Total recorded assaults on Police - New Zealand Police Association

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PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceFirm deterrent needed for thosewho attack police officersBy Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsConstable John Connolly was recently left in a coma after a cowardly attack by a group of up to15 teenagers who kicked and punched him while he lay on the ground.Within two hours of the attack on Mr Connollyin Tuakau, two officers in Whangareistopped a suspected drunk driver, whichresulted in a violent altercation, leaving oneofficer with serious facial injuries. The officerhad his lip bitten off. Colleagues scrambledon their knees to try and find it so as it couldbe re-attached.The Whangarei officer has very serious facialinjuries and will need reconstructive surgery.Mr Connolly is recovering from seriousinjuries.Several vicious attacksThese incidents followed several vicious<strong>assaults</strong> on police officers around thecountry. In their wake, Police Minister JudithCollins said the Government would beexploring tougher penalties for assaulting apolice officer.Prime Minister John Key suggested recentlythat the Government might have to make aspecial category of offence for assaulting apolice officer. Suggestions followed that theGovernment may also look at making such<strong>assaults</strong> part of the so-called ‘three strikes’legislation.Police Association President Greg O’Connorsaid there was “a burgeoning culture ofcontempt for police and the rule of law,”which leads a growing minority to think thatpolice officers are “fair game”.“That contempt begins with the abuse,insults, hiding in a crowd and pelting policewith bottles, spitting and physical <strong>assaults</strong>routinely inflicted on police on a daily basis.Conduct such as leaning into an officer’sface and snarling “F. . . you pig” is tolerated.The public, the media, and judges write itoff as essentially something police have toput up with and not serious enough for legalsanction,” he said.Support neededMr O’Connor said police officers neededsupport from the public, the media,politicians, and the justice system - thejudiciary and the Independent PoliceConduct Authority - to begin to impose someconsequences for the low-level behaviourthat breeds the worst <strong>assaults</strong>.Mr O’Connor called upon the Policeadministration to make guns in patrol carsmore readily available and to hasten therollout of Tasers.Taser rolloutThe current Taser rollout is based ona formula, which takes into accountgeography, staff numbers, and a review oftactical options reports previously submittedby staff. The Taser rollout received a $10million injection in last year’s Budget– a total of $5.3 million in operatingfunding provided in 2009/10 to completedeployment of Tasers throughout thecountry, with another $4.2 million spreadacross the following three years to meetongoing costs. An additional $521,000 incapital funding was set aside for the 2009-10 financial year for computer systemssupporting the deployment of Tasers.“We have to fix the <strong>assaults</strong> problem andits underlying causes. Part of that lies withthe judiciary and making any assault, verbalor physical, on a police officer an offencethat offenders are going to think twiceabout committing because of the penaltiesinvolved,” Mr O’Connor said.Coercive arm of the stateMr O’Connor said that since police officerswere the coercive arm of the state then itcould be argued that an attack on any policeofficer is at its core a total disregard forthe laws of the land and an attack on thestate itself. “What we have to ask ourselvesas citizens, is are we prepared to let thathappen because if we are then we as asociety had better be prepared to live withthe consequences of that apathy? How canthe community feel safe if we don’t believepolice officers are safe?” he said.“A respectful, professional and tolerantPolice is the ideal, but a tentative oneserves no-one’s interests. Forcing police,society’s last line of defence, to fear theconsequences of getting it wrong so muchthat they no longer take the initiative tointervene and quell threats early, can onlyempower the lawbreakers. Then, serious<strong>assaults</strong> and shootings of police, as we haveseen recently, become an inevitability. Weneed to take a broad view of the problem,and the solution. Deterrent sentences alonewill not fix the problem,” Mr O’Connor said.Ms Collins agrees. She says a “clearmessage” needs to be sent to criminalsthat an attack on police is an attack on “ourentire system of law.”SanctionsMr O’Connor said a start would be a justicesystem, which must be prepared to imposesanctions for overt abusive language andbehaviour directed at police carrying outtheir duties. The system must also support- rather than criticise and condemn - policewhen they have to take decisive action,such as using reasonable force or the othercoercive powers they rely on to keep thepublic safe. This also meant an acceptancethat sometimes officers who need to makedecisions in a stressful situation will makemistakes.“Only then will we instill in offenders arealisation that society will not tolerateattacks on its protectors,” he added.Greater availability of guns?Police Commissioner Howard Broad, whois opposed to arming the Police, has evensoftened his stance after the spate ofhorrendous attacks – saying that moreofficers may have to carry guns.“These officers’ injuries are a harshreminder of the challenges police officersface on a daily basis. The risks they faceduring work are always there, even as theyserve the public off-duty,” he said.“I am supportive of the need to ensurethe courts have sufficient powers toimpose sentences, which are a meaningfuldeterrent. To that end we are workingclosely with the Minister of Police to explorelegislative options.”66April 2010
