Police News Sept 06.indd - New Zealand Police Association

New Zealand Police AssociationPolice Association backsyouth programmesThe New Zealand Police Association recently donated campingand wet weather gear to a youth camp in Christchurch, which waspart of the International Police Association’s “Wild South’ YouthGathering.Attendees were either children or grandchildren of current IPAmembers from throughout the world. The International YouthGathering (IYG) took place between 10-21 July and eligibility wasfor those between the ages of 15 and 18. Places were limited to40 attendees.Participants met their hosts at Christchurch Central Police Stationand were then the guests at a mayoral reception and luncheon. Afew days of team building followed with activities such as highrope challenges, a confidence course and mountain biking.West Coast visitThe group then travelled to the West Coast where they stayed inPapamoa National Park at Punakaiki for three days before takingin some skiing, rafting and mountain biking in Hanmer.The return journey to Christchurch took in the East Coast ofthe South Island, with a visit to Kaikoura to sample wildlifeexperiences, with visits to historical and natural beauty spots.After the IYG had finished the gear donated by the Police Associationwas passed on to the Agape Trust, an Aranui (Christchurch)organisation, which runs a series of youth programmes for “atrisk” young people.• The rope course proved popular.• There were plenty of challenges for the young attendees.• Police Association President, GregO’Connor, addresses participants.Masterton Police Station farewell functionWe finish the move from the old to the new station on Sunday, 8 October, 2006.The closing celebrations will begin on:Date: Sunday, 8 October.Time: 1400 hrs onwardVenue: Masterton Police Station (the “old” one)The bar will be open (pay as you go) and a BBQ will be provided.Please contact Frances Lloyd if you will be joining us to toast the end of an era. Frances can becontacted on: (06) 370-0337 ext 47937 or by Email: Frances.Lloyd@police.govt.nzUse of 0800 Ten Ninephone lineAssociation representatives maintain this telephoneline (0800 8366 463) on a 24-hour basis.It is to be used ONLY for matters that cannot bedeferred, such as Police shootings, fatal pursuits ordeaths in custody.Important and immediate industrial and legal advicecan then be arranged through the Associationnetworks.Please do not phone this line for non-urgentmatters.September 2006201

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceWork-life balance survey reportBy Amanda Craig, AssociationIndustrial OfficerA great response to the survey meant there wasa big enough sample to meaningfully analyse theresults. So, thank you to everyone who took thetime and trouble to fill it out.The Department of Labour has collated the resultsand they reveal some clear patterns:Overall work-life balanceWhile most survey respondents have some level ofsatisfaction with their overall work-life balance theyalso have some difficulty with achieving a goodone.The work groups with the most problems regardingwork-life balance were:• GDB;• CIB;• Dog Section;• small stations;• staff working mixed work patterns (i.e.,shiftwork, on-call, standby, weekends, nights);and• staff working long hours (72% of respondentswere working over 40 hours per week. Thirtyfivepercent (35%) were working between 41-45 hours per week and 37% were working over45 hours per week.Questions anyone?Least affected areasThe work groups with the least problems with worklifebalance were staff in PNHQ, some managementroles and administrative positions.The impact of the job on other lifeactivitiesMore than 65% of respondents reported that thejob impacted on:• getting home on time;• time with family;• leisure activities; and• time with friends.Aspects of the job that make work-lifebalance more difficultThese aspects were;• leave arrangements (44% of respondents hadleave denied or cancelled or had been calledback to work);• stress associated with the job;• deadlines and schedules;• paperwork/processing requirements; and• the amount of notice given regarding overtime.Impact of other life activities on the jobWhile work has an impact on the respondent’s lifeactivities, the reverse also occurs. Respondentsreported that their other life activities impacted onwork because it reduced their:Stab resistant body armour updateA lot of members have been asking whenbody armour will be issued to them andthe answer is that SRBA is still underproduction. There are still some issues,which need ironing out. Note that thereare around 50,000 components to be madebefore the order is complete. Police want toget all the issues dealt with so staff has thebest product available.The body armour will not have reflectorisedstrips. Recent letters to Police News expresseddismay at the idea of reflectorised strips on theovert body armour. A group of Associationmembers accompanied me to the Officeof Commissioner to discuss this subject. Itappears that their viewpoint was heard andrespected as management had a change ofheart and the strips will not be reflectorised.• ability to take up development and careeropportunities;• concentration; and• energy to do the job.Work life-balance practices alreadyusedThe groups that had the least problems with worklifebalance tended to use these practices:• using the phone and phone messages;• choosing their own lunch break; and• occasionally having minor variations to startand finish times to deal with a problem.Next stepsThe survey was always the first step in theWork-Life Balance Project in association with theDepartment of Labour. The purpose of the surveywas to find out what was working and what couldbe done better. The next steps involve the latter.Priority areasThe Work-Life Balance Project Team met in earlyAugust to discuss the results and identify thepriority areas. The team concluded that there werefour priority areas and these were:• hours of work and flexibility;• shiftwork management;• leave management; and• communication between supervisors and staff.The project team will be working on these and willkeep you updated in the future.Police Health Planto ‘do’ surgery‘in house’“Well, not quite,” Pete Hayes, Manager ofthe Police Welfare Fund told Police Newsrecently, but things are about to changeregarding the manner in which PoliceHealth Plan handles surgical claims.“We won’t be setting up an operating theatrein National Office but a strategic decisionhas been made to administer all surgicalprior-approvals in house rather than usingour current provider Medilink Services,” MrHayes explained.A decade ago Police Health Plan became thefirst health insurer in New Zealand to usean independent medical referee to assesssurgical claims. Most other health insurershave since followed suit.Independent medical advisorPolice Health Plan has now contractedan independent medical advisor and anadditional staff member, who will beresponsible for administering all surgicalprocedures from 1 October 2006. Althoughmembers have received excellent servicefrom Medilink over the years, the changeswill now mean that members only have todeal with one organisation.• Dubbo Police (NSW, Australia) had the perfect answer to those repetitious questions whenthey erected this sign against one of their vehicles at a recent exhibition.- Photo courtesy of NSW Police.“We believe this change will offer our valuedmembers a more streamlined process forprior-approval of surgery and payment ofaccounts,” Mr Hayes said.202September 2006

New Zealand Police AssociationCIB report bringsassurances fromPolice administrationIssues raised by police officers working in the CriminalInvestigation Branch (CIB), which led to a comprehensivesurvey of 258 CIB staff in the Auckland Metro Districts, hasresulted in NZ Police management giving assurances thatofficers’ concerns would be addressed in consultation withthe Police Association.Police said that part of the current pay round would includea process to “identify and progress issues” within the CIB.The Association has expressed grave concerns about the levelof widespread dissatisfaction among detectives, warning thatthe CIB could present a crisis of similar proportions to thatwhich befell Police Communications Centres in 2004.The survey resulted in a CIB report, which highlightedstaff shortages and a feeling amongst detectives that theywere undervalued by Police management. The survey alsohighlighted the heavy workloads carried by CIB staff, with75% of respondents feeling they had “too many” or “far toomany” cases. Long hours was another issue raised by thesurvey and more than 50% of detectives indicated they werecalled back to work from a day off or when they were onannual leave. About 50% said that CIB management gave“above average” or “excellent” support to staff.ScepticismPolice Association President, Greg O’Connor, said Policemanagement had expressed scepticism about the survey’sfindings, “issuing the same denials we heard regardingthe methamphetamine and the Communications Centreproblems”.While serious crime is statistically insignificant, the solvingof it plays an important part in the public psyche – givingreassurance to communities about their safety.This was no more in evidence than in the Mona Morrisshomicide case where community leaders in Marton praisedPolice for having made an arrest in the case. They said therehad been a significant sense of unease in the community in the18 months between the killing of the 83-year-old pensionerand the subsequent arrest of a Palmerston North woman.The Counties-Manukau CIB recently held a luncheon for staff witha 1970’s and 1980’s theme. Guests included staff from MeredithConnell (Crown Solicitors) and ESR (Environmental Science andResearch). Many staff came in ‘costume’ and would certainly havefitted in perfectly during those eras.• MIAMI VICE? Detective Constable David Paea looks like he wouldbe right at home alongside Detective James ‘Sonny’ Crockett andDetective Ricardo ‘Rico’ Tubbs in the 1984 cop show.• Detective Simon Irving (left) and Detective Constable Tony Henry(right) get into the spirit of things by hamming it up for the camera.September 2006203

PoliceNewsThe Voice of Police• HERE’S LOOKIN’ AT YOU KID: Kiddie cop Heath fits right in, alongside Constables Erik Bakker and Steve O’Reilly from Takapuna, atmorning muster.- Photo courtesy of The NZ Herald.Heath turns up to lend ahand on the North ShoreTakapuna community constable GavinLeonard had a willing helper for a dayrecently when four-year-old Heath turnedup to lend a hand, resplendent in a speciallymade Police uniform, courtesy of a VictimSupport volunteer.Four-year-old Heath, who suffers froma rare malignant form of cancer - acutelymphocyctic leukaemia - enjoyed a dayas the country’s youngest cop after beingselected as a likely lad by the Make-A-WishFoundation.Acute lymphocyctic leukaemia develops inthe white blood cells. The lymphocytes thatare created from special stem cells can growinto different types of blood cells to performspecialised immune system functions, butwhen acute lymphocytic leukemia is presentwhite blood cells do not grow properly.Heath’s wish came true as he patrolled thestreets of Devonport with his ‘boss’, SeniorConstable Gavin Leonard, before taking aride in the Police launch to Mechanic’s Bayto link up with the ‘eye in the sky’ – thePolice helicopter Eagle. Heath’s brother,five-year-old Michael, accompanied hisyounger brother. Michael was dressed as aBritish bobby.Positive attitudeHeath’s father, John, told the NZ Herald,that Heath had a very positive attitude tofighting the disease and while it restrictedsome of his liberties – such as kindergartenand playing with friends – he was “copingremarkably well”.Gavin soon discovered that his sidekick was• “Let’s go out and catch some of those baddies ay mister?” Four-year-old leukaemia suffererHeath is off to enjoy his day as a police officer.- Photo courtesy of The NZ Herald204September 2006

