PM attends Association's 75th Annual Conference - New Zealand ...

New Zealand Police AssociationNew Zealand police officers working there intraining Afghan police officers.SupportMs Collins said she wanted police officersto know that the Government backed itspolice. While there was “no shortage ofcritics” who said “Police shouldn’t try toapprehend motorists that run from the law,have their own bars where they can socialisewith colleagues, or carry Tasers to defendthemselves”, she wanted officers to know thatshe thought such views were “nonsense”.She said she had come to the conferencewith a message of support – a support shewas “reiterating to you today”.The Minister said that the cost of policing hadmore than doubled over the past decade,from $650 million in 1999 to $1.37 billionin 2009 and that the whole criminal justicesector has increased from approximately $2.1billion in 1997/98 to $3.8 billion in 2008/09.On current settings, this is expected to increaseto $6 billion by 2020. Ms Collins said this is notsustainable in a small economy such as NewZealand and it is important for Police to look atworking more efficiently and effectively.ExcellenceThe Policing Excellence Project would focuson shifting resources to frontline roles,reinvestment in a range of neighbourhoodpolicing roles, and using technology to free upstaff for crime prevention work.Rosters will be changed so there are moreofficers on deck where and when they areneeded.Ms Collins said officers would be given theflexibility to use discretion when dealing withsome less serious offences, while still holdingoffenders to account, and officers will spendless time behind desks and more time on thestreets where they can respond more quicklyto calls for service.The Minister said that the project did notnecessarily mean there will be less moneyavailable to Police. “It does mean that it willbe used where it really matters,” she said.In conclusion, Ms Collins said she was“enormously proud” of what New Zealandpolice officers had achieved and it was “alwaysa privilege to speak to a group of men andwomen who are dedicated to a better and saferfuture for all New Zealanders”.“As you and your members patrol our streets,hunt down those who make and distributeP, search for lost people, maintain orderin our towns and cities or comfort those inneed, know this: the Government will be rightbehind you,” Ms Collins added.• The conference theme as announced by the Association banner above was “Recognise theRisk” but it took a wee while for those at the top table to realise that the faint but evergrowingsmell of something burning was actually the curtains behind them being melted by alight that had got a little too close for comfort and had singed a hole in the fabric (below).• Brett Roberts (Director), Bruce Dow and Becky Hill from the south take in proceedings.December 2010311