Police News April 05.indd - New Zealand Police Association

NEW ZEALANDpoliceassociationVolume 38, Number 3, April 2005Outnumbered- Photo courtesy of NZ Herald.Association launches “Fund the frontline” campaignPage 49 Page 50 Page 54PCA investigation Are we getting Association callsdelays result in just the tip of for 540 extrastress for members a meth iceberg? frontline officers

April 2005Police News The Voice of Police■Industrial newsCONTENTSAssociation looking at work/life balance options .....................................................47How legal assistance works for you .........................................................................48Delays in PCA investigations causing stress .............................................................49GSF transfers update ...............................................................................................5350THE METH DISTRIBUTORS54FRONTLINE PRESSURES■■General newsBoston Police stop using pepper spray guns ...........................................................48Four RCMP officers killed in drug raid .....................................................................52Action against the sexual abuse of children .............................................................53LAPD Chief calls for 3000 more police officers ........................................................56NZ’s most important problem ................................................................................57LAPD considers ‘virtual policing’ .............................................................................57Youth Drug Court shows some promise ..................................................................57Compromise in LAPD disciplinary material ..............................................................59■FeatureAre we getting just the tip of the methamphetamine iceberg? ................................50Gangs moving into PR mode ............................................................................ 51/52Association launches “Fund the frontline” campaign ........................................ 54/55ColumnsFrom the President .................................................................................................47I Am Keen (View from the bottom) .........................................................................56Keen on Wine .........................................................................................................58Health Watch – wine and you .................................................................................58Spicers – what is behavioural finance? ....................................................................61Letters to the Editor .......................................................................................... 63/64■Sport/EntertainmentCopper’s crossword ................................................................................................59Sports news ...................................................................................................... 60/61Book review – Mesquite Smoke Dance ....................................................................6260SURF’S UPNZ Police AssociationPolice News is thenewsletter of the NewZealand Police Associationand incorporates the NewZealand Police Journalfirst published in 1937.Editor: Steve PlowmanApril 2005, Vol. 38, No.3ISSN 1175-9445Deadline for next issue Monday, April 18, 2005.Published by the New Zealand Police AssociationP.O. Box 12344, Willbank House,57 Willis Street, Wgtn.Phone: (04) 496 6800, Facsmile: (04) 471 1309Email: editor@policeassn.org.nzWebsite: www.policeassn.org.nzPrinted by City Print Communications, Wgtn.Opinions expressed are not necessarilythose of the Association.COPYRIGHT: NZPA Police News must not bereproduced in part or as a whole without theformal consent of the copyright holder - the NewZealand Police Association.■Welfare/NoticesMemorial wall .........................................................................................................52Revocable Nomination Forms and why they are so important .................................52Holiday home availability ........................................................................................60Useful Information & ContactsAssociation and Police Welfare Fund: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 PresidentsGeoff Smith (027) 268 9417Richard Middleton (027) 268 9411Field OfficersNorthland and Auckland Districts: Stewart Mills (027) 268 9407Waikato, BOP and Eastern Districts: Eric Newman (027) 268 9408Central and Wellington Districts: JJ Taylor (027) 268 9409Tasman, 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 Stuart Mills Office of Com (027) 268 9416Region Six Craig Prior Sumner (027) 268 9412Region Seven Dave Steel North Dunedin (027) 268 941846

New Zealand Police AssociationSecondhand Dealers and Pawnbrokers’Act designed to stymie burglarsBy Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsLegislation passed recently is aimed atmaking it harder for burglars to disposeof stolen property via secondhand dealersand pawnbrokers.“The Secondhand Dealers andPawnbrokers’ Act is part of widergovernment action to help police crackdown on burglary - efforts which arealready resulting in significantly fewerburglaries and more cases being solved.This new law can only result in furtherimprovements,” Minister of Justice, PhilGoff said shortly after the legislation waspassed.“There have been a number of recentlegislative initiatives aimed, in wholeor part, at combating property crime,including the recent DNA legislation,which can now be used to link suspectsto burglaries.“This Bill will make it harder for criminalsto dispose of stolen goods throughsecondhand dealers and pawnbrokers,and make it easier for police to recoverFrom the PresidentDeputies are dispatched to sing thegovernment line: “More cops than ever,less crime.”Why does the Commissioner insist onassuring the politicians and the publicthere are plenty of frontline police?I can understand the Minister doingit; he’s a politician and it’s his job toconvince everyone his government isdoing a wonderful job protecting thepublic and that there are plenty ofpolice.But when concerned citizens, includingmayors, approach the Commissionerwith their concerns about lack ofpolice on the street, he reassures themeverything is okay.So those Sergeants and Senior Sergeantsstruggling to fill I-cars have their pleasfor more staff ignored. Worse still,anyone attempting to advocate to theBoard of Commissioners (BOC) formore frontliners is accused of negativityand told to police smarter.Deputies are dispatched to sing thegovernment line: ‘More cops than ever,less crime.’stolen goods and to solve propertycrimes,” Mr Goff added.Conditions tightenedThe Bill establishes the followingmeasures:• Dealers will have to sight approved photoID and record the contact details andsignature of everyone selling them articles.• Five-year licenses for dealers andpawnbrokers will replace current lifetimeones, renewable only after dishonesty/character checks.• Staff accepting goods, or supervising theacceptance of goods, will require certificatesand will undergo character checks similarto those for a licence holder.• Licenses and certificates will be in photo IDform, with details recorded on a centralisedelectronic register.• Businesses will have to keep records ofemployees’ names, addresses, phonenumbers and certificate numbers.Sadly, this just impacts on thecredibility of the 8th floor at OoC.These are the same people whodismissed Association claims thatmethamphetamine was a problem. Asthe ad says – Yeah right.Here is the problem. Politicians havedecided that reducing volume propertyoffending is their priority, and thepolice have bought into it. Throughtagged funding, they have diverted stafffrom section patrols and general crimeinvestigations.While volume property crime hasreduced, so has police visibility and theservice we offer to the public, especiallyour emergency response capability.Serious assaults have risen drasticallyand the public don’t feel any safer.The police reputation reduces andlocal body politicians, in particular,don’t believe the OoC line, which is ofcourse, the Government line.April 2005• Internet auctioneers and promoters ofmarkets and fairs will have to keep recordsof who is selling secondhand goodsthrough their event.• The existing, outdated list of furs, suits andgramophones will be replaced with a moregeneralised list of goods that must be retainedfor 14 days to enable police checks. The newlist includes items frequently targeted byburglars such as compact discs, computers,and DVD players.• Police will be able to inspect on demand allregisters and goods held for sale.• Penalties will be increased from thecurrent maximum of $200 to $20,000 forunlicensed dealing or pawnbroking, or$10,000 for not keeping a register.Previously, pawnbrokers and secondhanddealers were subject to the provisionsof the outdated Pawnbrokers Act1908. Pawnbrokers will have to holdpledged items for at least three months.Unclaimed items must then be offeredfor sale via public or Internet auction,unless the pawnbroker and pledgerreach agreement for an immediate andunconditional cash sale. If the redemptionprice is not reached at auction, thepawnbroker is then able to sell the goods.What needs to happen?The Commissioner needs to standup to the Government and decidehis priorities and advocate for moreuntagged staff to go on the frontline tobolster sections, in particular; and notjust a hundred - but thousands.If we move staff from the volumeproperty crime area, these offences willjust increase again. By boosting ourpolice-to-population ratios to even nearthe rest of the developed world, we willbe able to reduce and resolve crime inall areas. At the moment, our policeto-populationratios are the worst in theWestern world.Either way, unless OoC changeemphasis from trying to reassure thepoliticians to reassuring the public,then their credibility will erodecompletely, especially with their staff,the public and key leaders in thecommunity. Anything less is sellingNew Zealand short. ‘Clean, green andsafe’ needs to be our motto. Safety doesnot come from hollow reassurancesfrom government or OoC. It comesfrom having visible and effectivepolice.47

