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

New Zealand Police Association“It doesn’t matter whether we are talking aboutprominent people or even criminals, information wereceive as part of our job, especially that obtainedusing our coercive powers, should be kept to ourselvesuntil someone, usually the court, decides otherwise.”Loose lips sink shipsJulius Caesar once said “I love treasonbut I hate a traitor”. There have beenmany variations since, applied to differenthistorical settings.The modern equivalent, and relevantto police, is the media’s view of peoplewho leak information to them.They love the information but havenothing but contempt for those whobetray their employer, work colleagues,family or even mates by supplying thatinformation.I was reminded of that when I read thatsomeone had rung a TV station and toldthem about All Blacks coach GrahamHenry being one of several speedingdrivers stopped in Auckland and notticketed, the reason for which turnedout to be perfectly explicable. (A subsequentNew Zealand Herald editorialoutlined the need for the public to beable to know with certainty that anyonepurporting to be a police officer has thefull powers and capability of a policeofficer; a very pertinent point given thecreation of the Authorised Officer role).It is clear the leak was not from the officerinvolved, who was doing his job.It was in all likelihood someone whobecame aware through being present ata debrief or overheard an in-house conversation.Whoever it was, it was simply unprofessional,and treacherous.Whether the motivation was to have ago at Henry, or the officer involved, oreven the hierarchy, the net result wasyet another opportunity for our detractorsto have a go at police. Perversely,we did deserve criticism, but not forhaving someone unqualified to issuetickets operating speed equipment; wedeserved to be criticised for leaking theinformation in the first place. Not surprisingly,the media didn’t think so!It doesn’t matter whether we are talkingabout prominent people or even criminals,information we receive as part ofour job, especially that obtained usingour coercive powers, should be keptto ourselves until someone, usually thecourt, decides otherwise.We get frustrated enough at the informationwe are forced to disclose to lawyers,especially around witness details.The last thing we need to do is to beproviding more, to anyone.I personally think that the rules aroundwho we can check on NIA (National IntelligenceApplication), in order to keepourselves safe as police officers, are toorestrictive. They are decreed by thosewho don’t understand the vulnerabilityof being a police officer exposed to inappropriatecontacts. Police, especiallyin smaller communities, are very visibleand quickly end up on the front pages ifinvolved in conflict of any type.It behoves us then to be absolutelydiscreet and professional with any informationwe do come by, in order toensure we are trusted to access what weneed to reduce our vulnerability.And of course, understand that howevereffusive a grateful reporter may bewhen receiving information, they holdCaesar’s contempt for thesource.The management, directors andstaff of the Police Associationand its subsidiaries, extend to allreaders, members, retired membersand their families, their best wishesfor a safe and prosperousChristmas and New Year.Be careful out there…December 2010299