New Zealand Police Associationno ‘rookie’ either. Heath had what policeofficers do all figured out – volunteering toeat doughnuts and handcuff his Dad. He’dseen them do that on TV.The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishesfor children living with a life threateningillness. It was formed in the USA in 1980.The foundation had its genesis when policeofficers at the Arizona Department of PublicSafety rallied around to make seven-yearoldChris Greicus’ dream to be a policeofficer come true. Like Heath, Chris wasbattling leukaemia at the time. The Arizonaofficers made Chris a uniform, helmet andbadge and organised a ride in the Policehelicopter for him. Chris’s delight in havinghis wish fulfilled provided the inspirationfor the Make-A-Wish Foundation.That first chapter has now blossomed to78 in the USA with affiliates in 27 othercountries.The Make-A-Wish Foundation of NewZealand was launched in 1987. Its nationaloffice is in Auckland. The first NZ recipientwas a four-year-old leukaemia sufferernamed Chris, who wished he could haveChristmas in October. The Make-A-WishFoundation made it happen; organising forSanta and his elves to grant Chris his wishby visiting him in advance of their usualrounds.See no evil…An enterprising Auckland memberrecently sent the following message toAuckland staff.Auckland staff - you are being watched.After Operation Insight (the Internet inquiryconcerning inappropriate computer usage)you must watch what you do and see.Therefore, I would not be doing my job if Isaid that you must not open your eyes orview any images at the following events:1. Auckland’s Boobs on Bikes Parade inQueen Street. This is where toplesswomen will be pillion passengers onbikes during a parade to market a sexExpo.2. The Auckland Gay and Lesbian Parade.This will also contain nudity and otherthings, which may be potentiallyoffensive.So as not to get in to trouble by looking atthis type of image while on duty, I am afraidto say that you cannot attend or should yoube compelled to do so, then you MUST NOTUSE YOUR EYES.If by the time you read this and you haveobserved the aforementioned images, youwill be contacted for removal of said imagesfrom your memory.Remember, take care out there but do notlook.Signed: An Auckland member with hiseyes closed.• PROUD DAD: Well-known sports commentator Keith Quinn (middle) was on hand to seehis son Ben (left) receive his detective designation recently from CIB trainer Mark Buttar.Ben’s uncle is well-known Wellington Detective Inspector Harry Quinn.- Photo courtesy of Shaun Kennard.This officer passed hisPCT with ‘flying colours’In most of the northern states of the USA, Policehave a policy of checking any stalled vehicle on thehighway, especially when the temperatures dropinto single digits.A police officer in Wyoming spotted just such avehicle at around 3.00 a.m on a very cold morning.The car was pulled off the shoulder of the roadon the outskirts of the town of Casper. The carwas stuck in deep snow but the engine was stillrunning.The state trooper pulled his patrol car in behindthe car, with the emergency lights activated. Hewalked to the driver’s door and inside he found anelderly man passed out behind the wheel with anear-empty vodka bottle beside him.Startled driverThe officer tapped on the window. The driver awokein a startled state and seeing the flashing lightsin his rear view mirror and the officer standingalongside his window, panicked and jerked thegear shift into ‘drive’ and hit the accelerator. Thecar’s speedo reading started climbing – 20-30-40-50 mph – but it remained firmly stuck in thesnow with its wheels spinning.The police officer, seeing the humour in thesituation, began running on the spot outsidethe driver’s window. By this time the driver wascompletely freaked out by the situation – obviouslythinking that the officer was keeping up with him.Officer’s commandThis went on for about 30 seconds before theofficer yelled out for the man to “pull over”. Theman dutifully obeyed the oficer’s command byturning the steering wheel and stopping theengine.Needless to say there is an elderly man fromCasper who is probably still shaking his head overthe state trooper who could run at 50 miles perhour!Nominations forAssociationBoard of DirectorsVice-PresidentRule 89 of the Association Rules allows anymember of the Association to nominateany other member for election to thepositions of President or (one of two) Vice-President. Another member must second allnominations.The term of each of these positions is for threeyears, with one election held each year. Thisyear one of the two Vice-President positionsis open for election for a three year term fromOctober 2006 until October 2009.Nominations close at 5pm on TuesdayOctober 3, and should be sent to:Mr Chris PentecostNational SecretaryNZ Police AssociationPO Box 12344Wellington.In the event of more than one candidate beingnominated, Conference delegates at theAssociation National Conference will decidethe election on Wednesday, October 25.Region DirectorRegion Directors are elected for a two-yearterm, with elections held on alternate years.This year the positions of Region Director forRegion 2 (Auckland City/Counties-Manukau),Region 4 (Eastern/Central) and Region 6(Canterbury/Tasman) were up for election.Existing Directors Mark Leys (Region 2), andCraig Prior (Region 6) were not challenged andhave been re-confirmed in their positions.Nominations for the Region Director for region4 close on 12 September,September 2006205

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceGovernment announces criminal justice rethinkBy Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsThe Government recently announcedchanges to the criminal justice system,including a revamp of the sentencingregime.New Zealand has one of the highestincarceration rates in the world at 155prisoners to every 100,000 people.Scotland’s rate is 129, in England andWales it is 127 and Australia and Canadaincarcerate 116 prisoners per 100,000 ofpopulation.New Zealand’s prison population hasincreased sharply over the last decade andis forecast to increase further over the nextfive years. By 30 June the number of inmateshad climbed to 7,700 compared to 4,530 adecade ago.Daily costsThe daily cost of keeping a prisoner in jailhas risen from $145 per day in the 1999-2000 year to $161.91 in 2004-05, thelast financial year for which figures areavailable.Prison occupancy rates, which have beenrunning at 99.2%, compared with 95%six years ago, are putting a real squeeze onprison facilities, leading to prisoners beingremanded to Police cells or court cells.Against this background, Prime MinisterHelen Clark, Justice Minister MarkBurton, and Corrections Minister, DamienO’Connor, recently released details ofchanges to the criminal justice system.Helen Clark said that the high rate ofimprisonment and recidivism were hardissues to tackle, but it was clear that thecriminal justice system could not continueon as it is.ImprovementsThe changes are designed to improve thecurrent sentencing regime, introduce newsentencing options, and provide moretreatment services for prisoners.Prime Minister, Helen Clark, said: “Central tothis commitment is having a criminal justicesystem, which protects our communities bymore effectively punishing offenders andmaking better use of our prisons. Overtime the measures being announced todayshould lower the rate of offending, includingrecidivism, and the rate of imprisonment –which is unacceptably high in comparisonwith most Western countries.”The Government’s proposal contains fourkey elements:• A revamp of the sentencing system– to provide a more transparent,consistent, and standardised approach.This will include the establishment of aSentencing Council and parole reform;• The introduction of home detention asEdge gets green light to resume worka sentence in its own right for lower-riskoffenders;• The introduction of a new tier ofcommunity sentences, which willincrease the number of sentencingoptions available to judges. These will bepart of a clear hierarchy of communitybasedsentences so that there is clarityabout the relationship between sentencesin terms of their severity; and;• Two new drug and alcohol treatmentunits in prisons and two furthergeneral purpose special treatmentunits to provide intensive rehabilitativeprogrammes.Ms Clark said that legislative changes madesince 1999 increased penalties for seriouscrimes. The PM also said that the SentencingAct 2002 is delivering longer sentencesfor serious offenders, but there needed tobe more alternatives to imprisonment foroffenders at the lower end of the scale.An electronic bail system, overseen by Policestaff, is one of those alternatives. Moreemphasis will be placed on communitybasedsentences and restorative justiceprogrammes.Prisoners used to be able to apply forparole after having served one third of theirsentence but the former policy of havingto serve two-thirds of the sentence is to bereinstituted.By Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsHawke’s Bay police dog, Edge, has beengiven the green light to return to normalduties and he seems to be looking forward toevery minute of it, if recent training runs areany indication.Edge was left fighting for his life after beingstabbed when trying to subdue a disturbed,knife-weilding man, who had been actingsuspiciously at Glencoe Station in theHawke’s Bay.But, as if to demonstrate how resilient policedogs really are, Edge has bounced back tohealth with a vengeance. It is an amazingrecovery for a dog whose life hung by athread after his liver had been punctured inthe attack.Returned with a vengeanceHis handler, Senior Constable David Whyte,told Police News recently that if anythingEdge had come back with a little more vervethan before. His charge had been clearedby Massey Vet Clinic to resume his normalduties and Dave, his family and colleagueswere delighted by the dog’s recovery.Senior Constable Whyte said that the dogwas in pretty good condition consideringhis ordeal and he was currently working onincreasing Edge’s fitness before he resumedfull duties. David said he was working onimproving Edge’s tracking capabilities andthat the pair would take part in a Search andRescue course in October.Edge has also taken part in training scenarioswhere he has been tested against knifeweildingattackers again and he hasn’tflinched.“We started back at work recently and he hastested well is all aspects without any hestancy,so that’s really pleasing,” Whyte said. “I mustadmit that there were times after the stabbingwhen I didn’t think he was going to make itbut he has made a remarkable recovery,” headded.CorrectionThe front-page photo of the Stanlake murderinquiry search near Red Rocks was wronglycaptioned as being made available by TheNZ Herald. It was not. The photo was kindlysupplied by The Dominion Post in Wellington.Our apologies to The Dom Post team.“Success usually comes to thosewho are too busy to be lookingfor it.”- (Henry David Thoreau 1817-1862).“Hard work spotlights thecharacter of people: some turn uptheir sleeves, some turn up theirnoses, and some don’t turn up atall.”- (Veteran humorist, Sam Ewing).“Only two things are infinite, theuniverse and human stupidity,and I’m not sure about theformer.”- (Albert Einstein, 1879-1955).206September 2006

New Zealand Police AssociationSuffer the little children…By Steve Plowman, Editor, Police News• Saliel Aplin and OlympiaJetson• Coral-Anne Burrows• James Whakaruru• Chris and Cru Kahui• Lilybing Karaitiana-Matiaha- photos courtesy of TheDominionPostJames Whakaruru, Lilybing Karaitiana-Matiaha, Saliel Jalassa Aplin, OlympiaMarissa Jetson (Saliel’s half-sister), Coral Anne-Burrows, Delcelia Witika,Chris and Cru Kahui – their names and faces make our blood run cold.They are, of course, the victims of New Zealand’sdarkest secret – child abuse. These are some of thechildren who who paid with their lives – their namesand faces constant reminders of New Zealand’sshameful record of violence towards our innocents.A United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report,places us as the third worst country in terms of childabuse maltreatment deaths of 27 ‘rich’ countries.In 1994 we ranked sixth.Babies under a year old are at much higher risk inNew Zealand than elsewhere, accounting for 30% ofall child deaths from maltreatment here against 24%internationally.Types of abuseThere are four main recognised types of child abuse- physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse andneglect. Emotional abuse can be a component of theother three types but it is not uncommon for all fourtypes of abuse to co-exist.A review of every death for children aged 0–14 years byDr Peter Watson in 1999 found that homicide was oneof the three leading causes of death. This unpublisheddata provides compelling evidence, which suggeststhat New Zealand’s ‘dark secret’ is that a child’s rightto life and security is not being adequately met in NewZealand.New Zealand’s social agencies, along with specialistPolice Child Abuse Teams (CAT), are at the coalface ofdealing with the problem of maltreatment of the mostdefenceless members of our society.Worsening situationThe situation has continued to get worse with a 45%increase (a record 13,017 cases) in established childabuse cases identified by the Department of Child,Youth and Family last year. Suspected child abusenotified to CYF continues to rise – up from 53,000cases last year to 63,800 this year – a 20% increase.During the past four years notifications have risen 86%.The number of children suffering substantiated abuse orneglect was up 62% in the same period. (Source: CYF).Every day 35 New Zealand children suffer from abuseor neglect. Seven of them will be admitted to hospital.Ten children will be killed this year by a supposed‘caregiver’. The problem in identifying ‘at risk’ childrenis extremely difficult. A study in 2004 showed that only20% of families where a child homicide occurred hadpreviously had contact with Child, Youth and Family(CYF).CYF figures show that, during the month of June, therewere 3003 files marked “urgent”, “very urgent” or“critical” which require further action. The criticality of acase is only assigned once the case has been assessedas requiring further action. “Critical” notifications are themost extreme classification and require attention within24 hours.That’s an increase over those three file classifications of75% in three years (1720 files in June 2003).Disproportionate representationWhile child abuse is by no means an ethnic problem – itis more closely linked to poverty than ethnicity – Maorichildren are more at risk and are disproportionatelyrepresented in child abuse statistics.Fifteen percent (15%) of the population are Maori but45% of notifications are for Maori children. Thirty-fivepercent (35%) are for NZ European children, 11% forPacific Island children and a little over 2% are for Asianchildren. Maori children die from maltreatment at arate, which is twice that of NZ European children (1.5per 100,000 for Maori to 0.7 per 100,000). Cautionis needed in disaggregating data by ethnic groups,however, and these figures should be viewed in lightof the fact that Maori children are more exposed to therisk of fatal child maltreatment associated with havinga step parent, as Maori children are twice as likely asSeptember 2006207