April 2005Police News The Voice of PoliceHow legal assistance works for youOver the last financial year theAssociation provided legal assistance to154 members, at a cost of $343,951,for the defence of matters arising out oftheir role and functions in Police.Incidents that caused these legal issuesranged from motor vehicle crashes tothe shooting of offenders.So what is ‘legal assistance’ and howdoes it work?Legal assistance is available to allAssociation members. It involvesa contribution to the costs of legalcounsel (where approved by the Boardof the Association) to support andrepresent members of the Associationwho are facing investigation or charges“where the matter giving rise to thecharge or charges arose out of themember’s employment with Police”(Rule 104(a)) or “in any other caseinvolving exceptional circumstanceswhere the matter involves a principleof general interest to members” (Rule104(b)).Legal assistance is not available forgeneral industrial matters such as thepursuit of a personal grievance. TheAssociation’s Industrial team or FieldOfficers deal with these.Three stepsThere are up to three steps involvedin the legal assistance process. Thefirst is known as ‘delegated authority’.Directors, Field Officers and otherselected individuals have been given“delegated authority”. This allows amember in serious and immediateneed of assistance to have one ofthese delegated individuals engagea lawyer to assist the member for aninitial consultation or attendance atan interview. The Association pays thecosts incurred with this initial supportprovided under a field delegation.There is no requirement for a legalassistance application to be completedfor this support. However, if the matteris not disposed of by these initial stagesand further assistance is required, thenthe procedures in Rule 104 (c), (d) and(e) apply.Where a matter is either not urgent orhas not been disposed of through fielddelegation, the member must completean application for legal assistanceform. These are available from localAssociation representatives or FieldOfficers. The member completesthe application, which is submittedto the local Association committeefor consideration. This application,along with the local committee’srecommendation, is then submitted tothe Board of the Association.Eligibility and quantumAt this stage, legal assistance is a twostepprocess – eligibility and quantum- usually separated by a period of time.The Board will first consider theeligibility of an application forassistance and will grant, or maydecline, “reasonable legal assistance”.At this stage we communicate with themember, and their legal counsel, as thematter proceeds.Once the matter is concluded, theBoard will then consider the issueof quantum “having regard to themerits of the case and in particular theconduct of the member” (Rule 104(d)),determining what proportion of thecosts incurred will be funded by theAssociation.”While in well over 80 percent ofapplications full quantum of costsincurred is granted, there are occasionswhen less is awarded. Quantummay revolve around an issue incircumstances, such as where theconduct of the member has had anoverriding influence on the outcome,where the conduct of the defencehas been unduly prolonged (suchas ongoing and unnecessary judicialreviews or challenges). Or the counselused by the member is not considerednecessary or appropriate, such as usinga QC to defend a minor driving charge.Generally, where less than full quantumis awarded, this has already beensignalled to the member prior to theBoard determination.It is important that members noteand understand that approval ofeligibility is not a promise to payfull quantum. It is also important tonote that liability for payment of allaccounts remains with the memberuntil the Board determines the matter ofquantum.Selection of legal counselExcept for the provision of a solicitorthrough the field delegation, theAssociation will not engage asolicitor on your behalf. While thechoice of a lawyer is ultimately up tothe member, we do prefer membersto use lawyers who are experiencedin dealing with matters relating toPolice members. To that end, we retaina network of lawyers who have thespecialist expertise in representingmembers of Police. The Associationis happy to refer members to theselawyers.The nature of policing means membersof Police, both sworn and non-sworn,more readily face misconduct andneglect of duty allegations than otheremployees. Police hold special powers.Many jobs involve confrontationalencounters with members of the public.Policing also demands high standards ofconduct, and the behaviour of membersof Police, both on and off-duty, is amatter of considerable public interest.Members are always vulnerable toaccusations of the use of excess forcein effecting arrests and dealing withviolent confrontations. Such allegationsare extremely easy to make and hard torefute. While convictions in such casesare rare, legal bills can quickly reach inexcess of $30,000. Police Associationmembership is as essential as anyother form of protection for membersto avoid potentially ruinous legal billssustained in defending such charges.If you think you might need legalassistance contact an Associationrepresentative immediately. Making thiscontact early assists us to ensure youhave the most effective support andrepresentation available.Boston police stop using pepper spray guns after student diesAs a result of a recent death involvinga pepper spray gun, Boston policehave decided to swtich to a weaponthat fires pellets at low velocity instead.Associated Press reported that pelletsfired by the new weapons will makeless of an impact than those shot by theguns.A student was killed recently whenpepper sprayed by a police officer at arowdy celebration after a baseball matchbetween the Boston Red Sox and theNew York Yankees.Tens of thousands of fans poured intothe streets around the Fenway Parkstadium to celebrate the win by TheRed Sox. Some revelers set small fires,threw bottles at police and vandalizedproperty.Police officers fired pepper-spray pelletsinto a crowd, hitting 21-year-oldEmerson College student VictoriaSnelgrove, of East Bridgewater, in theeye. She died later at a nearby hospital.An investigation is continuing intoSnelgrove’s death, which sparkedoutrage about police tactics. Theincident led to the mayor and barowners agreeing on restrictions totry to keep fans from getting out ofcontrol.48

New Zealand Police AssociationApril 2005Delays in PCA investigations causing stress for membersBy Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsImagine the outcry if a defendant in acriminal case had to wait several yearsbefore a judge or jury determined theirguilt or innocence.Imagine how stressful that would be ifyou were the defendant.Defence lawyers would no doubt bearguing unnecessary delay under the Billof Rights, which states that an accusedperson has the right to be tried without“undue delay”. In several cases, defencelawyers have asked the court to dismisscharges against their client on this basis.Last year, several defence lawyers saidthat they were looking at testing the Billof Rights “undue delay” interpretationfor clients who were facing charges ofmanufacturing methamphetamine butwho had not had their day in court due toESR testing backlogs.But, at the same time, some police officersfacing allegations, which have become thesubject of PCA investigations, have beenwaiting several years to hear whether theywill face disciplinary action.Stressful timePolice officers faced with such accusationsknow only too well that it could costthem their jobs and, not surprisingly, it isa stressful time for them and their familieswhile they await the outcome. Membershave complained to the Associationthat stress is being compounded byunacceptable delays in the investigationprocess.The concept under which the PCA operatesis that it should act independently inperforming its statutory functions andduties. Yet, the reality is that the PCA isunwilling to make a determination onmatters still before other agencies (e.g.criminal or civil court action or a Coroner’sinquest). Some members have expressed aconcern that this makes the PCA look as if itis “riding on the coat tails of other agencies”.The perfect example of such delays is thepolice shooting of Stephen Wallace atWaitara in 2001. The PCA’s determinationon complaints against the police officerinvolved, despite the fact that the officer wasfound not guilty in a private prosecutiontaken by the Wallace family, is still held uppending a Coroner’s inquiry.Overly cautious approachThe Police Association views thisapproach as being overly cautiousand a contributing factor in long andunnecessary delays. The Association isaware of cases dating back several years,which the PCA is yet to report on. Onerelates to an allegation made in 1999.Section 30 of the Police ComplaintsAuthority Act (1988) says that theAuthority must “conduct the investigationwith due expedition”.In his Annual Report, the Authority,Judge Ian Borrin, makes reference to thedifficulty of ensuring what he terms “thetimely disposal of complaints”.Judge Borrin goes on to report that:“As most complaints continue to beinvestigated by the Police in the districtwhere they arose, it is very much inthe hands of the district how quicklythe investigation is carried out.” ThePCA cites the circumstances of thecomplaint and district workloads as beingcomplicating factors in this process.Judge Borrin’s report says that the“volume of work” and “the limitedresources of theAuthority” arefactors, whichcontribute to delaysbeyond the 28 daysagreed betweenthe PCA and theMinistry of Justicewhen the Authoritywas established.Judge Borrin saysother factors areat work too. “If• Ian Borrinfurther investigation or re-investigation isrequired, as is not infrequently the case,then delay occurs.”Time lapsesJudge Borrin concedes that acomplainant’s satisfaction with the timelydisposal of the complaint will be affectedby the time that elapses from the time ofthe complaint until its resolution.The PCA’s investigations are, in part,dependent on the speed at which Policeinvestigations are completed. After afile is completed at district level it isforwarded to the Professional StandardsSection of the Office of the Commissionerfor review before being sent to the PCAfor its final independent review. Policeworkloads can compound this process.For instance, Police News has learnedthat the PCA was for a time unable toprogress its investigations relating toofficers in the Hawke’s Bay due to seniorpolice staff, who would normally dealwith such matters, being assigned to theJack Nicholas homicide inquiry for quitelengthy periods.One of the spinoffs, relating to the presentdelays, is that recommendations from thePCA about improvements that shouldbe made to Police practice or policy,stemming from a PCA investigation, canbe outdated and effectively irrelevantby the time they would normally beimplemented. Police News understandsthat the PCA has recently taken toproviding Police with recommendationsabout changes to practice and policy butonly in cases where the PCA’s actionswould not pre-empt issues, which mayhave to be determined by a court.The PCA’s Annual Report for the yearended 30 June 2004 says that more than30% of cases took in excess of 28 daysto report on. These figures only take intoaccount the delays that occur once aninvestigation is complete.Section 30 (c) of the Act also requires theAuthority to “in every case inform theparties concerned, as soon as reasonablypracticable after the conclusion of theinvestigation, and in such manner asit thinks proper, of the result of theinvestigation”.Delays in minor casesLooking at an example of a PCAinvestigation can give an idea of thereality of the situation, which lies behindthese figures. Police News is aware of aPCA investigation that was carried out asa result of a minor language and use offorce complaint at a disorder incident. Acomplaint was made against an officer inSeptember 2002. An investigation wascompleted and reported back to the PCAby late January 2003. The PCA did not,however, make a determination on thematter until April 2004, at which time itagreed with the recommendation of theinvestigator.During the time the officer was waitingfor the PCA to decide on the veracity ofthe allegations, he had resigned from thePolice, applied to rejoin, and eventuallyreturned to work with the Police.These delays, and the uncertaintythat they produce, are not in the bestinterests of the complainants, Associationmembers or the PCA itself. They areproducing unacceptable stress for thoseinvolved and run the risk of stripping thePCA of its credibility as an independentoversight body.WorkloadThe workload of the PCA has increasedsubstantially over the last decade witha 107% increase in complaints overthat period. Last year it received 3322complaints from 1956 complainantsand accepted 2592 of those for fullinvestigation. Approximately 15% of allcomplaints are upheld. For nearly fiveyears, Judge Borrin has worked alone asthe Authority.Concerns expressed about the perceivedindependence of the Authority in thelate 1990s led to Sir Rodney Gallenconducting a review of the PCA. Hetabled that report in October 2000 andrecommended that the PCA should havesix independent investigators. Cabinetapproved four.Another recommendation includedchanging the name of the Authority to theIndependent Police Complaints Authority(IPCA). This legislation is currently ina bill before Parliament but has beendelayed because of the Commission ofInquiry into Police Conduct. The billproposes an Authority with a Chairmanand two other members.49

April 2005Police News The Voice of PoliceORGANISED CRIME AND THE METH/P INDUSTRYAre we getting just the tip ofthe methamphetamine iceberg?Trans-national organised crime gangs, which supply bothprecursor products and ready-made ATS (amphetamine typesubstances) to New Zealand distributors, use ingenius methodsto try and circumvent border controls in New Zealand.Basically, anything with a cavity is seen as fair game.False-bottomed suitcases and condoms swallowed by drugcouriers are still being used but the drug lords have becomeincreasingly creative by using sealed food containers, furniture,shoes with false bottoms, drugs immersed in various liquids,drugs sewn into furntiture and a wide variety of other methods.International drug enforcement agencies spoken to by Police Newssay they have identified organised crime is also behind someillegal internet pharmacy operations.Some of the gangs have used diplomats as couriers, in the hopethat their protected status will aid the ease of importation.Protected statusCustoms Manager for Drug Investigations, Simon Williamson, toldPolice News that if intelligence indicated that a diplomat was carryingdrugs into New Zealand then approaches would be made throughofficial channels for interception. “They can be searched but wewould have to show cause as there are international conventions thatgovern these things. In the event of us identifying a foreign diplomatwe would have to consult with Foreign Affairs and probably seek awaiver from the country concerned,” he said.Diplomats are subject to the laws of the country in which theyreside but usually, in order to be charged, their diplomaticimmunity has to be waived by their embassy. The DiplomaticPrivileges and Immunities Act (1968) govern their status.The status of diplomatic couriers is particularly sensitive togovernments as these couriers often carry documents of a highlyclassified and confidential nature, which they may not want tosee falling into the hands of officials from their host country.New Zealand gangs are distributorsTransnational crime networks are supplying New Zealand gangs,as distributors, with precursors and pure crystal meth. Many ofthose supply networks are linked to Asian crime gangs, especiallyfrom China. Chinese authorities are known to have hugeproblems controlling what are known as “super labs”, whichchurn out huge quantities of crystal methamphetamine in roundthe-clockoperations.Police and Customs seizures of crystal methamphetamineskyrocketed last year with just over 26 kilograms seized betweenthe two agencies.“Precursors are the big issue for us now. We are seizing verysignificant amounts – on average 100,000 tablets a month,” MrWilliamson said.Last year Customs made 525 seizures involving 1.8 milliontablets. That quantity was enough to manufacture approximately130 kilograms of methamphetamine. In 2003 just 748 grams ofmethamphetamine was seized as opposed to 17.5 kilograms lastyear. The flow across New Zealand’s borders does not show anysign of abating. Where there is high demand there is high supply.International intelligenceCustoms and Police work closely with international intelligencegathering agencies throughout the world to try and track drugtrafficking operations that may be targeting New Zealand. WhenPolice and Customs become aware of shipments they do what isknown as a ‘controlled delivery operation’ whereby drugs can betraced internationally with a view to co-ordinated apprehensionswhere possible.Customs and Police do a fine job with limited resources and aheavy workload but its safe to assume that, despite high profileborder seizures from time to time, a lot of product is gettingthrough.The reality is that, even with the best will in the world, everyperson, every parcel, every letter and every container comingacross the border cannot be checked. High-risk items andindividuals are.The major concern for New Zealand society is that what is beingseized may merely be the tip of the crystal methamphetamineiceberg.• The old drugs in the false-bottomed shoes trick (left) andLava lamps, which were found to contain drugs.50

