Total recorded assaults on Police - New Zealand Police Association

New Zealand Police Associationroutine stop and the next minute you’reinvolved in a police pursuit following afailure to stop. This factor certainly keeps itinteresting.”Working with like-minded people wasanother good part of the job, Mr Crum said.“You really do meet some good people,who are committed to keeping our road tolldown.”Challenging partsOne of the most difficult aspects of the jobwas informing a victim’s family following afatal crash.“This is something which never gets easierno matter how many times you do it, butonce again it is all part of the job.”Mr Crum also listed paperwork as one of the‘downsides’ of the job. His police colleaguesin other sections would no doubt concur.“I find the best way to deal with this is towrite it all up straight away. This way youprevent it all from getting on top of you.”“Things like adopting the ‘fatalfive’ approach have allowed usto become more focused onissues that are really affectingour road toll. We believeapproaches like this have helpedus change the behaviours ofdrivers on New Zealand roads.”- Wellington Highway Patrol officer Tim Crum.Skilled workersTo be successful in their job Mr Crum saidofficers needed to have a pretty good graspof legislation and be self-motivated.“As you are out there on the roads byyourself, you have to be comfortable aboutbeing your own boss. This means takingresponsibility for your actions.”• A Highway Patrol officer making relevant notes at a crash site. An eye for detail in suchcircumstances can make all the difference for crash investigators.A good knowledge of the roads you cover isalso a necessary skill. “This can really comein handy, especially when you are involvedin a pursuit.”What has changed?With 26 years service, Mr Crum has seenmany changes within policing. The biggestin the Highway Patrol setting has been achange to a more focused and professionalapproach.“Things like adopting the ‘fatal five’approach have allowed us to become morefocused on issues that are really affectingour road toll. We believe approaches like thishave helped us change the behaviours ofdrivers on New Zealand roads,” he said.US study: Methusers nine timesmore likely tocommit homicideA study conducted last year in theUSA has concluded that peoplewho use methamphetamine arenine times more likely to commit ahomicide than a person who doesnot use the drug but may still useother recreational drugs.The results were published ina recent issue of The Journal ofInterpersonal Violence.Data from the US NationalHousehold Survey on Drug Abuseand the Survey of Inmates in Stateand Federal Correctional Facilitieswere combined to create a casecontroldesign of the relationshipbetween those exposed tomethamphetamine use. The mainoutcome was to measure thatagainst homicides.More importantly, the associationbetween methamphetamineuse and homicide persists evenafter adjusting for alternativedrug use (i.e., alcohol, heroin,crack, cocaine, PCP, LSD),sex, race, income, age, maritalstatus, previous arrests, militaryexperience, and education level.Methamphetamine was the onlydrug use variable that was stronglycorrelated with homicide.April 201065