PoliceNewsThe Voice of Policeother children to be raised in a blended family.Also, 26% of the Maori population is under 15years of age.The links to poverty and child abuse are welldocumented. In a country where 400,000 NewZealanders earn less than $13 an hour, povertyis a major. Maori Party co-leader, Tariana Turia,said recently that the link between poverty andviolence towards children was becoming a“national emergency”.The link to povertyA 2003 UNICEF report notes strategies toreduce child abuse will not be successful“without addressing the question of economicpoverty, which…is the close companion ofphysical abuse and neglect.”Children and adults living in one-parentor workless families are more likely to bein persistent poverty – and poverty andunemployment have been identified as majorrisk factors for child abuse. A third of all NewZealand children live in severe hardship.(Source: NZ Living Standards 2004, Ministry of SocialDevelopment; Jensen et al 2006).Murray Edridge, Chief Executive of Barnardosin NZ, puts it in context: “There are nopercentages of abuse that are more, orless, shocking or tragic than any otherpercentage. The real tragedy is that accordingto notifications made to CYF, nearly 64,000children in New Zealand are likely to have beenabused or neglected across all our communitieslast year.”Parenting skills as “musts”Noted author, Books in Homes promoter andsocial commentator Alan Duff calls it like it is.He says that compulsory parenting programmesat high school, teaching individuals to takeresponsibility and imposing consequences onbad parents are all “musts” if child abuse in thiscountry is to be dealt any sort of worthwhile blow.Children’s Commissioner, Cindy Kiro, wants tosee a national database set up, which tracksevery child from birth to 18 years of age.Others, including Duff, say that highereducation is the key but there are a myriad ofagencies, reports and researchers trying to findthe answer to an extremely complex problem.Police consistently work with other agencies inthe fight against child abuse. But they are beinginundated, as is CYF.Unsurprisingly, people known to the childoverwhelmingly perpetrate abuse. In nine outof 10 child abuse cases the child knows theabuser. A high proportion of children killed, dieat the hands of a stepfather or the boyfriend ofthe child’s mother.High risksChildren living in households with an adultwho is unrelated to them are almost 50 timesas likely to die of an inflicted injury as childrenliving in households with two biological parents.An American study found that of 52,000 childabuse cases, 72% involved children withoutone or both biological parents. Nearly a thirdof all New Zealand children live in fatherlesshomes.A recent Christian Council of Social Servicesreport, which was critical of the Government’sresponse to the care and protection of childrenfound ill favour with the Government and itsagencies. The report said there was a “hugeamount of frustration among agencies workingwith families at the lack of effective moves todo anything about it”. Presbyterian Support(Hawke’s Bay) spokesman Shaun Robinsonsaid: “If this was an outbreak of typhoid thatwas killing and maiming our children, the wholenation would unite behind a plan to end it.”The CCSS is an umbrella group of the six mainchurches involved in social work.Peter Hughes, Chief Executive of the Ministryof Social Development, called the report “highlyselective, unbalanced and unfair.”Domestic violenceYou cannot talk about child abuse without thelarger picture associated with domestic violencein the home. The statistics are just as appalling– recorded family violence occurences inthe 10 years between 1996 and 2005 haveincreased from 31,654 to 63,685 (2005) – anincrease of 101%. Arrests have increasedfrom 9,311 to 18,305 (up 97%). Minister ofPolice, Annette King, said she found the figures“chilling”.“The increase might seem dramatic, but sadlyI think we are uncovering only some of thetragedies occurring behind closed doors,” shesaid recently.The greater focus by Police on violence andabuse - combined with the community’sgrowing intolerance of such behaviour - hascontributed significantly to the increase inrecorded violence statistics – and child abuselooms large amongst them.Government responsesThe Government has responded to the growingchild abuse tragedy with what Ray Smith,Deputy Chief Executive of Child Youth andFamily (CYF) recently referred to as: “Buildingcross-sector capacity and providing a coordinatedresponse (which) has the potentialto strengthen the safety net around vulnerablechildren…”The “Taskforce For Action On Violence WithinFamilies” (1st report) was released in Julyand it speaks of a collaborative approach. Itadmits it will take “sustained, co-ordinated andmulti-level action” over a number of years toeliminate family violence.NZ Police initiativeFor its part NZ Police recently initiated andsponsored the First National Family ViolenceStandard. The standard aims to reduce harm,enhance victim safety and increase offenderaccountability by providing a standard forscreening, risk assessment and intervention foragencies working with victims and perpetratorsof family violence.The development of the standard, managed byStandards NZ, involved a committee of expertsfrom a range of sectors, including the Ministryof Health; Child, Youth and Family; Women’sRefuge; Corrections; Ministry of Justice;Ministry of Education; Barnardos; Police; andPlunket.The answers to some of the complex issuesaround reducing child abuse are not easy.Real progress is likely to be made when thereis considrable emphasis placed on tacklingpoverty, addressing parenting skills, educationand individuals, families and communtiesowning the problem and then resolving to dosomething about it.Underlying causesWithout addressing the underlying causes, theof the next child mercilessly beaten to death bya parent, stepparent or supposed ‘caregiver’will soon be haunting us again from the pagesof our newspapers or our TV screens.And then again the words of a 2004 reportentitled “Protecting children in our time: Childabuse, child protection and the consequencesof modernity”: (H Ferguson, Palgrave,London) may also come back to haunt us:“Ultimately, we have to be prepared to facethe uncomfortable fact that any guaranteesin protecting children are simply beyond thecapacities of what human beings are capableof, even trained professional ones.”And for any parent or any community, such areality should be heartbreakingly unacceptableto visit upon our future generations through ourinability to address the problem now.Sources: Child Youth and Family; Hansard; The Ministry of SocialDevelopment; Buckingham, J., “Boy Troubles: Understandingrising suicide, rising crime and education failure, Sydney; Centrefor Independent Studies, Policy Monograph No. 46, 2000; WhyMarriage Matters; 21 Conclusions from the Social Sciences – Areport from family scholars (USA, 2000); Christchurch Healthand Development Study; Child and Youth Mortality ReviewCommittee Report (February 2004); Children at increased risk ofdeath from maltreatment and strategies for prevention – Ministryof Social Development report 2006; “Protecting children inour time: Child abuse, child protection and the consequencesof modernity”: (H Ferguson, Palgrave, London); NZ PoliceStatement of Intent (2005-06).208September 2006

SarahMy name is SarahI am but three,My eyes are swollenI cannot see,I must be stupid,I must be bad,What else could have madeMy Daddy so mad?I wish I were better,I wish I weren’t ugly,Then maybe my MummyWould still want to hug me.I can’t speak at all,I can’t do a wrongOr else I’m locked upAll the day long.When I awakeI’m all aloneThe house is darkMy parents aren’t home.When my Mummy does comeI’ll try and be nice,So maybe I’ll get justOne whipping tonight.Don’t make a sound!I just heard a carMy Daddy is backFrom down at the bar.I hear him curse,My name he callsI press myselfAgainst the wall.I try and hideFrom his evil eyesI’m so afraid nowI’m starting to cry.He finds me weepingHe shouts ugly words;He says it’s my faultThat he suffers at work.He slaps me and hits meAnd yells at me more,I finally get freeAnd I run for the door.He’s already locked itAnd I start to bawl,He takes me and throws meAgainst the hard wall.I fall to the floorWith my bones nearly broken,And my Daddy continuesWith more bad words spoken.“I’m sorry!” I screamBut its now much too lateHis face has been twistedInto unimaginable hate.The hurt and the painAgain and againOh please God, have mercy!Oh please let it end!And he finally stopsAnd heads for the door,While I lay there motionlessSprawled on the floor.My name is SarahAnd I am but three,Tonight my DaddyMurdered me.- Gayle Jones Staples (1975)New Zealand Police AssociationChild Abuse Teamsfeeling the pressureBy Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsSpecialist Police Child Abuse Teams – staffed by detectives andsupport staff – are responsible for investigating and prosecutingchild abuse cases.Each Police district operates a ChildAbuse Team (CAT) made up of specialistinvestigators. These specialists deal withreported or suspected child sexual andphysical abuse cases. CAT teams work closelywith CYF (Child, Youth and Family) SeriousAbuse Teams (SAT).Their work involves meticulous investigationand prosecuting some of this country’s mostsickening crimes perpetrated against the mostdefencless members of our society.Drawn as they are from CIB staff, some ChildAbuse Teams (CAT) are finding it increasinglydifficult to keep pace with the volume ofcomplaints they are receiving. About halfare historical in nature and prioritisation hasmeant that in some districts detectives can nolonger investigate historical complaints – thiswork falling to their equally stretched CIBcolleagues.Historical and current casesIn some areas, like the Wairarapa, this is notthe case – they look at current and historicalcases. When I say they – I mean DetectiveSue Mackle (Masterton), who works part-time,and Detective Mana Faraimo (Featherston).Faraimo handles South Wairarapa and Macklehandles the rest of the district.Mackle says she has well over 100 files in hercaseload. This is excessively high by anyone’sstandards. Police News is aware of oneDistrict Commander, concerned at increasingCIB workloads, who issued a memo sayingthat no detective should be carrying more than10 active files at any one time.Mackle, with 13 years experience in childabuse investigations, has worked in Poriruaand Taranaki previously. She says thatMasterton is “far worse”. “By the timeyou’ve got about three or four trials runningas well, matters going through prosecution– and those things have time limits on themand have to be done for court dates – thatprecludes you from handling other stuffcoming in, except for acute cases,” Mackletold Police News. Mackle says her CIBcolleagues have been mucking in to try andlighten her workload but the cases just keepcoming.PrioritiesShe is of the opinion that child abuse cases,because they are difficult, resource intensiveand, in the case of historical complaintsalmost impossible to get a conviction for,languish in terms of Police priorities.Another detective put it more bluntly:“Volume crime is taking over the Police,with an emphasis on property. Volumecrime is a priority area. Perhaps it’s comingfrom Government, who knows? DistrictCommanders get their brownie points forvolume crime and as a result child abuse isshuffled back down the list of priorities,” thedetective said.But while Mackle’s file load is extreme, theissues facing Child Abuse Teams aren’t uniqueto the Wairarapa. Police News understands thatin some districts there may be as many as 200unallocated child abuse files.PovertyChild abuse cuts across all boundaries ofethnicity but one thing its perpetrators do havein common is poverty, which is usually relatedto unemployment - and with an unemploymentrate, which is twice the national average,Masterton fits the profile.There are also other factors at play such aspsychological stress, limited support, poverty,low education, being young, having poormental health including drug and alcoholabuse, being the victim of family violence anda history of criminal offending. But, in light ofthese factors, it is surely no coincidence thatthe killings of Coral-Anne Burrows, LilybingKaraitiana-Matiaha and the Aplin sisters, all ofwhom had come to the attention of CYFs andother agencies, all happened in the Wairarapa.September 2006209