New Zealand Police AssociationApril 2005• Operation Bomber threw up sealed food containers with pills secreted inside them. – Photos courtesy of NZ Customs.Gangs move into PR modeSome gangs, both here and overseas,operate deliberate and in somecases sophisticated public relationscampaigns in order to improve theirpublic profile.Gangs in New Zealand do so throughtheir own websites, associated bikerwebsites or events where they canengender positive media interest (e.g.by taking part in charity ‘toy runs’ orsimilar fundraising events).Recently the Black Power and MongrelMob attracted media attention becausethey had allegedly called a ‘truce’ inthe hope that their sons and daughterswould not follow them into the ganglifestyle. History will no doubt be thebest judge of whether that is gangPR/spin or a legitimate attempt tobreak generational gang affiliations.Old habits die hard in the criminalunderworld. However, Police wouldbe the first to welcome any tangibleevidence that gangs were movingaway from their entrenched criminallifestyles.Reporters welcomedThe West Australian gang, the GypsyJokers, took a different approach whenthey became the subject of mediascrutiny and criticism – they grantedtwo reporters unprecedented access totheir clubrooms.Several Australian gangs are feelingthe heat of state governmentlegislation aimed at confiscating theirmassive wealth. The West AustralianGovernment has launched a two-prongedattack on gangs – through asset seizurelegislation (the Property ConfiscationAct) and a law, which allows Police todismantle gang fortifications (ExceptionalPowers and Fortification Act).In 2002, shortly after the WA PropertyConfiscation Act was passed and onlymonths after the bombing murderof the WA CIB head, Don Hancock,police swooped on the Gypsy Jokers inOperation Zircon, the culmination of aseven-month investigation.The Jokers leader, Lennard Kirbysubsequently faced drug charges andsix of his properties valued at $765,000and $360,000 in cash were seized. Thecash was found buried in Kirby’s backyard. Police seized $1.994 millionworth of gang assets as a result.Two months earlier, Police hadlaunched Operation Scope, whichtook a further $478,000 from theCoffin Cheaters and resulted in theconfiscation of their Geraldton chapterclubhouse.Further seizuresDuring 2002-03, the Sword Boys, a‘puppet’ club associated with the CoffinCheaters, also came in for WA Policeattention when 15 members werearrested in WA and New South Walesduring Operation Glitch. Police seized400 grams of amphetamine and 140grams of Ketamine tablets. Assets worth$2.5 million were seized.Clearly the heat coming down ongangs is starting to tell because theyhave responded by lobbying MPs anddoing media interviews – activities thatwould previously have been anathemato them.During their media PR campaignthe Gypsy Jokers strenuously deniedinvolvement with organised crime.While admitting that some membersdo use recreational drugs, a Jokersspokesman said that if members were“selling something” it wasn’t anyoneelse’s business.“Easy targets”During interviews with the press, theGypsy Jokers said that their maininterests were in being an organisedmotorcycle club not an organisedcrime syndicate. They said that thegovernment saw them as “easy targets”and that their fortifications were mainlyto protect their expensive HarleyDavidson and Triumph motorcyclesfrom being stolen.Police responded by saying that this isa line often taken by gangs to legitimisetheir image while undertaking criminalcontinued on page 5251

New Zealand Police AssociationApril 2005Action against sexual abuse of children:Police powers under amended censorship lawBy Keith ManchIn January, Parliament made majorchanges to New Zealand’s censorshiplaw, the Films Videos and PublicationsClassification Act.One of the main reasons for the changeswas to strengthen enforcement agencies’ability to take action against peoplecollecting and distributing pictures andmovies of children being sexually abusedand sexually posed.This article is a summary of parts of thelaw and discusses:• victims and consequences• existing Police powers• search warrant powers• increased penalties• electronic crime.Victims and consequencesOne of the most common false claimsmade by offenders is that they do noharm, “I was just looking at pictures”.People should have a clear understandingof what we are dealing with. The imagesare an appalling record of real childrenbeing raped, sexually assaulted, forced toperform sexual acts and being sexuallyposed. No one seeing the images couldmistake them for legal, restricted adultpornography.Offenders encourage more abuse bydemanding more images and moreextreme images, and by reinforcingthe false view that sex with children isacceptable.Possessing child sex abuse images isa warning about an offender’s sexualattitudes to children.There have been cases where offendershave tried to “groom” children withpictures and movies. They were saying,“what I want to do to you is okay, lookhere are pictures to prove it”.Offenders share informationDepartment of Internal Affairs (DIA)Inspectors have found offenders sharinginformation about how to meet children.In some cases, offenders who had accessto children, offered those children forabuse.While very few of the images found overthe years were of New Zealand children,research into offenders in New Zealandand overseas has repeatedly shown that,statistically, there is a correlation betweenoffenders who collect and distribute childsex abuse images and other offendingagainst children.Enforcement is not about pictures oncomputers. It is part of New Zealand’scommitment to help prevent the abuse ofchildren.The Films Videos and PublicationsClassification Act bans “objectionable”material, including child sex abuseimages. It allows Police and DIAInspectors to seize objectionable materialwhen they are carrying out their lawfulduties.That means, for example, that if policeofficers are legally on a person’s property(e.g. executing a search warrant inrelation to a different matter) and youfind what you have reasonable groundsto believe is objectionable material, thenyou have authority to seize that materialwithout needing a warrant to do so(section 108).In addition, all sworn police areautomatically deemed to be “Inspectors ofPublications” and have the same powersas the DIA’s Inspectors (section 103).Search warrant powersBefore amendment, the Act allowed aDistrict Court Judge, Justice, CommunityMagistrate or a Registrar to issue a searchwarrant in relation to distribution offencesonly (section 109).The amendments now also allow searchwarrants in relation to possessionoffences. In the first instance, only aDistrict Court Judge can issue such awarrant (section 109A). However, if allreasonable steps have been taken anda Judge is not available, then a Justice,Community Magistrate or a Registrar mayissue the warrant (section 109B).It is important to note that if a searchwarrant is to be executed in relation toan alleged breach of this Act, then thewarrant must be issued specifically underthis Act.Penalties have increased to bring theminto line with those imposed in Australia,North America and Europe.Penalties for possession have increasedfrom a fine of up to $2,000 to a jail termof up to five years.Penalties for distribution have increasedfrom a jail term of up to one year, to up to10 years jail.Electronic crimeMost offenders collect and distribute childsex abuse images electronically. Theytypically use computers and a wide rangeof devices and software for storing andhiding their files.If you are planning an investigation thatcould involve seizing a computer or otherelectronic equipment, then contact thePolice Electronic Crime Lab for adviceabout how to seize the equipmentwithout compromising any of theevidence on it.Likewise, if you are executing a warrantin relation to a different matter and youunexpectedly find electronic equipmentthat you have reasonable grounds tobelieve contains objectionable material,contact the Police Electronic Crime Labfor advice about how best to seize it.Please do not try to start any electronicequipment at the scene or after you haveseized it, and do not try to analyse anyof the files. Doing so could prevent youusing the evidence in court. Instead,contact the Electronic Crime Lab.You are also most welcome to contactDIA on 0800 257 887 and speak to aCensorship Inspector. They are happyto provide what support they can inplanning or executing an operation.Please note this article is a brief summaryonly and is not a substitute for legaladvice or for expert advice about handlingelectronic evidence.- (Keith Manch is the Department ofInternal Affairs’ Director of Gamblingand Censorship Regulation).GSF transfers updateAt time of writing the Police Associationwas still waiting on the StatutesAmendment Bill No 4 to pass throughParliament.If transfers are to occur they will bevoluntary and limited to membersof the Police GSF (GovernmentSuperannuation Fund) scheme. Priorto the commencement date, memberswould receive a document outliningthe transfer option and implications.Before any individual transfers, youwill have to produce proof that yousought and received professional andindependent financial advice.The Association will be assistingmembers by facilitating seminars withSpicers network of financial advisers,after which members could then seekindividual advice from a Spicers adviser.Although the timeframe is tight,planning is continuing on the basis thatthe Bill will be passed soon and providefor a possible 1 July commencementdate for cash transfers.53

