.