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceThe heart-wrenching question for Police ishow many of those unallocated files sittingin CAT offices around the country right nowcould be the next Lillybing or Kahui twintragedy waiting to happen?Detectives spoken to by Police News predictthat it is only a matter of time – and it will besooner rather than later – that the inabilityto investigate an unallocated file resultsin the discovery of multiple child offencesby the same offender mentioned in thatuninvestigated file.Realistic fearsDetective Sergeant Tusha Penny, Supervisorof the Lower Hutt Child Abuse Team, says justsuch a fear is probably in the back of everyCAT detective’s mind who carries a largecaseload. “We put all our resources into themurder inquiries for these children when theyget murdered but when they’re alive and weknow they’re at risk often we don’t have theresources to allocate to it,” she said.Penny says as both a police officer and amother these are questions that trouble her.“These children don’t have a voice. Whenpeople are burgled and the Police are reallybusy and we don’t turn up at their house for10 hours, the adults in the house ring up andwant to know why we haven’t come aroundbut when little children are sexually abusedthey can’t ring us up and say why haven’t youdone anything about it for a year? she toldPolice News.Last year Lower Hutt’s child abuse filesincreased by 40%. This year they have growna further 60%. There has been no localstaffing increase to meet these file demands.Lower Hutt’s CAT is not ring-fenced.Unallocated filesPolice News inquiries suggest there may beseveral hundred unallocated child abuse filesnationwide. Because districts handle files indifferent ways, some files are not ‘officially’unallocated but neither are they actuallybeing worked on. They seem to fall in a NoMan’s Land between being allocated andbeing active and that typically goes back toresourcing.Child Abuse Teams echo the recently releasedPolice Association CIB survey when they saythat they get very good support from theirinternal CIB management and other CIB NCO’sbut that they generally feel as if there is littleunderstanding or support from top level Policemanagement about the extent of the problem.High levels of notificationsThe reality is that high levels of notificationsmean that unallocated files are a fact of life– as sad as that may be. This is turn leadsto what Penny calls “the high risk area ofprioritisation”.“You have to make sure you have systems andprocesses in place to ensure you are regularlyrevisiting your file prioritisations…you have totake a professional approach and base yourdecisions on the information that you havebefore you. Although it can be an emotive fieldof work you have to be dispassionate aboutthe facts and circumstances of the case inorder to make rational decisions surroundingfile allocations and resource allocation,”she says. “But even with the most sturdyof processes in place there is still a risk ofgetting it wrong,” she added.“Volume crime is taking overthe Police, with an emphasison property. Volume crime is apriority area. Perhaps it’s comingfrom Government, who knows?District Commanders get theirbrownie points for volume crimeand as a result child abuse isshuffled back down the list ofpriorities.”- Child Abuse Team detective.Child Abuse Team officers nationwide, spokento by Police News, confirm that severaldistricts are carrying high workloads.Police Association President, Greg O’Connor,puts the increase down to the success ofGovernment policies, which have led to agreater awareness of the problem, coupled withbetter education about reporting and greaterinter-agency co-operation.“It just shows how critical it is to ensure thedownstream effects of policy change beconsidered in terms of future infrastructureplanning. Policy makers in all departments,including Police, must have an understandingof their business,” he added.ProtocolBut some child abuse files, most of themhistorical, are still lying on detective’s desksunresolved after lengthy periods of time– sometimes years.This is not because of any unwillingness toinvestigate these cases or prosecute them itsjust that CAT staff know from experience thatthe chances of actually getting a conviction insuch cases is minimal. Some detectives saythat the very act of reporting a complaint andhaving it acknowledged is sufficient for somevictims to move on with their life.Child Abuse Team detectives have told PoliceNews that the current priority in policing givento volume crime such as burglaries, propertyofences and burglaries is drawing detectivesaway from child abuse investigations.SecondmentsChild abuse staff find themselves beingseconded to work on other CIB investigations,such as homicides and aggravated robberies– taking them away from their core tasks.And who does their work in the meantime?Well, in some cases, no one.Auckland has so many unallocated files thatrecently an officer from the Tauranga ChildAbuse Team was seconded for five weeks tohelp out with those files. Auckland’s ‘priorities’took precedence despite Tauranga having itsown problems with unallocated files too.Eddie Lyttle, Prosecutor and CAT supervisor,says that Tauranga has “always struggledwith a lengthy list of unallocated files”.Through concentrating on sexual abuse files,Lyttle and his team have reduced the waitingtime on those files from four months to twomonths. “We don’t do aggravated robberiesor child assaults unless they are serious. Weconcentrate on the critical files and the resthas to be prioritised accordingly after that,”he added.Lyttle, who works with three other detectives,lost two staff to a recent murder inquiry. Theeffect was that he was the equivalent of oneand a half staff short for six months.ApologiesLyttle says that his team does both currrentand historical inquiries. “I had to apologiserecently to a woman who has been waitingthree years for her historical complaint to beresolved,” he told Police News. “That’s nevereasy,” he adds.Some Child Abuse Teams are ‘ring-fenced’while others are not.Lyttle is in favour of ring-fencing Child AbuseTeams because that will mean they can geton with the core business – putting away childmolesters, child abusers, paedophiles andthe like – rather than being seconded to otherinquiries.Detective Sergeant Neville jenkins, CATsupervisor in Christchurch, says his teamhas handled 380 cases in the last 12 months210Septembert 2006

a significant increase. “Most detectives areworking on 8-10 trials… but every day wehave to prioritise,” he said.Detective Sergeant Malcolm Inglis, ChildAbuse Team leader for Dunedin, says that hisstaff deal with both historical and current filesand that the file workload goes through “peaksand troughs”. Inglis says his team handled106 cases last year but this year they arealready up to 90 cases. “We are carrying themaximum we can and we can’t do it justice atvarious times,” he said.Full strength but stretchedIn Counties-Manukau CAT staffing is at fullstrength but detectives are stretched. Thereare 350 CAT files to handle, not to mention300 adult sexual abuse cases and 350 rapesa year. A national policy on conducting sexualabuse interviews, a specialist field, saysthat interviewers must have completed theappropriate course. Six out of 95 detectivesfit the bill.Detectives spoken to from Child Abuse Teamsaround the country say that lengthy delays in theresolution of child abuse files have the potentialto paint the Police in a very bad light indeed. SueMackle echoes the opinions of several when shetold Police News: “It’s not good for the victims. Ican think of a number of instances where allegedoffenders will still have involvement with familiesand one or two of them (alleged offenders) areprobably still living in families, but because thecomplaints are historical they aren’t given prioritybecause the new stuff is always a higher prioritybecause it will be acute.”In an ideal world Police would not have toprioritise child abuse files. In an ideal worldchild abuse would be non-existent too.Reportage upBut the reality, as Deputy Police CommissionerRob Pope points out, is that with morecommitment to a joint agency approachfrom the Government there will also be acorresponding rise in reporting of child abuse.Pope told Police News: “This is a good thingin that Police, with other partner agencies,will become aware of other victims who werepreviously unknown. This is our core business.”He says that Police are aware that “additionalpressures have been placed on our CATmanagers and their investigators.” Pope saysthat is the cost of being efficient.He readily admits that for Police National HQand Districts it is a “challenge” to ensure thatCAT investigators are supported in the face ofwhat he terms “competing priorities”.Pope says that he is aware that many staff areworking “under difficult circumstances in thearea of child abuse”. He gave an assuranceto the Association that there will be “ongoingdiscussions with District Commanders interms of an appropriate response to theconcerns of staff.”New Zealand Police AssociationPressures knownLast year Police appointed Neil Holden tothe position of National Co-ordinator of ChildAbuse. Holden says that he is aware thatin some Districts, Child Abuse Teams areunder a lot of pressure. He is hoping that ameeting (as this issue was going to press) of20 Child Abuse Team managers, who havebeen meeting every year since 2001, willhelp define strategies to lighten the workloadfor many Child Abuse Team staff. Holdenworks closely with the National Managerof Crime, who in turn interacts with DistrictCommanders and their Crime Managers.District Commanders are responsible forinvestigations in their respective ‘patches’.NZ Police has a variety of protocols andMemorandums of Understanding (MOU) withvarious Government agencies to provide cooperationand a combined approach to childabuse. Those protocols are being breachedregularly because child abuse files cannot insome cases be handled in what the protocolrefers to as “a timely manner”.Which again begs the question – if a ChildAbuse Team is so stretched that files startbacking up and a file lies unattended for sixmonths to a year and a paedophile named inthat file re-offends, then whose fault is it?That will be a question that will no doubt beasked time and again when it does.Association makes tax exemption submissionsBy Prue Wilson, Police Association Research OfficerThe Police Association recently made a written submission to the Finance and ExpenditureCommittee regarding The Taxation (Annual Rates, Savings Investment and MiscellaneousProvisions) Bill, which replaces Section CW 19 of the Income Tax Act 2004.Section CW 19 refers to exemptions of some income derived by New Zealand DefenceForce personnel while on overseas deployments.The key issues of in the Association’s submission were:The Association believes Clause 10; subsection one, should be amended to include NZPolice personnel, thereby affording them the same tax exemption status provisions asDefence Force personnel serving overseas.Working alongside Defence staffNZ Police personnel are involved in a number of overseas deployments and carryout a variety of operational and peacekeeping duties, often working alongside the NZDefence Force in areas such as Afghanistan, the Solomon Islands, Bougainville andmore latterly Timor Leste (East Timor).The volatile and unpredictable nature of these deployments involves considerable riskto police staff, the Association told the select committee.In its submission the Association also highlighted environmental risks, which Police stafffaced – such as cholera, typhoid, diptheria and hepatitis A – as part of the body recoveryand identification programme in Phuket after the tsunami there on Boxing Day 2004.Association representatives will be appearing before the Finance and ExpenditureSelect Committee to deliver oral submissions.ChristmasballotsChristmas ballots for the 2006-07holiday period have been drawn andall successful members should havebeen notified by now. Membersare reminded that they need to paytheir deposits to ensure their ballot isconfirmed and if they are not able totake up the ballot they are to contactthe Member Services Centre on0800 500 122 as soon as possibleso the ballot can be made available toother unsuccessful members.There are quite a few vacancies at thecampsites in Stanmore Bay. This isone of the best family holiday locationsin New Zealand with members able tohave a very economical holiday at asafe beach close to all amenities.September 2006211