April 2005Police News The Voice of Police“Fund the frontline” campaign for 540 extra policein the next two years and a total of 10,000 by 2010by Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsThe New Zealand Police Association hasbegun a “Fund the frontline” campaignaimed at increasing frontline policenumbers, in the short-term, by 540 swornpolice officers.Longer term, the campaign has a “Ten byten” strategy, aimed at boosting currentsworn police numbers from 7,238 to10,000 by 2010.In the Government’s first and second terms,all but 50 of the extra police supplied havegone to specific (tagged) areas. These areasof tagged funding include, Highway Patrol,DNA teams, DNA analysis, law enforcementteams, youth aid analysis, national securityinvestigations and overseas positions.The remaining 50 ‘untagged’ police went towork in Auckland in general response andinvestigation areas.The public must have confidence in theirPolice. In order for the Police to give thepublic the level of service they deserve theemergency response area of policing musthave the staff to respond. Not only areComms Centres short staffed but also thereare added pressures for frontline policeofficers to attend public calls for service.While police staff numbers have increasedover the term of this current Government,the reality is that the vast majority ofthose staff are non-sworn/civilians. Swornpolice numbers have steadily fallenbehind overseas police forces in termsof the ratio of sworn police officers topopulation. New Zealand’s ratios are setto worsen as several overseas police forcesare currently in the process of boostingtheir police numbers. Such moves have adual effect of benefitting the economy andmaking cities safer by lowering crime.New Zealand’s police-to-populationratio is amongst the worst in the westernworld at one police officer to every 554people. We have 18 police officers per10,000 of population while Australia has24 per 10,000. Regardless of whethercomparisons are inclusive or exclusive ofadministrative staff (non-sworn/civilian),New Zealand Police are still significantlyunderstaffed.Australians better servedAn extra 2000 police officers wouldbring New Zealand Police numbers up toAustralian staffing standards today.Scotland is a good internationalbenchmark for comparison. Its policingmodel is similar (i.e. unarmed police,population size and terrain). Scotland’spopulation at 5,054,800 is 24.47%greater than New Zealand’s 4,060,900 butScotland has 113% more police officers(15,617 in Scotland compared to NewZealand’s 7,328). Similarly, QueenslandPolice, who have 9,000 staff and arelooking to add another 150, serve apopulation of 3.9 million. Queenslandalso has 185 federal police who areresponsible for combating counterterrorism, trans-national/organised crime,drug trafficking and people smuggling.Attendance indicatorsOne indicator of the need for morepolice is reflected in attendance timesfor emergencies. In 2003/2004 Policeattended only 71% of calls within thetarget 10 minutes for urban areas. Theperformance standard is 90%. Bycomparison, the Fire Service attended90% of calls within seven minutes and98% within 10 minutes. (See Priority 1(P1) Calls below).[*Priority 1 (P1) Calls - ImmediateResponse (O-10 min service level)A Priority 1 (P1) call is where thereis an actual threat to life or propertyhappening now; violence is beingused or threatened; a serious offence/incident is in progress and offendersare present or leaving the scene;and serious vehicle crashes (person/strapped/seriously injured). Policeendeavour to be at the scene within10 minutes of the event dispatch.]Serious violent crime, methamphetamineoffences and national security-relatedcrime are all increasing. These crimesplace a huge burden on already stretchedPolice resources, as they require intenseinvestigation. Volume crime (likeburglary) requires much less concentrateddedication of resources in order to createa substantial decrease in volume. Thisconcentration on volume crime meansPolice have improved their crime statisticswhile expending less of their preciouslylimited resources.Public opinionA recent UMR survey of the public posedthe question: “As far as you are aware, arethere too many, about the right amountor not enough frontline police in NewZealand today? Some 78% of respondentssaid there were “not enough”. (February2005 UMR national telephone survey of750 New Zealanders aged 18 years andover. Margin of error ±3.6%.)Where are all the extra police?• There are record numbers of policestaff. Most of those extra positionsare non-sworn/civilians. NewZealand’s population is at recordlevels too.• In this government’s first and secondterms all but 50 of the extra Policehave gone to specific (tagged) areas- Highway Patrol, DNA teams, DNAanalysis, law enforcement teams,youth aid analysis, national securityinvestigations and overseas positions.• The untagged police went toAuckland to work in 50 generalresponse and investigation areas.Why do we need more police?• Communication Centres are shortstaffed - they also have the addedpressure of shortages of frontlineresponse police officers who are meantto attend public calls for service.• Police attendance times foremergencies (2003/2004) was 71%of calls within 10 minutes for urbanareas. The target is 90%. The FireService attended 90% of calls withinseven minutes and 98% within 10minutes.• Areas of policing, which are resourceintensive (such as cases of seriousviolent crime) are increasing. Policedon’t have sufficient staff to dealwith this crime.• For the public to have confidence inthe Police, the emergency responsearea must be the best-resourced partof Police. Public need reassurancetheir police are readily accessible. Ina recent UMR Survey 78% said therewere “not enough” frontline policein New Zealand today.• Currently, funding is ring-fencedinto non-emergency areas and thefrontline is left as the most poorlyresourced.• New Zealand Police have one oflowest sworn police-to-populationratios in the English-speaking world,with one officer to every 554 NewZealanders. Australia has one policeofficer to every 427 citizens.• It’s absolutely essential that thenext Budget address shortages inthe emergency response area ofpolicing so that public confidencein police service is restored. Policeexpenditure currently represents1.656% of total governmentrevenue. An initial 540 extra Police(one I-car in each of the policingdistricts) would increase that toonly 1.741% of total governmentrevenue. Ten thousand by 2010would only require another 0.43%of total government revenue.54

New Zealand Police AssociationApril 2005Australian and New Zealand comparisons ofpolice-to-population ratios• Figures for end of June 2004, taken from Police Annual Reports.No. of Ratio of No. of Ratio of Total No. Ratio ofCountry Sworn Sworn Non-sworn Non-sworn of Staff TotalNew Zealand 7,328 554 2,289 1774 9,737 417Australia 47,018 427 11,222 1792 58,240 345In order for one extra I-car (incident car)to be available around the clock (24/7) anextra 12 sworn police officers are requiredto meet shift/roster needs.I-car workloads are increasing. I-carstaff complete the follow-up on allincidents they have dealt with (exceptserious crime). This includes processingarrests, arranging assessment of thosewith psychiatric illnesses and all ongoingadministrative and court commitments.road policing staff have traditionallyattended traffic crashes, however, thisrole has now been added to the workloadof I-car staff to free up road policing forenforcement work.Frontline staff are being used as relieversfor other areas of policing but there is norelief in sight for their stretched sections.Putting a new police officer on the streetis estimated to cost $100,000. So 540extra staff would only cost $54 millionand allow for one extra I-car for each ofthe country’s 45 policing areas.Police expenditure currently represents1.656% of total Government revenue.International comparisons of police-to-population ratiosCountry Ratio 2003 Police Officers 2003 Population 2003New Zealand* 554 7,328 4,060,900Canada 531 59,494 31,629,700Australia* 427 47,018 20,111,300USA 438 663,796 290,809,777England & Wales 393 133,366 52,480,000Scotland 323 15,617 5,054,800France 255 233,250 59,625,919540 extra Police would only increase thatto 1.741% of total Government revenue.What happens tounattended calls?The Police Association understandsthat in excess of 50,000 calls forservice from the public go unattendedin any one year in the NorthernCommunications area alone. Units arenot dispatched because units are notavailable to respond at the time. Sowhat happens to these jobs and how doesthe public feel when no one turns up?Police Association President, GregO’Connor, says the Police crimestatistics, while a reflection of thededication of police staff in catchingcriminals, could be immeasurably betterif police resources were not ring-fenced.“In recent years we have seengovernment deciding where Policeresources are placed and often that hasbeen at the expense of the frontline,”Mr O’Connor told Police News.When the Government has respondedin the past with extra officers theyhad been ringfenced to work indesignated areas, rather than giving theCommissioner of Police the flexibilityhe needed to put them into muchneededfrontline policing, Mr O’Connorsaid.Mr O’Connor said that the Associationwas keen to see the successes gainedfrom targeting so much resource atRoad Policing adopted “across theboard but especially into frontlinepolicing”.“The crime stats tell us that wherePolice resources were concentrated onreducing crime, it worked,” he said.Numbers do work“Numbers do work. We’ve seen it inareas like Counties-Manukau andAuckland where a substantial injectionof frontline staff in the past has returned11.3% and 11.9% reductions in totalcrime respectively. Imagine what couldbe achieved in every town and city inNew Zealand if that frontline resourcewas increased across the board to bringNew Zealand’s police-to-populationratio in line with other Westerncountries” he said.Over the last two years, from February2003 to February 2005, total policestaff numbers (fulltime employeesavailable for duty) have increasedby 4% while over the correspondingperiod Wellington’s core public servicestaff has increased by 16%.*New Zealand and Australia are 2004 figures. Other figures supplied by The Home Office.55