New Zealand Police AssociationResponse welcomedAssociation President Greg O’Connor saidthat any increase in firearms availabilitywould be welcome. “This absolutesqueamishness we’ve had, flowing from anirriational criticism when officers have usedfirearms, has governed policy, rather thanpractical needs, and it’s time this positionchanged.”He added: “There has never been anunjustified shooting by a police officer in thiscountry, despite what all the critics havesaid.”ApathyThe apparent and worrying apathy of societytowards attacks on police officers is amplyreflected in the fact that many attacks now gounreported in a media consumed by realityTV, a propensity to dress up advertisingas news and where pictures of pets cancommand a half page of news space whilean attack on a police officer barely rates acolumn inch, if that.The frustration of officers who put theirlives on the line to protect the innocent, getassaulted in the course of their duties andthen find what one officer described as “a wetbus ticket” approach taken by judges in someinstances, is palpable. The Police Associationis keen to see the judiciary back police with afirmer line on those who perpetrate cowardlyattacks on police officers.Perhaps a good start would be if they tooka leaf from one of the staunchest alliesof jurisprudence, Sir Edmund Burke, whofamously said: “Evil flourishes when goodmen do nothing.”Sobering statisticsPolice assault statistics make sober reading.In the last 10 years, <strong>assaults</strong> on policeofficers have risen 26.25% (up from 1,965in the 1999-2000 reporting year to 2,481by the 2008-09 year). In the last five years,<strong>assaults</strong> have risen by 32.7%. The mostworrying recent trend is the severity of theattacks. In the last decade, Crimes Act<strong>assaults</strong> have risen by a staggering 90.7%(from 216 in 1999-2000 to 412 last year).Police estimate that the annual cost of<strong>assaults</strong> on police officers is approximately$3 million.By comparison, South Australia has seena decrease of 3.67% in <strong>assaults</strong> on policeover that 10-year period from 923 in 1999to 867 in 2009.New South Wales, has seen its <strong>assaults</strong> onpolice drop in the last two years, despitesharing similar drug and alcohol abuseproblems as this country. In that period,<strong>assaults</strong> on police have seen a 6.06% dropfrom 2,889 to 2,783 last year.WA’s tough legislationWest Australia changed the law relatingto <strong>assaults</strong> on police officers in 2006 –increasing the maximum penalty for causinggrievous bodily harm to a police officer toa term of imprisonment of up to 14 years.It was previously set at 10 years. In NSWthe maximum penalty is five years – and iscovered by section 60 (1) of the Crimes Act1900. NSW has tried twice in the last 13Police assault statistics makesober reading. In the last10 years, <strong>assaults</strong> on policeofficers have risen 26.25% (upfrom 1,965 in the 1999-2000reporting year to 2,481 by the2008-09 year). In the last fiveyears, <strong>assaults</strong> have risen by32.7%. The most worryingrecent trend is the severityof the attacks. In the lastdecade, Crimes Act <strong>assaults</strong>have risen by a staggering90.7% (from 216 in 1999-2000to 412 last year).years to get legislation adopted to increasethe penalties for assaulting a police officerand both times these laws have stalled. Thelatest effort was in 2007 when the CrimesAmendment (Assault of Police Officers) Billwas mooted. It has been in abeyance eversince.In Tasmania the issue has become a politicalfootball with various parties upping the antein terms of promised tougher legislation.Tasmania has seen a 30.6% increase in<strong>assaults</strong> in the five years between 2004-09,from 867 to 1,133.NZPA surveyA New Zealand Police Association surveyin 2008 showed that 43% of constablesreported being assaulted within the lastyear and 67% had been threatened with aweapon.Anecdotally, police officers say that the useof the drug P, the ready availability of alcoholand New Zealand’s binge drinking culture areall contributing to the problem, along with anincreased desensitisation to violence broughtabout by graphic television violence and videogames. Some of the latter, like the GrandTheft Auto series, have been widely criticisedas feeding this desensitisation by effectivelyglorifying attacks on police officers.In an even more worrying trend, whichhighlights the Police Association’s call forbetter firearms training and better availabilityof firearms for police officers, the last yearhas seen a 41.37% increase in the use offirearms against police officers. That is thehighest increase in the use of any singleweapon since a huge increase in edgedweapons attacks on police back in 2001-02.That earlier rise brought with it a call by theAssociation for officers to be issued with stabresistant vests. That campaign was eventuallysuccessful and the vests have been creditedwith saving several police lives in the interim.Association callThe Association has been calling forNorwegian-style lockboxes in police carssince June of last year (see page 68).As with much of what ails society today,this is not just a Police problem, as ourcommuntiy will soon discover if it does notstand up to defend the defenders. Tougherlaws will not necessarily solve the problem– the roots are much deeper – but even thedeterrent effect of making one offender resilefrom ‘having a go’ would be worth the effort.As the Bay of Plenty Times so aptly put it ina recent editorial on the issue: “Deterrenceaside, harsher penalties will at least meanthat, harsher penalties. These criminalsshould be locked up for many years andmade to regret their actions…Mr Key and hiscolleagues now need to deliver on this andback their words with some real action.”Use of 0800 Ten Nine phone lineAssociation representatives maintain thistelephone line (0800 836 6463) on a24-hour basis.It is to be used ONLY for matters that cannot bedeferred, such as Police shootings, fatal pursuitsor deaths in custody.Important and immediate industrial and legaladvice can then be arranged through theAssociation networks.Please do not phone this line fornon-urgent matters.April 201067
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