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceThis column is written by a frontlinepolice officer. It does notrepresent the views or policies ofthe Police Association.Let the good times rollWell she’s a bewdy. I hear we are going back to Headquarters. PNHQ risesfrom the ashes and bugger the costs on stationery and signage - we are backto some good old-fashioned direction. That’s great news in this old hounddog’s book. For you lot who haven’t been shaving that long and are used tothe OoC version of things PNHQ is what we used to have in the good old days.See what happens when you get a couple of mainlanders in charge!Mind you, me sources tell me the paperwork at the castle is piling higherthan a Jaffa DC’s desk (no not a District Commander but one of them overworked northern trainee Feds) due to the disbanding of the Commissioner’sSupport Group. There’s been a few complaints but I think the boss is on awinner here, showing his own staff what the paper war is like out here in thetrenches. Good on ya mate!Caesar and CleopatraI am also reliably informed that this pay round has been left solely to thedynamic HR duo (aka W.A and L.P) in Molesworth Street to handle and theyaren’t looking very favourably at the 5% general wage increase being soughtby our valiant Association team. Forget that inflation is running at 4%, forgetthat house price rises are running at double digits annually, forget the ratesbills that are running at inflation plus extras, Hell just forget about your mostimportant resources that are making you look good!I won’t even mention the divide and conquering that is going on with those atthe top of their band or in the CIB – Oooops, maybe I just have. My apologiesfor engaging pen before brain but I’m not the only one at fault there!When you are not on $200,000-plus a year things look a little different fromwhere we sit. I mean to say; do you know how many of our lot receivingtraining at the College are getting the Government’s ‘Working for Families’package? I won’t go into the numbers being bandied about and good onthem, they deserve it, but there was a day when coppers were well paid... itisn’t so now. Things are even tuff down here in God’s Own.I saw the salaries comparison between MP’s and Senior Sergeants in the lastPolice News and I wondered to myself how that compares with our numberone copper’s pay rises over the same period?A quandaryCould it be described in any other way? One of our finest serving his communityon a day off responds to a life-threatening situation and takes emergencyequipment to save a life and gets EBA’d at the scene. None of us can condonethis but nearly all of us can understand the quandary. Great to see the supportfrom the community, the Police Association and his colleagues and I pray(literally) that commonsense prevails on this one and we don’t over-react atthe highest level in an effort to be whiter than Napisan.Oh, by the way, is it just me or are the media hyenas having a good old jab at our‘Broad sword’ lately? Take no nonsense boss. They only have sensationalismand papers to sell and are only interested in what they can get from thecommunity, not what they can give to it. The cup is half full not empty!Can you hear the drums Fernando? Yes it’s anABBA song.Yes, they are the best team in the world, full stop! The Tri Nations andBledisloe Cup silverware this year and the big one next year. The heart ispounding like a drum...I just cant wait. Though not sure about this Air NewZealand Cup yet…guess I’ll have to watch a bit more.HOLIDAY HOME AVAILABILITY– for bookings see: www.policeassn.org.nzSeptember October NovemberPAIHIA............................................ 5-7, 10-14, ...................................................8-9, 12, 16-19, 23-26 ..............................................5-10, 16, 21-22, 26-30STANMORE BAY ............................. 5-7, 10-14, 17-22, 24 ....................................8-20, 23-27, 28-31 .................................................1-3, 5-11, 14-16, 26-30AUCKLAND .................................... 5, 18, ............................................................18, ..........................................................................1-2, 5, 7-8,22WHANGAMATA ............................... 5-7, 10-13, 17-20 ..........................................6, 9-19, 24-31 .........................................................1, 5-17, 19-30MT MAUNGANUI ............................ 5-7, 10-14,17-18,21, 25 ................................1, 3, 9-11,15-19, 28-31 ...........................................1, 5-8,12-15,23,OHOPE ........................................... 5-6, 11-29 .....................................................2, 7-12, 15-19, 23-31 ..............................................1-10, 13-30ROTORUA ...................................... 5-6, 8-13, 17-21, ...........................................1, 8-12, 16-19, 23-26, 29-31 ..................................3, 5-9, 11-23, 26-30TAUPO ........................................... 5-6, 8, 14, 20,22 ............................................8-12, 16-19, 24-26,29,31 .......................................1, 5-8, 10, 12-16, 20-21,26,28-30TURANGI ........................................ 12, 21, ..........................................................8-12, 15-19, 22-26,28-31 .......................................1-8, 10, 12-23, 26-30NAPIER .......................................... 5-7, 17-21, ...................................................5, 8-11,24-26, 29-31 ..............................................1-2, 13-15, 19-23, 27-30PARAPARAUMU .............................. 10-12, 18-21, ...............................................8-12, 16-17, 23-26, 30-31 ......................................1-3, 5-6, 12-15, 21-22, 24, 27-30GREYTOWN .................................... 5-7, 10-13, 24 ...............................................8-12, 15-19, 23-26,29-31 .......................................1-2, 13-16,19-21, 27-30WELLINGTON ................................. 13-14, 21.......................................................8-9, 15,17 ...............................................................5, 19-22, 27-28,30NELSON ......................................... 6-8,14, 17-21, 29-30 .....................................1, 8-9, 15, 20, 23-26, 28-30 ....................................1, 15-16, 28-30HANMER SPRINGS ......................... 6-7, 10-11, ....................................................10, 24, 27, 29 ..........................................................5, 12, 14-15, 19-20, 22-23, 28-30CHRISTCHURCH ............................. 12-13, 17-19, ...............................................19, 23, 26, 30, .........................................................2,6, 12, 23,26-30TEKAPO ......................................... 5-7, 11-14, 29 ...............................................8-12, 16-18,23-26 ..................................................8-9, 12-13, 20, 27-28, 30WANAKA ........................................ 9, 13, 29 ........................................................18, 24-26,28-31 ......................................................1-3,19-23, 27-30CROMWELL ................................... 7-14, .............................................................8, 13, 15-19,23-26,30-31 .......................................5-9, 12-17, 22-23, 27-19QUEENSTOWN ............................... 5-8,13-16, ....................................................3-4, 12, 15,23,.........................................................Fully bookedTE ANAU ........................................ 5-7, 10-13, 16-24, ........................................4, 6-11, 13, 15-19,23-25, 27-29 .............................1-4, 6-19, 21-30DUNEDIN ....................................... 5-6, 9-11, 19-21,27, ......................................8-9, 12, 15,29-31 ....................................................1-2, 4, 6-7, 12,14,19-20, 23-24, 26-30212September 2006

POLICE COUNCIL OF SPORTTo contact the Police Council of Sport, call Alison Murray at the RNZPC. Ph: (04) 238-3139The Fencibles – off to the USAThe “Fencibles” -Auckland MetropolitanPolice Rugby Leagueteam are about todepart on a four-matchtour to the USA.The four games willtake place in Washington DC, Philadelphia and NewHaven-Connecticut, with the last game in New YorkCity.The team will be in New York on September 11and have been invited to take part in the officialNY City Commemorative Services for the victimsof the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The NZ police officers- Photo courtesy of Sarah Dempster - Auckland Photography Section.Auckland Police rugby league teamoff to United States for four matcheswill stand alongside police officers of their widerbrotherhood in those remembrance activities. Theymay be given an opportunity to lay a wreath.The Fencibles is made up of membersrepresenting all four of the Auckland Districts andwill be playing against a number of ex-pat Kiwis,especially when playing the New Haven-Warriors,which is a sister team to the NZ Warriors.Unbeaten to dateSeptember3rd – 5th Police Snowboarding – Cardrona Contact: Greg Murton, extn: 3640012th & 13th Police Skiing – Mt Ruapehu Contact: Malcolm Johnston extn: 36808.25th – 30th Police Hockey, women’s – Palmerston North, men’s – HamiltonContact: Pete or Lynda West extn: 65600October5th – 7th Police Rugby Challenge Cup Tournament – AucklandContact: Simon Scott extn: 940526th – 8th Police Squash – Taupo Contact: Geoff Duff, extn: 7430029th South Island Touch Tournament Contact: Anthony MawThe team played four matches prior to theirdeparture and are currently undefeated. BryanLaumatia has been named as the Tour captainand resident “funny guy” (at least he thinks so!)Police sports calendar2nd & 3rd5th – 7th28th & 29th16th – 18thEach team member has been involved infundraising. The Fencibles have had the supportof the NZ Warriors, who allowed them to sellraffle tickets at the gates for each of the Warriors’home games. The NZ Rugby League has officiallysanctioned the tour and CEO Sel Pearson has beeninstrumental in helping and guiding the team.Club Chairman, Tony Feasey, told Police Newsrecently: “We are taking an experienced sideincluding a number of players, who have playedor continue to play at representative or top level.Selector/coach Donovan Clarke faces no easy taskin selecting a team for each game as competitionfor team places is fierce.”NovemberCycling and MTB Champs – Rotorua Contact: David Hamilton,extn: 74060South Island Golf Tournament Contact: Graeme Barsanti,extn: 38060South Island Bowls – Christchurch Contact: Mick Tarling,(03) 355-51342007MarchNational Darts Tournament - AwanuiContact: Shane Godinet, (09) 409-8440Visit 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.September 2006213