April 2005Police News The Voice of PoliceLAPD Chief calls for 3,000 more police officersFormer New York Police Commissioner,William Bratton, who is nowadays LosAngeles Police Chief, made a big callrecently.He asked the county to hire 3,000more police officers, saying that theLos Angeles Police Department’s9,200 officers were “not sufficient” toadequately police the second-largestcity in the USA.Bratton told Associated Press: “WhatI’ve learned most starkly since I’vebecome Chief is that this departmenthas always been too small to carry outits mission in every neighborhood ofthe city consistently.”At the same time as the LAPD Chief iscalling for more resources, NZ PoliceCommissioner, Rob Robinson, hasseemingly adopted a complete denialpolicy. The Association is beginningto have some sense of déjà vu here.Five years ago it signalled to Policethat methamphetamine was going tobe a major scourge upon New Zealandsociety and that action was neededimmediately to stop the flood of it ontoour streets. Now, despite a frontlinescreaming out for help by way of asignificant injection of additional staff,the Commissioner seems averse tomaking a similar Bratton-like call onbehalf of his under-pressure troops.Political constraintsThe reality is that the Commissionerfinds himself shackled by politicalconstraints such as having additionalstaff ring-fenced into targeted areas ofpolicing at a time when he should bemaking a concerted call on Governmentto give him the frontline resources tomake our communities safer.Los Angeles has a high homicide rate,especially gang-related homicides. Lastsummer Bratton told Associated Presshe needed “at least 1500 more officersand additional money for overtime”to see the kind of reduction in crimethat he presided over when he wasNew York City’s Police Commisionermore than a decade ago. While Brattonwas in New York, murders fell by 50percent and serious felonies decreasedby a third.Bratton’s comments in relation to staffnumbers came as he recently unveileda plan of action for the LAPD entitled:“The Los Angeles That Is and The LosAngeles That Could Be.”Dependent on legislationTo succeed, the plan is largely dependenton legislation known as Measure A, whichrelates to expanded law enforcement inLos Angeles County and each of its cities.Measure A seeks to raise the county’s salestax by half a cent, which would providethe LAPD with an additional $160 millionin funds, enough to hire another 1,260officers.If it passes, Bratton would then lookinto the possibility of hiring 2,040 moreofficers through other means.At time of writing, Measure A hadreceived 60% support from the public,with 40% against the proposal. Themeasure requires a two-thirds majorityto be approved.Ironically, as New Zealand’s frontlinediminishes, several police forces inWestern countries recently announcedsignificant changes in their policingmodels (notably Wales, England andthe USA) to include many more ‘visible’frontline police, with a heavy emphasison beat policing.This column is written by a frontline police officer. It does notrepresent the views or policies of the Police Association.View From The BottomQuestion: Why do so many staff outsideof our road policing units think there isinequity when it comes to resourcing?Answer: Because that’s the perception!Simple and plain – like it or not, that’swhat many police staff think. So thenext question is obviously: Is it fact orfiction? The feeling on the ground isthat it’s damn obvious and them intheir ivory towers need to get out andremember what it’s like to be here in thethin blue line and find out who’s doinga good proportion of the work.Personally, I think it’s a no brainer. Wedo a great job on road policing and it’sshown in the road toll or just travellingabout off duty and seeing that thespeed of those around you is far lessthan it used to be. The boy racers andother idiots really do stand out and I forone can’t wait to get the TON (TrafficOffence Notice) book out and kill a fewtrees on this lot.However, that does leave the rest of usGDB (General Duties Branch) and CIB(Criminal Investigation Branch) fightingover the scraps. If Dr Green were aboutBy Constable Iam Keenhe’d say it’ssibling rivalry atits height andthe youngestchild seems to have all the best toys.And my early Christmas wish? Robbie,Lynn and Steve - can you please askAunty Helen to give us big kids somemore toysHunters and gatherersDo we need to start exposing those fewweeds that don’t help out when theheat is on? I know it goes against thegrain and is definitely not part of ourculture but neither was employing staffthat don’t pull their weight and don’tadhere to the ‘team’ environment thathas been our backbone forever and aday.Me and my partner were driving to ajob the other day and ahead of us wesaw a couple of our ‘team mates’ ridestraight past a break down without evenblinking.Don’t know where they were going insuch a mad rush (40 km/ph) but it onlytook us two minutes to stop and findout the AA was on the way.No Speights for these two I can tell you.CommunicationlessMe bully tells me there is a hell of arush to get some $$$ from Aunty Helenand Co after all the drama with theCommunications Centres. I know wehave made mistakes but in the greatmajority, well done to you lot withearpieces. Seventeen-odd stuff ups outof 400 billon zillion trillion calls. I’m notmuch of a gun with the maths but thatsounds pretty good stats to me!I hear you might be getting a nice newsupport centre near the castle to helpout with all those calls and ensure weget it 100% right 100% of the time.Perhaps it’s only the media that gets usmoney?Wonder whether there will be any$$$ left for a pay rise next year to tryand keep up with the rates and powerbills – no doubt time will tell. Perhapswe should get one of the nurses’negotiators to help us out?Slight hiccup with me Red and Blacks tostart with (wasn’t wearing me lucky sox)but they’re back with a vengeance now,so look out.See ya!56

New Zealand Police AssociationApril 2005Survey shows crime/violence ranks fifthin public perceptionof the nation’s mostimportant problemConcerns about race relations rank as themost important problem facing the country,according to the latest UMR survey.The survey, which was conducted inDecember, questioned 750 New Zealandersover the age of 18. It has a margin of errorof +/- 3.5%.Race relations concerns were by far the mostpressing issue with a rating of 22.3%. Publicconcern over race relations peaked duringthe February 2004 survey at 39.6%. Twomonths prior to that (December 2003) itregistered a mere 8.2% on the public radarby comparison – ranking it as the country’sfifth most pressing problem. It first appearedas the top issue in January 2004 and hastopped the survey ever since.Second a year agoBy comparison “crime/violence” rankedsecond at 10.1% in December 2003 (thegovernment’s handling of the economy wasfirst) but by February crime/violence haddropped to seventh with a rating of only3.2%. In the latest survey it is back up tofifth spot at 6.9%, but that is still well belowits highest rating of 12.8% in November2003.The second most pressing problem in thelatest survey was listed as “health care” at9.8%, slightly ahead of “the Government’shandling of the economy” at 9.1, with a 9%rating for “the decline of ethical, moral orfamily issues”.Farewell for Nigel EscottA farewell for Senior Sergeant NigelMorris Escott will be held in the RotoruaPolice Bar at 5pm on 6 May.Those wishing to attend please RSVP toChris McLeod, Rotorua Police Station(07) 348 0099. Donations for a gift canbe forwarded to Chris c/- RotoruaPolice Station, Private Bag, RD 3044,RotoruaYouth Drug Court pilot shows some promiseby Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsA Youth Drug Court pilot scheme, which Mr Goff said the intiatives focussed onhas been running in Christchurch, has young people at “the hard end of youthresulted in a decline in the drug and offending”, who had shown that theyalcohol abuse and offending levels of were likely to be destined for a life ofparticipants, according to a recent report crime unless successful interventionsreleased by Justice Minister, Phil Goff. could be found to turn their lives around.The report looked at the operation of thecourt over its first 18 months. The reportfound the court provided more efficientidentification of problems, improvedtimeliness for dealing with cases andproviding treatment, systematic andbetter collaboration between agencies andbetter consistency in response to offendersduring this time.The report found that:• Twenty-two of the 30 young people(73.33%) on the pilot had either stoppedor reduced their alcohol or other druguse when they left the Youth Drug Court.• The rate of offending while attendingthe Youth Drug Court was lower for19 (63.33%) youths, with seven of the19 (36.84%) accumulating no furthercharges. Nine youths (30 per cent)offended at a higher rate.• The average rate of offending for the 19reduced by around two-thirds, from9.4 offences per year to 3.4. A third(33.33%), committed offences at ahigher rate. Of these, eight committedoffences of lower seriousness whileone committed offences of equalseriousness.Judge’s initiativeThe Taskforce on Youth Offendingestablished the pilot scheme in 2002after an initiative by Youth Court Judge,John Walker, who sought to address thelinkage between offending and drug andalcohol usage.“The Youth Drug Court is modelled onsimilar courts in Australia and the UnitedStates, with its target group being recidivistyouth offenders aged 14 to 16, whoseoffending is linked with drug and alcoholdependency,” Mr Goff said.LAPD looks at ‘virtual’ policingThe LAPD (Los Angeles PoliceDepartment) wants to expand videocamera “virtual patrols,” citing a 45percent drop in crime at MacArthur Parkwhere cameras were installed as part ofa pilot project. “Basically, what you cando is virtual policing,” Assistant Chief,George Gascon, told Associated Pressrecently. “You can monitor a significantnumber of areas without having to havean officer at each scene.”He said the cameras are “an essentialcrime-fighting tool” in an era of dwindlingbudgets.With the MacArthur Park successes, thePolice Department wants to expand videocamera surveillance in crime hot spots inother areas of the city, including the SanFernando Valley. The cameras cost up to$10,000 each.Lobbying stepped upThe LAPD has stepped up lobbyingefforts with the state, the federalgovernment and private sources to gainenough funding to get cameras installed.Police credit the cameras with helping cutcrime at MacArthur Park, where policesaid 181 serious crimes were recordedThe report indicated that of the 30participants, 47% (14) had accumulatedbetween one and nine offences and 53%(16) over 10 offences before entering thepilot scheme. While involved with theYDC pilot 20% (six) did not accumulateany further charges while 57% (17) hadbetween one and nine additional chargesand 23% (seven) faced 10 or moreadditional charges.Co-ordinated approachMr Goff said that “internationalexperience” suggested that some but notall such offenders responded positivelyto intense monitoring aimed ataddressing their issues in a co-ordinatedand holistic way.A follow-up on the progress of theyoung people, 12 months after theyhave left the programme, would havea bearing on the final evaluation of thepilot scheme.Mr Goff said that “a greater investmentof resources” would be needed if thepilot scheme was found to be worthy ofwider implementation.“Given that the offenders were hardendrecidivists, these results indicatesignificant improvement. However,the final evaluation will demonstratewhether or not improvements can besustained over time,” Mr Goff said.“This will help determine whether or not,and in what form, the Youth Drug Courtmay continue to operate,” he added.The Youth Drug Court evaluation isavailable at www.justice.govt.nz orby going directly to the following linkhttp://www.justice.govt.nz/search.asp?q=Youth+drug+court+pilotover the last six months, compared with330 over the same period last year.Since the cameras were installed in mid-January, more than 150 arrests have beenmade as a result. Most involved felonynarcotics charges.But Elizabeth Schroeder, Associate Directorof the American Civil Liberties Union ofSouthern California, said the camerassimply force criminals to move elsewhere.“People know the cameras are there,”Schroeder said. “Crime tends to move.”Additionally, she said, “We are concernedabout the ‘Big Brother’ attitude. There is areal potential for abuse.”57

