Police News August 09.indd - New Zealand Police Association

New Zealand Police AssociationThe arming issueThis month’s Police News features aseries of articles around the subject ofPolice access to firearms.In a year when six of our colleagueshave been shot, two fatally, it is nota topic which can be swept aside ina media sound bite or other generalcommunication, especially when halfof us now believe police should begenerally armed.The Police Association endeavours to bewell informed on all aspects of policingto ensure any statements we make comefrom a well informed position; one weare confident represents the views ofthe relevant group of our members.Due to the specialised nature of manyparts of our large organisation, it isimportant that the views of the peoplemost affected by any proposed changebe isolated and weighted accordingly.That’s what makes the views of frontlinepolice, those most vulnerable and incontact with the public, of significancein any decision-making.As this month’s survey results show, amajority of our frontliners now wantto be armed, or have better access tofirearms.We fully accept there are many factors,which need to be taken into account, asthey were in the Northern Territory ofAustralia, the last Australian Force togenerally arm, and in the NorwegianPolice, the only force on mainlandEurope, which remains unarmed. Irecently visited Norway to ensure we canput their situation into the right context.We can. In fact the four Scandinaviancountries, as national forces policing“The Norwegians reached their compromise of havingevery patrol car equipped with firearms in safesbeside the driver after considerable debate. This wasafter just one officer was killed when police wereoutgunned during a robbery.”countries with small populations butlarge land areas, whose main criminalgroups are Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs,are much more like our own than a lotof other countries we tend to emulate.The Norwegians reached their compromiseof having every patrol car equipped withfirearms in safes beside the driver afterconsiderable debate. This was after justone officer was killed when police wereoutgunned during a robbery.We need that debate here, not sillyresponses like “if we arm the crimswill arm” or “most cops are shot withtheir own weapon” both easily refutablestatements.Of course, very significant is the factthat the majority of the public is nowhappy to see their police armed.I don’t necessarily agree with onemember’s statement that policefunerals are preferable politically topolice shootings but I understand thesentiment and frustration expressed.Many of the first police on the sceneof Len Snee’s shooting in Napier were‘day workers’, exempted from trainingin many districts but luckily not inHawke’s Bay.It just showed the call to arms cancome at any time in policing and nowis no time to be squeamish or overlycautious in fully assessing the responsecapability of police; a police, which isbeing assaulted and shot at more thanever before. It is certainly no time to bereducing the number of officers who willbe trained, as is the current proposal.Let’s at least have the discussion and seeif there may even be a Norwegian-stylecompromise, which matches the needsof frontline policing with the statusquo being advocated by some decisionmakers.Otherwise we are left asking theobvious question; how many of us willit take to be shot and shot at beforewe are prepared to review our armingpolicies?Election notice:Nominations for Vice-Presidentof the NZ Police AssociationRule 89 of the Association Rules allows any member of the Associationto nominate any other member for election to the position of President orone of two Vice-President positions.Another member must second all nominations.The term of each of these positions is for three years, with one electionheld every year.This year, one of the two Vice-President positions is open for election.The term of office for this role will be from October 2009 until October2012.Nominations close at 5 p.m. on Tuesday 22 September 2009,and should be sent to:Mr Chris PentecostNational SecretaryNZ Police AssociationP.O. Box 12344, Wellington.Nomination forms are available from:Ms Karen GibsonSenior Executive AssistantNZ Police AssociationPO Box 12344, Wellington.Conference delegates will elect the Vice-President at the Association’sAnnual Conference on Wednesday October 14, 2009.August 2009167