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceAustralasian Police Cricket Tournamenton in Christchurch from 27 NovemberNZ Police are hosting the Australasian PoliceCricket Tournament in Christchurch from 27November to 1 December.The tournament is being organised by PaulJohannsen. The teams will be accommodatedat Ilam University and the matches will beplayed at the Ilam and Redwood Park groundsrespectively.Australia will be respresented by NSW, Victoria,Queensland, Western Australia, and SouthAustralia.The tournament fixtures feature one-day 50-over matches played to international rules.Elusive victoryNZ Police have competed in this tournament, whichis held every two years, since 1990. Although aPolice team has never won the tournament, Policeteams have been runners-up on two occasions.Competition is tough and generally the gamesare of a high standard, somewhere around minorrepresentative to ‘B’ level cricket.Expressions of interest are sought from playerswho are currently playing senior or premier levelclub cricket, or who have previously played cricketat those levels.Compeititon for team places is expected to behigh.Any player wishing to be considered forselection should contact either GeoffreyRinger on extension 95970 or TrevorFranklin on extension 90831. Both Trevorand Geoff can also be contacted via theLotus Notes system.Please provide a brief summary of your crickethistory and if you choose to do so, you can referus to a referee.Geoff Ringer will manage the side and TrevorFranklin is coach.Police Health Plan Ltd in conjunction withour Medical Advisors, Medilink, publishesarticles on medical issues that affect ourmembers.What is a hernia?Architects know that every building has its designweaknesses. These weaknesses may becomeobvious in the initial development and buildingstages, during maintenance and repair or with timecaused by the stresses from the environment.Humans are no different. Structural faults may beinherited or acquired. Such defects may causedistortion in the body’s framework, requiringcorrection by surgery. Common environmentalstresses for the body may be obesity, pregnancyand physical activity such as lifting and coughing.A hernia is a window of weakness in an internalstructure. Tissues forming a hernia protrudein a balloon-like fashion through the muscle ormembrane, which normally contains them.There are many types of hernia that occur in thehuman ‘building’. The most common are hiatus,diaphragmatic, umbilical, disc, incisional, inguinaland femoral hernias.Most hernias can be surgically repaired - thebigger the hernia, the more complex the repair.In some cases your surgeon may reinforce therepair with mesh. (Similar in concept to the rolesteel reinforcing has in the concrete structure of abuilding.) Mesh comes in various sizes and is anopen weave fabric which functions by providingadditional strength to weakened tissue.• Hiatus hernia – a portion of the stomachbulges through the chest opening/diaphragmwhere the food pipe/oesophagus passesthrough. This hernia, in some people,generates acid reflux and pains but for manythere are no symptoms. Surgery is often notrequired or advised.• Diaphragmatic hernia – is usually acongenital abnormality that develops duringpregnancy. A defect or hole is present in thebaby’s diaphragm. Organs from the abdominalcavity may move into the chest cavity. This maylead to the baby suffering breathing difficultiesdue to pressure on the lungs. Urgent surgeryis required.• Umbilical hernia – in children, this hernia maybe a congenital condition where a defect or holedevelops around the belly button/umbilicus.Many of these hernias tend to disappear bythe time the child is five years old, but a smallpercentage do require surgery.In adults, umbilical hernias are acquiredand relate mostly to obesity or may follow anumber of pregnancies.Adults also develop para-umbilical herniasthough they are less common. These arehernias near the belly button. They are causedby a defect in linea alba, a fibrous band thatruns down the midline of the abdomen. Thedefect is often congenital.• Disc herniation – also known as a ‘slippeddisc’. A disc is a flat fibrous ring with a jellylikecentre. Discs are found between thevertebrae/bones of the spine. Age may causediscs to degenerate. In some instances,the outer fibrous ring may tear allowing theinner jelly to be pushed out often into thespinal column and this may cause pressureon a nerve. This herniation will cause pain,numbness and/or weakness to the area thatthe nerve supplies.• Incisional hernias – occur where there isa weakness from incomplete healing of ascar or incision. Tissue beneath the incisionbulges causing distortion. With movement thisdistortion frequently becomes more evidentand may cause discomfort.There are two common types of hernias in thegroin. Both are caused by framework weaknessesand may become obvious at any age:• Inguinal hernias are more common in men,a natural weakness in the abdominal wallcaused by the inguinal canal. The inguinalcanal is a passage in the groin. This passageis larger in men and contains the spermaticcord. During development, the testes descendfrom the abdomen to the scrotum throughthe inguinal canal. Women have a smalleringuinal canal.Hernias occur when the tissues/organs fromthe abdomen push through the canal. Thehernias are usually identified as being a lumpin the groin, which commonly disappearswhen the person is lying down.• Femoral hernias are more common inwomen, a natural weakness in the abdominalwall caused by the femoral canal. The femoralcanal is a passage through the groin for thefemoral artery and vein. These blood vesselssupply blood to the pelvis and legs.Herniation occurs when the abdominaltissue/contents push through this weakness.Stresses of obesity or pregnancy are the likelycauses of a femoral hernia. The hernias areusually identified by a bulge on the upper partof the thigh, just below the groin.If you suspect you have a hernia you shouldconsult your General Practitioner.If you require assistance and/or additionalinformation please Email:helenb@medilink.co.nz oliver@medilink.co.nz© Medilink Limited 2006.214September 2006

Government has 2010 Policeratios goal in mindWhile Police recruitment and retention has beenunder the spotlight recently, in the background liesan even bigger part of the supply and confidenceagreement between NZ First and the Government– to bolster NZ Police sworn numbers to matchAustralian police-to-population ratios.NZ First Law and Order spokesman, Ron Mark,recently asked Minister of Police, Annette King,during question time in Parliament, to confirm thatthis objective was in the Government’s sights.The Police Minister was happy to do so.The tables below show the latest (June 2005)sworn police numbers for both Australia and NewZealand. These numbers are compared with thepopulations for both Australia and New Zealand.In Australia, the June 2005 ratio of population andsworn police was 411:1.New Zealand Police would require sworn numbersto be 9,933 to reach this Australian ratio. Thiswould require an extra 1,405 sworn NZ Police.These extra police would be additional to thealready promised 1,000 extra police.It should also be borne in mind that in severalAustralian states there are calls to boost policenumbers considerably. In NSW alone there havebeen recent calls for the Government to increasepolice numbers by 3,000 officers during this term.In order to honour the supply and confidenceagreement here, New Zealand figures will have tobe bolstered exponentially.Sources: *Sworn Police numbers including recruits from PoliceAnnual Reports.**Australian Population from Australian Bureau of Statistics.***New Zealand Population from Statistics New Zealand.Research supplied by Prue Wilson and Peter Agnew (NZ PoliceAssociation).Australian states/terrirotires Number of sworn police at June 2005*Victoria 10,964New South Wales 14,643Queensland 9011Western Australia 4392South Australia 4137Tasmania 1183Northern Territory 999Australian Capital Territory 571Australian Federal Police 3485Total Australian police 49,385Total Australian population 20,328,600**Ratio of population-to-sworn police 411:1New Zealand Police Number of sworn police at June 2005New Zealand 7528*Total New Zealand population 4,082,400***Ratio of population-to-sworn police 542:1The following table shows the ratio of population-to-police when the promised extra 1,000 police areadded to the total.Sworn New Zealand Police including extra 1,000 police 8528Ratio of population-to-sworn police 479:1New Zealand Police AssociationPLANNINGFOR YOURLIFE AFTERWORK?Are you a member of the GSFor the PSS?If you are, it is important youunderstand your choices. Thefinancial decisions you maketoday can have a major effecton your lifestyle in the future.Getting advice on how tomaximise your Police Superentitlement is essential.For a free initial consultation,speak to a Police FinancialPlanner today.0800 ON BEAT0800 662 328Police NI TouchRugby TournamentThe Police North Island Touch Rugby Tournamentis to be held on Friday, 17 November at theAnderson Park Sports Ground, Havelock North,Hawke’s Bay.Entry fee: $200 per teamThe tournament is open to all grades.Contact Bryan Smith, Flaxmere Police fordetails: Bryan can be contacted via the LotusNotes system or by ringing extension 66005or 027 4514 819.Police SI TouchRugby TournamentThis tournament is to be held on Sunday 29October at 9.30 a.m. at the Mandeville SportsGrounds, Ohoka, North Canterbury.Entry Fee: $200 per teamFree family entertainment with bouncy castle,face painting, horse rides, a lolly scramble andchildren’s races.Contact: Tony Maw at Rangiora Police fordetails: Email Anthony Maw via the LotusNotes system or ring him on extension 35783or 027 200 1311.Your future. Our focus.September 2006215

PoliceNewsThe Voice of Policeby Ricky CollinsThe busman’s holidayI’ve just recently returned from a two-week holidayin Australia that was mostly spent samplingAustralian wines at this year’s Wine Australia convention in Sydney,and visiting cellar doors in South Australia. I’m lucky that my wife hasa similar interest in wine, or devoting the majority of our holiday to justwine tasting could have been pushing the boundaries a bit. We didmanage to fit in several days shopping as well, which helped keep thepeace.Wine AustraliaIf you can imagine 350 of Australia’s best wineries under one roof, allvery keen for you to try their latest wines then that is Wine Australia. It’spredominantly a four-day trade fair, where overseas buyers and winemedia come along to taste and compare new wines. However, two ofthe four days are public days, where for a small fee you can join in thefun as well. I survived four days of intensive wine tasting by following afew guidelines that I’d recommend to anyone considering going to oneof these fairs. These included having a plan of what varieties, regions,and vineyards you want to check out; going along for only three or fourhours at a time as your palate can only take so much wine before itloses its sensory perception; and learning to spit. The spitting thing isreally important otherwise that many wines will definitely take its toll.It was a great few days, where I discovered some excellent new winesand met some great wine people. Wine Australia is held every twoyears, in either Sydney or Melbourne, and is well worth a visit.Touring the wine regionsIf four days at Wine Australia wasn’t enough, we decided to spend fivedays touring around the Adelaide Hill’s, McLaren Vale and the BarossaValley checking out a number of cellar doors. Attending Wine Australiawas great, but there’s nothing like visiting the wineries themselves.The Australian wine industry is going through some hard times at themoment, but you wouldn’t guess it. The receptions you receive at theircellar doors are fantastic and so are the wines. While I enjoy trying thedifferent wines on offer, I really enjoy talking with the cellar door staffand sharing a common interest. You get to meet some wonderful peoplewith great passion for their trade, especially once they discover youhave a genuine interest in wine. And after you’ve returned home, tastingwines from a winery that you’ve visited brings another dimension to thewine tasting experience. I’d thoroughly recommend a wine tour holidayof this area to anyone interested in learning more about Australianwines. South Australia is now that much easier to access, with AirNew Zealand scheduling regular direct flights between Adelaide andAuckland.Wine of the WeekCoriole Redstone ShirazCabernet 2004RRP $24One of the special cellar doorswe visited was Coriole in theMcLaren Vale. This wine reallycaught my eye, and for meepitomised a classic Aussiered. The blend is dominatedby young Shiraz fruit, whichis showing attractive textureand ripeness, full berryfruitflavours and moderate oak influence, and represents excellent valuefor money. This vintage has just been released in Australia, but willbe making its way to New Zealand shortly and will be distributed byVintners of Auckland.Willie Walker carries on his winning wayFlaxmere’s Willie Walker continued his run ofrecent success in the bodybuilding ranks (seeearlier article in the August Police News) bytaking the Men’s Novice Physique Class title atthe Hawke’s Bay Body Building Champs in Napieron 5 August. A week later he made it a double bytaking out the Masters’ Class at the Bay of PlentyChamps in Rotorua.There were a total of 60 competitors for bothevents.Willie is now focusing his attention maintaininghis winning streak in the NABBA National Champsin Palmerston North on 7 October.There has been a good response for a prospectivePolice Body Building competition next year. Moreinput from interested parties is expected over thecoming months before a venue and date for theevent can be finalised.Anyone wishing to make contact with WillieWalker about the prospective competiion shouldEmail him via Lotus Notes or ring extension66007 for further details.We remember…Who passed away…O’CONNOR John Francis 3-Jul-06 Retired member MelbourneHIBBS Janet Isa 31-Jul-06 Wife of member MosgielHUGHES David Ralph 7-Aug-06 Retired member WaikanaeHALPIN Ronald 13-Aug-06 Life member Auckland216September 2006