April 2005Police News The Voice of PoliceKeen On Wineby Ricky CollinsThe sheer volume of Pinot Noir now producedin New Zealand is starting to result in somereasonably priced examples surfacing. Whilethere are still plenty of serious, high price pointwines to choose from, there is now a second tier emerging,which has to be good for the consumer. I recently went alongto a comparative wine tasting of Pinot Noir distributed in NewZealand by Eurowine Ltd and was pleasantly surprised with whatI found. Here is my shortlist of those that appealed to me:Main Divide Pinot Noir 2003 RRP $23Main Divide is the second label of the Pegasus Bay team fromWaipara, who are very highly regarded producers of Pinot Noir.This is a lighter style of Pinot compared to the Pegasus Bay, butstill very appealing. The fruit has been sourced from contractgrowers in the Waipara and Central Canterbury regions andskillfully crafted into a delicate but interesting wine. It has spicyaromas and sweet cherry and chocolate flavours. It sits verynicely across the palate and has a lingering soft finish. It is veryappealing and very good value.Walnut Ridge 2003 Pinot Noir RRP $27Martinborough is widely regarded as the premium Pinot Noirproducing region in the country. Many of the region’s top labelshave world class status and their Pinot Noir sells for sums thatwould make your eyes water. To therefore find a MartinboroughPinot for under $30 made me naturally suspicious. However, theWalnut Ridge proved to be a very smart wine with the typicalearthy/savoury feel that Martinborough is renowned for. AtaRangi vineyard recently purchased this small neighbouringvineyard, and now use this fruit to blend with the fruit from theirown younger vines. The result is a full-bodied wine with flavoursof plums, cherries and chocolate. It has good structure, with firmtannins evident, but is still very approachable. It’s an excellentwine for the price.Cable Bay 2003 Pinot Noir RRP $31I’m not normally an advocate for many Marlborough examplesof Pinot Noir, but this wine did catch my attention. This isactually a Waiheke Island producer, but the fruit is sourced fromplantings they have in the Brancott area of Marlborough. It hasdistinctive raspberry and chocolate flavours, a silky mouthfeeland a rich smooth finish. It is reasonably simple in style but is anattractive wine that will appeal to many.Neudorf Nelson Pinot Noir 2003 RRP $33This well-crafted Nelson wine, by iconic producers Tim andJudy Finn, is an excellent example of just how good NelsonPinot Noir can be. It has that classic lifted fruit nose thatyou expect from quality New Zealand Pinot Noir. There areconcentrated flavours of ripe black fruit that sit across thewhole palate and superb balance with the fruit, acid andtannins all blending in harmony. By show of hands, this wasthe most popular wine tasted on the night. It was hard toimagine that Neudorf’s higher-priced Moutere Pinot Noircould actually better this wine.These are four quite different examples of New Zealand PinotNoir from four different regions. The diversity in style andthe increasing quality, for the price asked, suggest to me thatperhaps things are looking good for New Zealand Pinot Noir.Police Health Plan Ltd in conjunctionwith our Medical Advisors, Medilink,publishes articles on medical issuesthat affect our members.Wine and your bodyWine is one of the oldest beverages knownto man. Written records dating backthousands of years refer to the dietary andtherapeutic uses of wine.Wine has been used as a food, medicine,as part of various religious ceremoniesand as an important element in social life.Therefore, it is no surprise that the manyhealthful effects of wine have becomelegendary. In moderation, wine appears tobe more than just a beverage containingalcohol. Research studies indicate thatdrinking alcohol in moderation daily canhelp lower cholesterol and decrease therisk of heart disease.The so-called “French Paradox” is that theFrench eat 30% more fat than Americansbut suffer 40% fewer heart attacks. Bycomparison, the French drink, on average,an estimated 76.2 litres (19.05 gallons) ofwine per person per year compared to theAmericans 8.44 litres (2.11 gallons) of wineper person per year.There are said to be numerous benefitsattributable to red wine consumption.Many studies suggest that drinking a glassof red wine every day does counteract theeffects of the fat intake in your diet. Bewarehowever - more than a glass of red wine aday may put your health at risk, resulting inhigh blood pressure and some cancers.Red wine assists in raising your body’s levelof good cholesterol (HDL). HDL helps toclean your blood vessels of bad cholesterol(LDL) particles and moves the particles backto the liver. Once in the liver, the LDL is thenexcreted from your body in bile. HDL has asecondary function of preventing oxidation(mixing with oxygen) of LDL so it doesn’tgo on a destructive rampage settling onblood vessel walls and clogging the lumenof the vessels.The science of medicineMedicine is the science of preserving andrestoring health. As with any science,medicine is extremely complex and notall processes are understood in theirentirety. With continued and on goinglearning there is a greater understandingof function/physiology.An area of research still in its infancy,and very open to debate, with somehealth professionals showing disregardfor it, is the role of antioxidants in healthmaintenance.Antioxidants are found in foodcommodities, which include wine,pigmented fruits and vegetables. Some6000 antioxidants have been identifiedto date. The role of an antioxidant isbelieved to be disarming cell-damagingfree radicals. Free radicals are overactiverogue molecules that are on the raid tosteal ‘parts’ from other molecules. In theprocess, membranes covering cells, andthe DNA that is contained in the cell aredamaged. DNA is a cell’s basic operatingmanual.In the antioxidant clan there are a familyof substances know as polyphenols.Three members of the polyphenolfamily are resveratrol, quercetin andepicatechin. All three antioxidants arefound in wine. Their role is believedto protect cell membranes, therebyreducing invasion by free radicals. Thisresearch is currently in its infancy.Effects of climateThe concentration of resveratrol ingrapes varies. Research has foundthe difficult climates of Spain, Chile,Argentina and Australia produce moreresveratrol. It is thought this is becausethe grape vines are often stressed and/ordehydrated by the harsh environment.The variety of grape used in wineproduction also has a bearing on theamount of resveratrol and for themoment the thumbs are up for PinotNoir. Of course, each season and vintagewill be different.In summary, a glass of good red wine aday can be therapeutic, however morethan that may well be detrimental toyour health.58

New Zealand Police AssociationApril 2005Compromise reached in disputeover LAPD disciplinary materialThe Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the union representing its officers haveagreed to end a lawsuit with a compromise over what disciplinary material can be keptin personnel files, according to The Los Angeles Times.In approving the settlement, a federal judge rejected an argument by the Los AngelesCounty Public Defenders’ Office that the deal would make it easier for the Los AngelesPolice Department to conceal records of police misconduct.“I think the settlement is fair; it’s reasonable,” said Judge A Howard Matz after a hearingin a U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.The agreement ends a class-action lawsuit filed in 2000 by the Los Angeles policeofficers’ union, accusing former Chief Bernard Parks of violating officers’ constitutionalrights.The disciplinary letters at issue reflected that officers were being removed from fieldduties because Parks believed they would no longer make credible witnesses in court.Under the agreement, letters would now report when an officer’s duty was restricted, butno further explanation would be given.Possible appealsThe department stopped using the old letters, known as Brady letters, after Parks leftthe department in May 2002. The settlement also gives officers the right to appealthe placing of letters in their personnel files, which Parks did not allow.The old letters hurt officers’ careers by preventing them from getting specialassignments and promotions, said Elizabeth Silver Tourgeman, who represents theLos Angeles Police Protective League.The United States Supreme Court has ruled that prosecutors must give defencelawyers any evidence that might impeach a government witness, includinginformation about a police officer’s disciplinary history. That disclosure requirementwas at the heart of the lawsuit.The Public Defenders’ Office objected to the settlement, saying removal of the Bradyletters from the personnel files violated defendants’ rights.The city is “hiding the information and making it harder to get to,” Deputy PublicDefender, Mark Harvis, said. He said he thought defendants would suffer.The settlement also provides that $350,000 be divided among 85 plaintiffs, plusabout $36,000 in back pay for lost bonuses, and $150,000 in attorneys’ fees.Copper’s CrosswordClues for AprilAcross:1. Punnet or small shot to green (4)3. Management plan to fight crime (8)9. Mad hatters broken apart (7)10. Appropriately (5)11. People who spotted the offence orincident happening (12)13. Sudden expansion of people to anarea (6)15. Wood tool (6)17. Mother Nature can create majorones (12)20. Best place in India to buy foodperhaps? (5)21. Lie host to angry people perhaps (7)22. Sneered a broken heart with a lovesong maybe (8)23. To prove the outcome (4)By Constable Cunning1 2 3 4 5 6 7Down:9 101. Tics come together for surgery (8)2. Game I see before me (5)4. Despot (6)5. Puts you to sleep but not through 11boredom (12)6. Starters (7)7. Up and down toying with you (4)8. Grasshopper noise caused by 13 14 15rubbing (12)12. Trenchcoat wearers? (8)1614. Weaker (7)16. Engraved (6)17 1818. Makes grown-ups cry as well (5)19. Counts (4)1920 218CPNZ nationaltraining seminarThree hundred delegates,representing 75 community patrolsfrom Whangarei to Invercargill, areexpected to attend the CommunityPatrols of New Zealand annualnational training seminar, whichwill be held at the Kingsgate Hotel,Hamilton, between the 13th and15th of May.The registration fee for any policeofficer or member of an affiliatedcommunity patrol is $150.Commissioner Rob Robinsonwill speak during the seminaropening. A keynote speaker will beInspector Tony Lake of QueenslandPolice, who will talk about CrimePrevention Through EnvironmentalDesign.All rooms at the Kingsgate Hotel arebeing held for the seminar until 15April. To make an accommodationreservation quote reference number63220. The Kingsgate Hotel is onthe northern side of Hamilton at100 Garnett Ave, Te Rapa, (Tel: 07849 0860).More information and registrationforms are available on the websitewww.communitypatrols.org.nz orby phoning the Chairperson, NeilSole, on (07) 549 4743.22 2312Answers for March:Across:1. Converse.5. Asks.9. Stat.10. Arousals.11. Worms.12. Martini.13. Transplanting.18. Innuendo.19. Name.20. Kissing.21. Signs.22. Deal.23. Ascended.Down:6. Swahili.2. Outdoor. 7. Sussing.3. Vitamin. 8. Outran.4. Scrambled eggs. 13. Tricked.14. Amnesia.15. Scenic.16. Tension.17. Nominee.59

April 2005Police News The Voice of PolicePOLICE COUNCIL OF SPORTSPORTS NEWSTo contact the Police Council of Sport, call Alison Murray at the RNZPC. Ph: (04) 238 3139Strong competition at inauguralPolice Surfing ChampionshipsThe inaugural NZ Police SurfboardChamps were held in New Plymouth onMonday 21 and Tuesday, 22 February2005.There were 60 entries and 57 competedin six separate divisions (three withdrewdue to work and family commitments).The competition was held at FitzroyBeach.Competition started with the longboardsection, which saw some small butrideable surf. There was some toughcompetition with 24 competitorsengaged. Eliminations progressedthrough six heats, quarterfinals andsemi-finals, leading to a final foursome.The competition then changed venueto SH 45 Paora Road, commonly knownas ‘Graveyards’ where the heats of theOpen Men, Novice and Open Womenwere completed in six to eight foot surf.over-40, Open Women and Novicegrades were blessed with someawesome surf and most mastered theconditions, testament to the quality ofsurfing on show.Lucy Parks’ (Auckland) mastery of ahuge wave to win the Open Women’stitle was superb to see. Parks was justthree days out of the RNZPC when shetook the title.Resident judge and professionalphotographer, Karen ‘Daisy’ Day,was impressed with the standard,stating that, overall, she felt the Policecontingent displayed better surfingskills than their Fire Service counterparts(Karen had judged the Fire ServiceChamps last year). Day’s contributionto the success of the competition wassignificant.Continued on next pageNear perfect conditionsOn the second and final day ofcompeition surfers were greeted by nearperfect conditions at Fitzroy Beach withover 40 heats and then semi-finals beingcoducted in an ideal three to four footswell. Then it was back to Graveyardsfor all the finals in eight feet of surf.There were some outstanding displaysof surfing in all divisions. The men’sfinal was very even with some excellentsurfing of big waves. The longboarder,• Novice finalists (from left to right): Timothy Williams (Auckland, 1st), Philip Ryan(Auckland, 3rd)), Tony Brownrigg (Taranaki, 4th) and Dave Litton (Raglan, 2nd).Visit www.policeassn.org.nz for updated contact details for thePolice Council of Sport management committee, District Sports Officers and the latest schedule of events.60

