NZPA News Dec.pm65 - New Zealand Police Association

December 2002Personal Protection Kit pouch isavailable - keep yours handyBy Spencer Matthews, Chairman/Delegate, Counties/ManukauIn 2000 the Counties/Manukaubranch of the Police Associationstarted to question why, if ourmembers were being asked to carry aPersonal Protection Kit (PPK), hadthe department not provided aconvenient way for these kits to becarried.An informal survey revealed thesekits being kept in shirt pockets,trouser pockets, in duty jackets, inthe private workbag in the car, orsimply did not existing at all. Notthe best places in an emergency!We began to inquire why a simplepouch was not provided to keep thisPPK on the duty belt-the mostlogical place.Over the next two years, with someassistance from our local Staff SafetyOfficer, we asked the Office of theCommissioner what was happening.In the meantime, another providerhad also recognised the need andbegan selling these pouches torecruits at the college and throughmail order.At the 2002 Police AssociationAnnual Conference I took theopportunity to question theCommissioner as to why PPK poucheswere not being issued to themembers some two years after themandatory carriage of PPK’s.He was unable to answer, but168New Zealand Police Association NewsletterPolice Welfare Fund Life Membership bestowed onformer Police CommissionerBy Association Secretary/CEO, Chris PentecostFormer Police Commissioner and longtime Police Welfare Fund supporter,Bob Walton was given life membershipof the Police Welfare Fund in October,as he retired from the Boards of theWelfare Fund and Police Health Plan.Bob joined the Police in 1946, afterreturning from active service in theMiddle East and Italy and being part ofthe occupation force of Japan. Risingthrough the ranks Bob was appointedCommissioner in 1977, holding thisoffice until his retirement in 1983.In 1987 Bob joined the Board of theWelfare Fund as a representative of theretired members, a group for whom healways advocated for, most strongly.He always provided the Boards andindividual directors and management,with considered and valuable adviceand direction.It is a measure of his stature that,having confirmed that Police HealthPlan needed to introduce to agebanded premiums, Bob formally movedthe motion for this to occur.“I was very pleased to serve on theBoard of the Welfare Fund,” Bob said.“It is a body that makes a very valuablecontribution to members of Police andtheir families, especially the healthplan.”On behalf of all members of the Fundwe wish Bob well and thank him for hissignificant contribution over the years.A new Director to represent retiredmembers will be appointed to theBoard in the immediate future.promised a quick response. True tohis word, by the time I arrived homethere was an email from OoC sayingthat the pouches were available, hadbeen for some time and that thestaff should have them.In addition, other delegates at theconference had said that theirhuman resources managers had foundthe money to purchase thesepouches for all of their staff.This naturally added to the anti-Auckland region paranoia that we,north of the Bombay’s, feel at times.I replied back to OoC asking why itwas not nationally known that staffwere able obtain these pouches. Iwas referred back to my local humanresources manager (currently in theU.K. recruiting).Thankfully, our Staff Safety Officerhas now said that all staff in ourdistrict should request the pouch. Ofcourse this $20 cost will have tocome out of the $65 each staffmember is allocated per annum foruniform replacement!I don’t know if this was a victory forthe Association, but I wouldencourage all members to apply forthese pouches so your PPK can beclose at hand in an emergency. Atless that $20 you do not even needthe station O/C’s permission if youget your watchouse manager on side!Bob Walton with his Certificate ofLife Membership.Name suppression forPolice OfficersBy Association Industrial Officer,Kathleen ByrneThere was recently a successful appeal tothe High Court in Wellington to grantname suppression to a Constable chargedwith an offence in the course of his duty.The case had earlier raised a stir whenthe Dominion Post named the Constableand published his photograph on thefront page before he had the opportunityto apply for name suppression. It wasthen denied as the District Court Judgereasoned an order would be pointless, as“the horse had already bolted”.In the High Court, Judge Wild weighedthis initial publicity against the effectsof further exposure. He considered therisk of harm to the appellant’s family, thepublic’s need to know the specific nameand most importantly from a legalperspective, applying the presumption ofinnocence, he considered the effects onthe ability of the Constable to resume hisPolice duties.The Judge considered Abbott v Wallace,where it was held the public nature ofPolice work prevented name suppression,but preferred the reasoning of re: “X”(the recent attempted abduction case inWellington) and relied on older case law,(Wilson and Comesky v Police, Wn 1988;and M v Police, 1991).This case highlights the need for havingas little delay as possible betweencharging an officer and applying forname suppression. It also adds furtherweight to the argument for namesuppression for police officer’s prior toand after being found justified in actionstaken in the line of duty.