Study finds policemen athigher risk of cardiac arrestA recent study conducted by Wellington District Physical Education Officer, GrahamWallwork, and his PEO colleagues nationwide has found that sworn policemen arein a high-risk group for heart attacks.The Physical Education Group are particularly concerned at a recent trend ofolder policemen turning up to do their Physical Competence Test (PCT) withouthaving done any preparation for it.The PCT establishes a person’s ability to cope with routine physical tasks thatare part of frontline police work. All police officers have to pass the test everytwo years.The test involves12 physical tasks including a 200 metre run, pushing a trailer,walking along a raised beam, crawling under hurdles, and climbing through awindow. They are not considered by Police to be difficult tasks for people withaverage strength, fitness, balance and co-ordination.Health risksMr Wallwork told Police News that older male police officers were “at risk”and that PEO’s were finding that these officers’ health was “not too flash”.The issue of physical competence first arose after the 1981 Springbok Tourwhen many older police officers, who had been desk-bound for years, hadto rejoin the frontline – and many were found wanting in terms of physicalfitness. This in turn led to a study by a Massey University physiologist in1984, with the Physical Competence Test being introduced in early 1986after testing during the previous year.Mr Wallwork said that the rotational rosters that police officers work werecausing concern for their possible negative effect on officers’ health. The dropin recruitment standards was also of concern to PEOs. “We’re wondering, inthe light of this study, what is going to happen now,” Wallwork said. NZ Policeoperate rotational rosters where staff work three to five weeks on early shift,late shift and night shift in various patterns.Mr Wallwork said that adjusting to such rosters was challenging, especiallyfor those who were new to shift work such as newly sworn staff, non-swornwatchouse keepers, shift typists, staff who supported specialist squads andCommunication Centre staff, amongst othersBMI-cardiac risk correlationThe latest study examined the correlation between high Body Mass Index (BMI)and high cardiac risk for both sworn and non-sworn staff in the New ZealandPolice. The study is a strata study divided into gender and age groups usingthe test results from a random sample of over 3,000 tests done within thelast 24 months. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight thatapplies to both adult men and women. (Editor’s note: If you visit http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm you can calculate your own BMI).It is obtained by using the formula of weight (in kilograms) divided by theheight (in metres) squared. The cardiac risk is obtained by adding the scoresafter calculating a person’s health factors including:• age;• gender;• family history of heart disease;• whether they are smokers;• body composition (Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference);• blood pressure;• cholesterol levels;• blood sugar levels and family history of diabetes;• physical activity levels; and• stress tolerance levels.50-plus age group high riskThe results of the study showed that in the 50-plus age group (sworn) 38%of male police officers are obese and 58% had a high cardiac risk score.When you compare this group with their equivalent age group of non-swornpersonnel - only 18% of which are obese and 32% have a high cardiac riskprofile – indicating that there is cause for concern for sworn officers. Of thewomen in the 50-plus group, 16% of sworn and the same percentage ofnon-sworn were deemed obese while their respective cardiac risk factorswere identical – at 30%.New Zealand Police AssociationLooking at the results, male officers put on a substantial amount of weightin their late 20’s and 30’s and maintain this extra weight throughout the restof their careers. Overall, sworn police officers’ obesity level is 10% higherthan their non-sworn counterparts. Wallwork said that the study confirmedlinkages between the effects of shift work on disrupted sleep and eatingpatterns. There is also a tendency for everyone’s weight to increase with ageas depicted by the results of the study - but this does not necessarily need tohappen if people take some basic precautions.These include:• if you are a smoker – quit;• lose weight - particularly around the stomach/mid-section;• eat smart (a recent Tufts University (USA) study determined that peopleshould eat fruit and reduced-fat dairy products. High-fibre grains andlegumes can stem the tide of adult weight gain);• exercise regularly (at least four times a week);• drink less (no more than two small drinks a day for men and one a day forwomen); and• learn to relax to help deal with stress (a major killer for those in the job thatappear to be fit and healthy).Mr Wallwork said that there was nothing new in this message but police staffneeded to understand the dangers in their gaining weight.One of the first steps to better health would be taking a visit to your local PEOfor a quick health check - or by having a thorough medical check-up withyour doctor.1 2 3 4 5 6 789 101113 14 151917 181620 2122 23Clues:Across:1. Fors rather than againsts (4)3. Paper ant combination is rather obvious (8)9. Not required for work (3,4)10. Ward off (5)11. Emigrants ran together after indictings (12)13. Ban often breached around New Year (6)15. Dried fifty, and made funny prose (6)17. Renovates a hundred and four andbecomes a redneck? (12)20. Misuse something to the limit (5)21. Niggle fifty odd, and it starts mixingtogether (7)22. Ill-treating something perhaps? (8)23. Amongst (4)August answers:Across 11. Sea. 18. Untying.1. Pepper. 12. A.S.A.P 19. Etymologist.4. Splash. 13. ILL. 20. Reside.8. Partititioned. 14. Lieu 21. Asthma.10. Optical. 17. Tui.12Down:1. Something that you can go to Courton (8)2. Bid (5)4. To do ones trade (6)5. Intellectual enough to overcome writtenexams (12)6. Threw out (7)7. Carry (4)8. Brightness from being well lit up (12)12. Got your own back (8)14. Necessary for meetings to go ahead (7)16. State of rugby league in Australia (6)18. Language (5)19. Passive (4)Down1. Paperfastener2. Personalise3. Exists5. Panels6. Have a cupof tea7. Circulation9. Distinguish15. Buoyed16. MinorsSeptember 2006217

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.Growing pains;stop grumblingAs far removed as I might be from the frontline,I still maintain a finger on the pulse and justrecently one of my old bosses turned up forhis M4 transition course - not many inspectorsfront our training and as he told me, he seesit as very necessary for him to experience andunderstand the SSTT curriculum - so that hecan correctly investigate the PCA’s that he isgiven.The current media climate and publicperception of the Police and the job we dois pretty bad and I can’t help feeling that weare making a rod for our own backs when weopenly criticise each other and the hierarchy,with such reckless abandon.There are times when we need to step up andright the wrongs and there are times when weneed to be contrite. Nonetheless, we shouldalways be aware of the untold damage we aredoing to the Police service.The Police service is a living entity, evolvingand changing as old hands leave and new bloodjoin the ranks. A cop’s perception of the job andtheir own views of policing change with timeand length of service - it becomes easy to bevery critical of the police officer’s lot.As a trainer, I’m constantly seeing differentpeople, both junior and those long in the tooth,who express opinions both positive and not sopositive about their lot. Frankly, grumbling, issomething I don’t like much and I believe istaught to us by the old hands when we join thePolice! I far rather enjoy hearing the war storiesthat make me laugh until I hurt.CIB recently are standing out as the hard grafterswho are making the detective inspectors anddetective seniors look really good on the telly.It is good to see the confident and smug faces ofdetectives, who have caught their offenders, onthe six o’clock news. This job is about catchingcrooks, crooks and more crooks. Quota, quota,quota! I still remember what it is like to gohome after a late-shift with two or three goodarrests under the belt. What a great feeling thatis. I hope that is still how we all feel? Otherwisesomeone’s in the wrong job.We used to be known as a pretty staunch crowd.If we still want this persona, we need to put ourheads down and run silently for a while andlet the results speak for themselves. We need tolook after each other and leave the issues to thePolice Association to carry forward.To those grumblers both in and out of the jobleave my beloved Police service alone.Nick Hall(Auckland)A sad state of affairs?We are writing in response to “Jayne” of Katikati(Letters to the Editor, August issue). It is indeeda sad state of affairs when we get to read letterssuch as Jayne’s in the Police News.We are disappointed in Jayne and her positionthat the Police are responsible for “letting” hersons go! The reality is that her sons chose toleave; their motivations for this may have beenbased on remuneration, and no doubt theson currently training for an Australian PoliceService will learn that it is “same job, differentplace” sooner or later. He will no doubt,somewhere in the future, feel let down andfrustrated by his new employer, as many of hiscounterparts have already found when going toPolice services in different parts of the world.For confirmation seek out some of the Englishpolice officers that have been recruited to NZPolice.Having had contact with some Australian Policeservices, we can tell you that it is rewarding towork in a service that does not have the need toregularly integrity test every member, and thatenjoys the support of the public to the levelthat the New Zealand Police do. We can see noreason why an applicant for the Police shouldbe dismissed out of hand simply becausehe or she may have to use vision aids or isasthmatic. When reading the responses to thissubject from the Board of Commissioners, thestandards haven’t altered, only the opportunityto recruit has.The really disappointing thing about Jayne isher view in regard to the merger of the Policeand the Ministry of Transport, but even moredisappointing after some 14 years is that youchose to publish that. We can tell you thatneither of us has ever been motivated beforeto write to any media publication, except inan official capacity for work related matters,but it troubles us (as we would expect that itwould other former Traffic Safety Service staff),that you allowed the publication of the lastparagraph of Jayne’s letter – being the referenceto our “Gestapo-like” image.We are disappointed that the Police News, apublication that as Association members weobviously help publish, allows its membersto be referred to as Nazis, because that is theimplication. Surely, after 14 years, we are allheartily sick and tired of this hobby horse, Jayneshould accept that her sons made their decision,as did the politicians that brought about themerger. The E in front of our collar numbersmeans “experience”, perhaps it is better that weuse it to make the Police a better organisation,and our representatives acknowledge that also.Gavin CampbellStu Britnell(Counties-Manukau)Thanks for your letter. The letter by “Jayne” in thelast Police News was a personal opinion, just asyour letters are. Where possible we try to ensurethat this forum gives correspondents – often withopposing opinions – an equal opportunity toexpress them. No offence was intended with thepublication of Jayne’s letter. That about 80 cents ofyour Association fees helps pay for the publicationof Police News gives your opinion no more weightin this forum than any other correspondentand nor should it. Your argument for nonpublicationof an honestly held opinion by anothercorrespondent is akin to a speeding motorist sayingto you that they shouldn’t get a ticket because hisor her tax dollars help pay your wages. Jayne’sopinion on the traffic merger and subsequentperceptions about what the public may previouslyhave thought about traffic officers are her own andwhether we agree with Jayne’s sentiments or not isnot the point – freedom of expression is sacrosanctin any democracy and with that principle offreedom of speech and opinion in mind yourrespective views have now been aired for readers toconsider. – Editor.In reply: Heather Ruddell, Marie Moody andSteve McLardy. Thanks you for your lettersand opinions, they are noted and respected– please see above.Arthritis – every person’sexperience is differentStuart Main (Letters to the Editor, Police News,August issue) wrote about his experiences witharthritis and I would like to take the opportunityto reply.Stuart touched upon many issues of his ownpersonal case.When an article is written for publication thereare obvious restrictions in terms of space butthe articles must be factually correct, as we areopen to challenge from the medical profession,and they must not contain a bias, humanly,professionally or ethically.It is also extremely important not to generatefear and mistrust in people by bold, inexactstatements. By the same token, it is importantto encourage an understanding of a conditionand encourage people to look at their approachto life and to ask the appropriate and relevantquestions.Every person is an individual. Medicine andhealth are very complex sciences and what isright for one is not right for another person.Medicine is restoring and preserving healthwhere as health is soundness of the body andits functions.The role of a health professional is not to inflicttheir personal views on any one individual.Their role is to ensure that each individualgets the appropriate advice and treatment forthem as a patient. The advice may vary betweenpatients with similar conditions, according tothe individual’s needs.I am sorry that Stuart’s GP did not providehim with the solutions he needed to regain hishealth. GP’s have a huge range of expertise.Patient GP relationship is extremely importantand if you do not have a beneficial relationshipthen it is the individual’s responsibility to reviewthe path they are taking. To blame a GP or writeoff GP’s in general is similar to writing off thewhole of the Police because of the actions ofone police officer.Health is a partnership but the greatestresponsibility lies with the individual.218September 2006