New Zealand Police AssociationApril 2005Results:Open: S Loughran (Wellington) 1,R Betteridge (Taranaki) 2, G Smail(Dunedin) 3, R Campbell (Taranaki) 4.Women: L Parks (Auckland) 1,G Samson (Waihi) 2, A Robertson(Porirua) 3,Longboard: S Pitkethley (Gisborne)1, C Harvey (Auckland) 2, C Day(Auckland) 3, M Frost (Hamilton) 4.Over-40: S Pitkethley 1, (Gisborne),G Smail 2, (Dunedin), L Buckley 3,(Tauranga), C Harvey 4, (Auckland).Novice: T Williams (Auckland) 1, DLitton (Raglan) 2, P Ryan (Auckland) 3, TBrownrigg (Taranaki) 4.On Ya Guts: D Spicer (Taranaki) 1,W Wipatene (Taranaki) 2, J McGrath(Taranaki) 3, Z Webby (Taranaki) 4.• Open champ Sean Loughran(Wellington) shows the style that wonhim the men’s title.CorrectionLast month’s edition wrongly recordedNZ Bravery Star awards to Daniel Cleaver,Patrick Burke and Geoffrey Knight.Sergeant Ford and Detective Burkereceived NZ Bravery Medals whileConstable Knight received a NZ Braverydecoration.Police cross-countryThe Police Cross-country champs willbe held at Minogue Park, Hamiltonon 1 June at 2pm. Men’s Open andMasters run 9 kms and Open Womenand Draught Horse (95kgs+) sectionswill run 6 kms. Contact GrahamShields, Hamilton Police 79439 orTamsin Brown, Waikato HighwayPatrol.What is behavioural financeand why does it matter?Behavioural finance seeks tounderstand why investors make‘mental mistakes’. It challengesthe assumption that investors arerational, as the vast majority ofevidence suggests that theexact opposite is true.If investors wererational they wouldstay invested over thelong-term, but insteadinvestors (particularly equity investors)tend to trade in and out of assets,invariably buying high and selling low.In doing so, they usually fail to achievethe returns of the wider market over thelong-term. The following table, basedon research from Dalbar, highlights this.Behavioural finance provides somefascinating insights into why this patternmay have occurred:1. Loss aversionMany people assume investors are riskaverse. In fact, investors will often takea risk to avoid an expected loss. Soinvestors are not so much risk averse,but loss averse. It is not the actual loss,which people want to avoid - it is theemotional sense of regret that financialloss causes that people want desperatelyto avoid.In the late 1970s psychologistsKahneman and Tversky established thatthe pain of loss is about twice as great asthe pleasure of a gain of the same size.This thinking has dangerous applicationto the world of investment planning andloss aversion usually manifests itself ininvestors not taking on enough risk byway of exposure to shares. In the worstcasescenario, this could result in theinability to achieve retirement goals.2. Loss aversion and shortsightednessLoss aversion is most dangerous whencombined with a decent dose ofmyopia. This refers to the investor’stendency to make short-term decisionswhen there is supposed to be a longtermtime frame. Investors saving fortheir retirement in 15-20 years willoften make decisions based on a lossover a six or 12-month period. Themore frequently investors evaluate theirreturns; the more likely they areto make inappropriate shorttermdecisions.3. Mental shortcutsThe human brain creates‘shortcuts’ which ituses to make decisionsunder conditions ofuncertainty. Theyare rules of thumbwhich, when applied toinvestment outcomes, can lead to poorresults for the client. The following areexamples:• Events, which are at the ‘top of themind’ – particularly those that arelarge and occur infrequently – have adisproportionateimpact ondecisionmaking.Classicexamples includeSeptember 11,SARS, the GulfWar etc. Theseevents tend toalso cause anoverreaction,particularly for theloss averse, whoare “tuned in tothe doomsdaystory”.• Over confidence. In the same waythat most people think they are gooddrivers, investors (particularly thosewho have had success in the past)tend to overestimate their abilities.• The tendency is to expect pastperformance to continue or latchon to a reference point to judge allfuture expectations. An exampleof this would be an old fashionedinvestor who remembers receiving16% interest on bank deposits inthe 1970s and believes “that returnsthese days are just not as good”.Where does all this information leaveus? It is important to firstly recognisethese ideas and secondly, try to adoptand instil as much discipline as possiblewith regard to investments. Theinvestor who remained invested infinancial assets over the last 10, 20 oreven 30 years is likely to have achievedstrong returns, yet diversifying assetsand remaining invested will not grabheadlines. It is not sexy and requiresextreme mental discipline, but ignoringthe mental temptations of behaviouralfinance, as outlined above, could possiblyprove to be the smartest financial decisionan investor ever makes.To speak with a Spicers Adviser todayabout your financial situation, call thePolice Financial Planning EnquiryLine on 0800 ON BEAT(0800 66 2328).61

April 2005Warning: Don’t try this at homeThe following excerpts were taken fromvideos of interactions between Americanpolice officers and the public accordingto an Email circling the globe. Who saidpolice had no sense of humour?“Relax, the handcuffs are tight becausethey’re new. They’ll stretch out after youwear them a while.”“Take your hands off the car, and I’llmake your birth certificate a worthlessdocument.”“If you run, you’ll only go to jail tired.”“Can you run faster than 1,200 feet persecond? In case you didn’t know, that isthe average speed of a 9mm bullet firedfrom my gun.”“So you don’t know how fast you weregoing. I guess that means I can writeanything I want on the ticket, huh?”“Yes, Sir, you can talk to the shiftsupervisor, but I don’t think it will help.Oh ... did I mention that I am the shiftsupervisor?”“Warning! You want a warning? O.K., I’mwarning you not to do that again or I’llgive you another ticket.”Police News The Voice of Police“The answer to this last question willdetermine whether you are drunk or not.Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?”“Yeah, we have a quota. Two more ticketsand my wife gets a toaster oven.”“Just how big were those two beers?”“No sir we don’t have quotas anymore.We used to have quotas but now we’reallowed to write as many tickets as wewant.”“I’m glad to hear the Chief of Police is agood personal friend of yours. At least youknow someone who can post your bail.”“You didn’t think we gave tickets to prettywomen? You’re right. We don’t SignBook review:Mesquite Smoke DanceAuthor: Andrew GrantThis is the first book in a trilogy – Smoke, Fire and Ash. It is set in Texas. A brutal andsadistic serial killer is on the loose and Mac Benton, Inspector for the Texas division of theNational Homicide Task Force, is the officer in charge of the investigation.Like most novels of this genre, the main character, Mac Benton, is a flawed individual.He is a loner haunted by the death of his wife and unborn son in an automobile accidentand the ghost of his former partner still inhabits his office. He is reluctantly teamed upwith a new partner Karen Birdie Falcone, haunted by her own demons.I found this book very hard going initially. In fact, I almost gave up. However, Ipersevered and ended up pleased that I did. It picked up and had some interestingtwists and turns, especially when the killer is eventually tracked down.What is even more interesting is that Andrew Grant is a New Zealand author. Thissurprised me, given the American feel to the novel.If you are like me and enjoy a thriller, give it a go. – Reviewed by Leeann Peden.HOLIDAY HOME AVAILABILITY– for bookings see: www.policeassn.org.nzAPRIL MAY JUNEPAIHIA 10-11 17, 19, 22, 29-30, 31 1-2, 5, 6-9, 13-23, 24-30STANMORE BAY 10-13, 14, 25, 30 1-5, 8-13,15-19,22-31 1-30AUCKLAND 14 1-4, 17, 23-24, 31 1-2, 6-9, 16, 19-22, 22-23, 26-29WHANGAMATA 8, 15, 1-4, 8, 16-18, 18-19, 22-26, 29-31 1-9, 10-17, 20-30MT MAUNGANUI Fully booked 1, 3-5, 8-10, 11, 14-19, 22-26, 29-31 1-2, 5-8, 9-10, 12-16, 19-23, 26-30OHOPE 10-12 5-7, 10-23, 29-31 1-16, 19-30ROTORUA 10, 14 1-5, 8-12, 15-19, 23-26, 29-31 1-2, 5, 8-9, 10, 11-16, 19-20, 24-30TAUPO 10, 22, 28-29, 30 1-5, 8-12, 15-19, 22-26, 29-31 1-2, 6-9, 12-14, 15-16, 18-23, 26-30TURANGI 10-14, 21, 29, 30 1-5, 8-13, 15-26, 27-31 1-2, 5-30NAPIER 10-14 4-5, 8-12, 15-19, 23-24, 25-26, 29-31 1-3, 6-8, 12-30PARAPARAUMU 24 1-5, 8-11, 15-19, 23-26, 29 6-9, 12-16, 19-23. 26-29GREYTOWN 28 8, 12, 16-17, 22-26, 29-31 1-3, 6-9, 12-13, 19-23, 26-30WELLINGTON 10 1, 19, 22-26, 29-30 6-8, 9, 16, 19-22, 26-27NELSON 14 2-5, 9-19, 23-28, 30-31 1-2, 5-30HANMER SPRINGS Fully booked 4-5, 30-31 1-2, 29CHRISTCHURCH Fully booked 9, 11-12, 15-16, 18-19, 22-26, 29-31, 1, 6-9, 12-14, 15, 19-23, 27-30TEKAPO Fully booked 1-2, 6-9, 12-16, 19-22, 27-30WANAKA Fully booked 2-3, 7-8, 11-13, 19, 22, 23-26, 27-31, 1-2, 5, 7-21, 21-24,CROMWELL 11, 23, 1-12, 15, 18, 21-22, 27-31, 1, 3, 6-18, 20-30QUEENSTOWN Fully booked 12, 22-23TE ANAU 10, 11-14, 30 1-6, 9-13, 18-19, 20-31 1-2, 6-10, 13-30DUNEDIN Fully booked 1-3, 16-18, 23, 29-31 1-2, 9, 12-16, 22-23, 26-2862

New Zealand Police AssociationApril 2005Letters to the Editor Write 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 good reason for anonymity. The editor reserves theright to edit, abridge or decline letters without explanation. Email to: editor@policeassn.org.nzor write it to the Editor at PO Box 12344, Wellington. Letters under 400 words are preferred.The merit of demeritsIt’s been said before - “Can we please modifythe topical issue of traffic enforcement”.We know our present system of heavy finesand demerit points is unpopular and it is reallyquite ineffective for our target groups. We nowhave roadside suspensions underway andthey’re awesome! We have been assured thereis work being done to tidy up the unpaid finesand demerit point system.So what if we now enlarge the catchments ofdemerit points and, at the same time, reducethe fines? For example, if you don’t wear yourseatbelt – a $10 fine and five demerits. Anunregistered vehicle could result in a $20 fineand 10 demerits. A breach of graduated driverlicence might be a $50 fine and the current 25demerits. Get the idea?The fines to be paid are no longer cripplingand should be affordable, irrespective of wherethey fit in the food chain. Take the medicine,learn and move on. If motorists don’t learnthen demerits will kick in and achieve the realenforcement. If drivers continue to offendthey will lose the privilege to drive.The wonderful tool of impounds would benext. It should be an easy choice for driversand would calm the ‘revenue-gathering’ cry.Too simple, or is that we really are revenuegathering?Bruce Farley(Masterton)Just gob smacked!I read the paragraph the first time and thoughtI was seeing things…then I read it again, justto make sure I wasn’t mistaken…Yep I wasright the first time.….Page 5 of the Jan/Febissue of the Police News contains an articleentitled “Priority One response time slower:”Hidden in the article is this gem, under thesub-title “No time to waste:”“But Mr. Hawkins said that police officers arrivingat Priority One or emergency jobs needed to focuson the incident rather than wasting valuable timecontacting the Communications Centre to log theirarrival.”Having worked in South Auckland for thelast seven years, I know I’m preaching to theconverted about this so I won’t outline what wecan face when we arrive, we’ve all been there.“Wasting time” may one day save my life!“Gob Smacked”(Counties-Manukau)Please see the letter below– Editor.Minister says he wastaken out of contextLast month’s issue of Police News carrieda letter from Jeff Welch of Nelson, which,unfortunately, omitted to quote me fully,and therefore quoted me out of context.What I actually said in my media statementwas “The first priority for officers arrivingat a scene is to try to deal with the incident– not to spend precious time contactingthe Communications Centre to log theirarrival. The public would rightfully criticiseus if police sat in the car to register theirarrival rather than deal with the issue whichbrought them there.”Response time targets are set by the Policeto ensure everyone understands what theexpectations are. In the vast majority of cases,expectations will be exceeded because Policewill arrive sooner than the target responsetime.I fully endorse the great work being doneby Police, which has been confirmed by therelease of the 2004 recorded crime statistics,showing a nationwide reduction in crime of8.2%.Hon George Hawkins(Minister of Police)Reflections fromBougainvilleOn deployment to Bougainville, you havetime to sit and think quite a bit about allsorts of things, including how the familyis doing back home, how are our sportingteams doing and what’s happening on thepolicing front? Even here, we’ve heardof the problems facing our organisation,including the Comms saga, the debacle withTama Iti, the Commission of Inquiry intoPolice Conduct and allegations about theever-present, over-zealous road policing.Now the Police hierachy can roll out theusual line of “there is no ticket quotasystem in place”, but any police officerwilling to tell the truth will admit to thesubtle pressure placed on us to keep thecontacts per hour up, and what are contacts,warnings, assists? - Oh yes...tickets.What happened to discretion, or as I’veheard, don’t we have discretion anymore fortraffic offences?I agree, that road policing is a veryimportant facet of policing, but it shouldnot be to the detriment of other coreactivities. The government does not mindspending money on road policing as theyknow that what they get back in ticketrevenue will far outway what they havespent. Unfortunately, frontline policing andinvestigative work does not generate moneyfor the government.At my rugby club, everyone seems to havea negative story of their dealings with Policeregarding either a speeding ticket or someother matter regarding a traffic incident.Even though ticket revenue is going up,public confidence and backing is goingdown. This could cause major problemsin the future in regard to investigations andjurors. One negative from an officer on roadpolicing duty could influence that person ina future encounter with Police.Road policing officers have differentcoloured patrol cars, so why not give thema different coloured uniform too? Thenthere will be no confusion. In short, a sort ofreturn to the old Ministry of Transport butunder the Police umbrella.After this, I know I’m going to find it hardto get a gold medal for my police drivingwhen I get back, as I will undoubtedly haveto face a road policing officer to get it.Am I a lone voice in this or am I the last ofthe Mohicans?Jim Casson(Bougainville, PNG)Stab resistant vestsand safetyIt was great to hear that Constable JohnDustow was able to be there and enjoyChristmas with his family, and be there forhis daughter in the future also. It is notuntil something like this happens that werealise how much we have to lose.It is hoped that the District Staff SafetyOfficer has ensured that a thorough incidentinvestigation has been completed, revealinghow this “near hit” incident arose (reportedon POL645).Stab resistant vests or body armour area good piece of preventative equipmentto minimise injury. However, it would bedisappointing to think that other hazardcontrol methods, processes and proceduressuch as body searches have not beenimplemented because SRBA was being worn.Had this officer not been wearing the vest,the department and OSH would now beinvestigating a serious harm and possibly fatalincident resulting in the possible prosecutionof the department and/or officer(s). If we thinkthat OSH only prosecute private companiesand would not prosecute another publicservice we are very much mistaken. We justneed to look at the stress issue with WINZin Tauranga. See the Safeguard magazine forcourt lists.The biggest concern is that staff will feelinfallible in this piece of equipment anddispense with other hazard controls. Goodhealth and safety practice, especially withhazard control methods is to have multiplecontrols ensuring maximum safety.Late last year our District OSH committee63

April 2005Police News The Voice of Policeinvited two officers who had trialled the overtSRBA in Counties-Manukau to talk to ourcommittee. They were very positive about itand we are hoping that it will be issued as astandard part of safety equipment for staff.However, this does not mean that otherprocesses, developed and implementedfor staff safety, should be disregarded, butrather used in unison to keep our staff betterguarded, and safe to return to their familiestonight and every night.Irene Allen(Staff Safety Officer, North Shore/Waitakere/Rodney District)Time for someintroductions?In the March issue of Police News there is aresponse by Paula Rose to a previous Letter tothe Editor written by “Doubting Thomas”.From memory, “Doubting Thomas” describessome alleged anomalies in the way thatstatistics are recorded.I too have found differences between the waydistricts enter their stats when I have receivedout-of-town files.Paula Rose describes her position as theNational Manager of Crime Stats/NationalManager Organisational Performance, OoC,Wellington. She states that: “The medium termtrends in crime statistics indicate consistencyof recording practice over time” (‘mediumterm’ and ‘over time’ - what?). See Police News,March 2005, page 44.However, there is an article in the March issueof Police News dealing with this issue. GavinKnight is quoted in the article. He describes√ Home/contents/vehicle/boatinsurance√ Home loans√ Life insurance√ Travel insurance√ Financialplanning√ Health cover√ Holiday homeshis position as Police National Statistics Managerat Organisational Performance Group, OoC. Hestates: “That Police are aware of these differencesand acknowledge that there isn’t a formal andprescriptive set of rules...” See Police News, March2005, page 36.In my opinion Mr Knight’s view is moreaccurate.It would seem that these two people do notagree with each other, yet they appear to havethe same job title. One would assume thatthey should even share an office.Perhaps Rob Robinson can pop downthe hallway from his office some day andintroduce these two. It sounds like they shouldget better acquainted.Mark Farrell(Tauranga)IN REPLY: To B Leask (Napier): Thankyou for your letter. Police Health Plan, likemost insurers, operates in a competitivebusiness environment and most of ourclients understand that age-banding isthe only method by which all memberscan receive the best service available,taking into account the fiscal necessitiesof the insurance climate in which itoperates. Most major New Zealandinsurance companies introduced agebanding several years ago. In order forcosts to be maintained at levels, whichprovide members with the benefitsthey currently enjoy, premiums have toincrease occasionally to keep pace withthe increasing claims of members in allareas of the scheme. – Editor.So think of your welfare organisation - The Police Welfare Fund - foryour insurance, home loan and financial planning needs.Call us for a quote on 0800 500 122,Police Network extn 44446, Mon-Fri 8am to 5:30pmor visit our website at: www.policeassn.org.nz.Canterbury PoliceGolf Club 40thanniversaryLater this year the Canterbury PoliceGolf Club will celebrate its 40thanniversary.Exact dates are not known at thisstage, but early considerationsare being given to dates aroundSeptember/October. A decision willbe made shortly. In the meantime,the club is endeavouring to locate asmany past and present members aspossible.It’s also intended to produce abook on the history of the club.Information from past, and presentmembers is welcomed. The clubhistorian, John Dwyer, is compilinginformation for the book, andwould like to hear from anyone whocan offer relevant information orphotographs.Please contact Dave Stapley(retired member) by phone on(03) 352 6987,Fax (03) 352 5079, Emaildstapley@xtra.co.nz or mailingaddress P.O.Box 5286 Papanui,Christchurch.(Note: Please note the changed Emailaddress for Dave Stapley from thatnotified earlier).Sick of searching for the best deal?If you want -• Great value for money• Quality products• Excellent service• More benefits for youIt’s easy –Support the Police Welfare Fundproducts and servicesand you reap the rewardsNot only is it our goal to deliver our members the very best value-for-money, qualityproducts and services we can, you also reap the rewards from any profits or commissionsearned from these products.ALL profits are invested back into providing you with better benefits, like lowerpremiums, welfare benefits and new holiday homes.Recently, several new homes have been purchased with dividends from other PoliceWelfare Fund products and services, in particular Staffpac Home/contents/vehicle andboat insurance. So now members have even more opportunities to have affordableholidays or quick getaways with their families and friends in top holiday locationsthroughout New Zealand.64