Not all GP’s have knowledge of soil science andnor are they expected to have knowledge in thisarea. We do not know everything and never willduring our short interlude on this planet.Arthritis has more than two presentations,osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are themost common forms, but there are other typeswith many known and unknown triggers.I’m fully aware of the research into diet and soildeficiencies but a lot of this research is in itsinfancy. International research does providesome information but New Zealand soil types/chemistry are individual.With regard to treatments, none of the articleswritten examine treatment. There is no one sizethat fits all and therefore it is inappropriate toembark on recommendations for treatmentpractices.Some of the contributing factors that effecttreatment are: genetic history, medical history,age, sex, weight, occupation and all the lifestylecomponents such as regular eating, type ofeating, exercise, stress, smoking, alcoholconsumption, illicit practices and then and onlythen, once the chemical pathology is obtained,can an informed decision be embarked upon.I have written in many articles that: “you arewhat you eat”. Lifestyle and knowledge oflifestyle is personal and it is an individual’sresponsibility to research, learn or find theappropriate assistance.I’m extremely pleased that Stuart is well,participating in life and found a solution tocombat his arthritis.His reaction to his ill health tells me he has atremendous inner strength and that he usedevery resource available to find a solution, whichworked for him. Not everyone has those abilitiesand that is one of the reasons that, when writingan article, extreme professionalism is important.To put it another way, if someone has brokenthe law, you cannot accuse them outright of themisdemeanor, you have to interview, examineand gather the facts to present a case to obtaina positive result. Health has a similar pathwaywith many similar parallels. As it is with anyindividual in the community to be law abiding,it is with every individual to monitor theirlifestyle – to follow the rules.Long may Stuart’s good health continue withthe ownership of his lifestyle.Helen Beattie(Medilink)Keep it realRecently, we have been asked by National HRManager Wayne Annan to help contribute toour recruiting by each officer recommendinga person, a friend or a peer, who would be acandidate for joining the New Zealand Police.This would give us an additional 10,000candidates to help in the quest for more officerswe were told. I remember being told earlier inmy policing career not to bring problems to thetable but rather bring solutions. My problemwith, and solution to our recruiting woes isthis…I have five close friends, same age, all of whomwould make excellent police officers and twoof whom have considered the option before.Three now have family, two don’t. All aresolid, law-abiding New Zealanders who havesupported me in my career and are still proudto introduce me as a mate and a police officerin the same sentence. All have good jobs in avariety of businesses, some qualified, some not.All of them earn more than me, with relevantbenefits. These friends work just as hard intheir jobs, they’re dedicated people who alsowork long hours and of course complain fromtime to time as all employees do.So how do I recommend a career to them thatinvolves shift work with two weekends off infive; 10-hour shifts; on-call work; no overtimepayments; no bonuses; no company car; ahierarchal structure that only promotes ontired exams; no childcare benefits; a five-monthinduction course at even lower wages; careeradvancement and training that involves doingthe job first and passing the training course ata later date (all ranks above constable); wagesbelow what they are earning now and finallyyou get to deal with a majority of people whoare violent, intoxicated, mentally disturbed orjust lie to your face.Sure I can promote the job on extra holidayweeks, a good super scheme and greatcolleagues, helping victims and the rewards thatcome with a lock up, doing it for a challengeand of course to make NZ a better place forus to live, but these guys are intelligent, levelminded realists, ironically, just the thing thatwould make them good officers. Would youjoin a company based on these facts?My employer gave me a job on the basis that Ihad the desired level of integrity and honestyto uphold my position. In this regard, I couldnot honestly recommend the career of a policeofficer to any of my friends at this point in time.So, here’s my solution. I am not universityqualified but I managed to work out thefollowing in layman’s terms.Currently the inflation rate is 4%. Wage increaseshave not been holding against inflation and eventhe current Police Association stance of 5% plus5%, with 1.5% loading on increment levels, willonly give us an overall 5% rise over two years inreal income (inflation being constant at 4%).The solution to the recruitment and attritionproblems is to pay the troops a significant acrossthe board wage increase. You will attract betterapplicants; keep those in the job who enjoy thework, and those who are considering leaving.Financially, it must be cheaper to increasewages for current staff than to recruit and trainreplacements. If you lower the attrition rateyou lower the recruitment target accordingly.I regret that in the near future, with plans forfuture investments and a family, I will be forcedbecause of low remuneration, to look for bettercareer options and pay. My partner earns morethan me, and I know there are increasingly moreof us in this position. For some of us, probablymore than we realise, this wage round will bethe nail in the coffin for our police careers.For those who read where I’m stationed andthink he has it good anyway, I do. I enjoy thejob and am stationed in a great place but Ipay the same high mortgages and rates as myAuckland colleagues and our cost of living isbloody high. We couldn’t live here without twoincomes, just like the cities, but I know if wehave to drop one income, or follow one careerpath, whose job it will be that will have to go.Mike Thomas(Wanaka)Valuing your staffI read with interest and a touch of sadness yourarticle about recruitment and retention (JulyPolice News). I joined the Police in 1978 (at theripe age of 20) and left in 1994, mainly becauseI wanted a home and work-life balance.I have no criticisms or regrets about my timein the Police. I have never regretted leaving tomove onto greener pastures either.New Zealand Police AssociationWhat I have had the pleasure to learn, as amanager of people, is that the only way youattract and retain staff is to practice ‘goodemployer’ principles.Good leadership is the key to retaining andattracting staff. It’s as simple as building andmaintaining good relationships with thepeople who not only work with you, but moreimportantly those who work for you. Youknow, the crucial ones at the ‘coal face’ thattake most of the proverbial punches. Mightsound too ‘touchy feely’ for some of you, butjust take a couple of minutes and ask yourselfwhen was the last time you were thankedor acknowledged for a job well done, bothpublicly and personally and how that made youfeel? You may be one of those rare, fortunateand highly evolved humans who don’t need tobe acknowledged for good work. Lucky you.Policing is challenging and just about everyincident you sucessfully manage with goodoutcomes deserves praise, no matter whatit is or where it happens. I know how hardyou work. And I’m not just talking about thenumber of arrests you make or how manyHigh Court trials are sucessful. A “thank you”and “well done” on a daily basis for staff thathave achieved, goes a long way to keeping anyperson working within any organisation. Thatwas a rare leadership quality in the Police whenI was there.It’s about making your staff feel valued. Simplecommon courtesies between staff at all levels ofany organisation still means something, mostespecially when you are under extraordinarypressure to perform in the face of sometimesharsh media and public attention. Don’t makethe mistake of letting the bad behaviour ofsome of your “clients” negatively influence howyou treat each other.If good staff feel that they have the confidenceand trust of an employer, they will weather thestorms, hold their heads up and continue towork for the people who really matter, even inthe face of extreme adversity.People who are passionate about the workthey do don’t do it just for the money. Fostertheir passion and commitment to do well.Provide clear career and development paths,provide opportunies for staff to move forwardwith confidence, and provide and share cleardirection and vision and set realistic goals.Above all else, treat your people well. Makeevery effort as Police leaders to “serve andprotect” your staff. Let’s practice what wepreach. Have an inclusive culture wherestaff feel they belong (culturally, socially andeconomically) to the point that it will becomevery obvious who does not and should not beworking for the Police.So, get rid of the “blame” culture, start owningup to mistakes (we all make them), apologiseand fix them.This is not rocket science, if the New ZealandPolice want to continue to attract and retainexemplary people into the Police and build areputation as an “excellent employer” it shouldstart by providing exemplary leadership with“good employer” practices. Start now.“Simple Simon”(Auckland)September 2006219

PoliceNewsThe Voice of Police• THEY RECRUIT THEM YOUNGTHESE DAYS: Eight-month old OscarBeattie, son of Detective Sergeant DavidBeattie and Constable Carlene Beattie,of Taupo, seems to be showing a gooddeal of interest in the Police News storyon recruitment and retention in theJuly issue. Well, they do say that policeofficers are the best recruiters.THE NEW ZEALANDPOLICE ASSOCIATIONLEGAL OFFICERWe seek a talented person to join our Industrial Team.Applicants for the position will need:• A law degree;• Practical employment law and advocacy experience;• Experience in solving employment based problems;• The capacity to deliver training;• A strong empathy for the work of Police staff;• Strong interpersonal and team skills;• Well developed oral and written communication skills; and• Self-motivation, initiative and energy.The successful applicant will be performing a range of legalduties, such as providing legal advice, (both complex and routine),interpreting agreements, and conducting employment cases.In addition, he or she will be expected to assist (from a legalperspective) with the more general work of the Industrial Team as awhole, including responding to queries, representative training, and arange of policy and strategic work.The Police Association represents the employment interests of 9,500Police officers and civilian staff at all levels in the NZ Police.For further information on the Police Association see:www.policeassn.org.nzWritten applications including a CV should be sent to NZ PoliceAssociation, Box 12344, Wellington, Attention: Debbie Wing. For ajob description or to email your CV, email dwing@policeassn.org.nz.Applications close Monday 18 September 2006Useful Information & ContactsAssociation and Police Welfare Fund:Immediate industrial & legal advice (only formatters that cannot be deferred such as Policeshootings, fatal pursuits or deaths in custody)can be obtained by ringing 0800 TEN NINE(0800 836 6463)Police Network 44446 Website www.policeassn.org.nzFreephone 0800 500 122 Police Home Loans 0800 800 808Police Health Plan/Staffpac Insurance Police Credit Union 0800 429 000Quotes & information 0800 500 122 or (04) 472 9645or Fax (04) 496 6819 Credit Union www.policecu.org.nzStaffpac claims 0800 110 088 GSF information 0800 654 731All enquiries (04) 496 6800 PSS information 0800 777 243Vice PresidentsRichard Middleton (027) 277 9846Stuart Mills (027) 268 9416Field 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, Canterbury and Southern Districts: Dave McKirdy (027) 268 9410Regional DirectorsRegion One Steve Hawkins Whangaparoa (027) 268 9419Region Two Mark Leys Papatoetoe (027) 268 9413Region Three Mel Ridley Tauranga (027) 268 9414Region Four Chris Cahill Napier (027) 268 9415Region Five Ron Lek Wellington (027) 268 9417Region Six Craig Prior Sumner (027) 268 9412Region Seven Tracey Maclennan Invercargill (027) 268 9418220September 2006