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News/viewsSome time ago, I wrote in this columnof my concerns at how the role of seniorsergeant is being diminished, and beingremoved from the administrative chainof command. Instead, the position nowbecomes more of a functional one, oftenwith no direct reports.As someone who spent much of hiscareer in the CIB before arriving at uniformsenior, I had failed to understand theimportance of this rank as a buffer betweenadministration at commissioned officerlevel and street-level supervision. Not beingelbow deep in either meant being ableto see things that could easily be missed– especially around staff behaviour andwelfare.Now the modern officer is often bettereducated and trained than in the past, butwe are a broad church in Police, recruitingfrom all backgrounds. Some will alwayscope better than others with the pressuresof being a police officer, both the on andoff duty aspects of it. Identifying those whomay be struggling, or worse, before it is toolate, is challenging.The field training officer position canassist, but, like the sergeants, they canquickly become bogged down with theirown work. When one of our own goes offthe rails – and there have, unfortunately,been several high-profile cases recently –it’s easy to simply make the “bad egg” call.It’s easy to say warning bells were missed.The Early Intervention process is a positive,but I wonder whether removing seniorsergeants from their line supervision rolehas been a mistake.Sometimes we don’tunderstand the value ofsomething until we don’thave it any more.The change managers overseeing the newpolicing structures often speak of whethera position “adds value”. Sometimes we don’tunderstand the value of something untilwe don’t have it anymore. We have araft of new tools atour disposal, fromTaser and readyaccessfirearmsto smartphonesand iPads. Each brings with it a newopportunity to “get it wrong”, with seriousconsequences for individuals and Police.I just wonder whether removal of animportant oversight level such as linesenior sergeants is a serious mistake.I would hate to see us bring in araft of new compliance and “tick-box”bureaucracy that will just bog supervisorsdown more, when the answer is under ournoses.We are in a people business. Peoplemight be the answer to some of our issues.president@policeassn.org.nzBravery awards 2013Nominations are now open for this year’sPolice Association Bravery Awards.Both constabulary and non-constabularymembers are eligible for nomination foracts of bravery in the preceding year,between July 2012 and June 2013.Nominations, which opened on June 1and close on July 31, must be submittedthrough the Association’s area committees.Nomination forms and criteria can bedownloaded from the Association’s website,www.policeassn.org.nz. You must belogged in as a member to access the forms.The Bravery Awards were establishedto honour outstanding acts ofbravery by Police, on or offduty, and to acknowledge peerrecognition.Our last Bravery Awardrecipients were former constableMarty Stiles and Constable MikeWardle, who were involved in anincident in Christchurch in 2010during which Senior ConstableBruce Lamb was shot in the face,his police dog, Gage, was killed and hiscolleague, Constable Mitch Alatalo, wasshot in the leg.A third award was also made, but due tothe nature of the police work, the recipientcould not be publicly identified.The design of the Bravery Award isbased on the sternpost of a Maori waka,traditionally carved to provide guardianshipduring a journey. The cast bronze award alsoincorporates a Police chevron and is toppedby a flame of pounamu, representing valourand high esteem.Constable Mitch Alatalo, left, and Senior Constable Bruce Lamb, right, with award recipients former constable MartyStiles and Constable Mike Wardle after the 2011 presentation.new zealand police aSSOCIATION june 2013 115

News/viewsIN BRIEFPay risePolice employees andconstabulary members ofthe Police Association willreceive a 1 per cent increasein their remuneration (salaryand superannuation), aswell as allowances, effectivefrom July 1.Policing on a BudgetPolice was not among thefavoured few governmentdepartments when theBudget was released lastmonth. There was targetedspending for other areas ofGovernment – up to $900million – but no new Policeinitiatives and fundingremains frozen across theorganisation. Instead, theGovernment is lauding themobility project, claiming itwill deliver the equivalentof 345 additional frontlinestaff. It came up withthat figure by estimatingthat smartphones andtablets would save officersan average 30 minutesper shift, equating toan additional 520,000frontline police hours ayear, or 345 extra staff.Open and shut caseThere are many worse fatesthan getting a traffic ticket– a lesson a Florida manlearnt the hard way whenhe ran from the law andinto the jaws of an alligator.When Bryan Zuniga,20, was pulled over for“failing to maintain a singlelane”, he jumped out thepassenger door and ran off,eluding police. He turnedup at a local hospital afew hours later after beingattacked by the alligatornear a water treatmentplant. He was treated formultiple puncture woundsto his face, arm and armpitarea. Then he was chargedwith fleeing police anddrivingwithouta currentlicence. - APFrom left, Dave McKirdy, Susan Gatfield, Pete Hayes.Decades of hard workThree Police Association staff members mark 20 years each.DAVE McKIRDYAfter 20 years in the job, DaveMcKirdy reckons the best partof being the Police Association’sCanterbury and TasmanDistricts field officer is the likemindedpeople he works with.“Over the years I have beenlucky enough to work withsome really good people whohave made me laugh a lot.I've also enjoyed watching theorganisation grow, with thePolice Welfare Fund going fromstrength to strength as well asthe increase of the holiday homenetwork.”Another growth area has beenDave’s workload. Always busywith calls from members, he’srarely seen without a cellphoneglued to his ear, earning him thenickname “Cellphone Dave”.Police Association PresidentGreg O’Connor says Dave is partof the DNA of the Associationand has a “get it done attitude”at all times. Marking Dave’stwo decades in the role, he toldhim: “Your knowledge, yourenergy and your downrightcommitment to the membersof this organisation has neverceased to amaze me.”SUSAN GATFIELDWhen the opportunity to takeup a job at Police Health Planarose in April 1993, SusanGatfield says she jumped at thechance, because she “needed topay off her credit card”.Twenty years on, the creditcard bills are still there, but nowit’s the people she works withand the Association memberswho keep her in her role as aHealth Plan claims assessor.“I’ve enjoyed many a laugh withmy co-workers and it’s greatto be able to offer support toour members when they aregoing through stressful medicalsituations,” she says.The biggest changes she hasnoted over the years are theadvances in technology andgrowth of the organisation.“When I first started, therewere only about 20 of us in theorganisation, including CreditUnion staff members. HealthPlan had only 1200 members atthe time, whereas now we have32,000 members, so you can seehow much we’ve grown.”Police Association PresidentGreg O’Connor describes Susanas a “solid performer” whoalways does her work to thehighest standard. Marking her20 years, he said: “Susan, youare one of those people thatgoes through life as a giver, sothanks for all that you havegiven to this organisation overthe years.”PETE HAYESNo matter what position PeteHayes has held in his 20-yearcareer with the New ZealandPolice Association, remainingtrue to the needs of themembers has been his centralfocus, he says.Pete, who had been a doghandler with Police, startedworking for the Association in1993 as the first Wellington fieldofficer. In 1996, he became achange co-ordinator, evaluatingthe organisation’s businessmodels during a period ofradical redevelopment. “GregO’Connor had recently beenelected president and as ourmembership grew so didour need for staff who werequalified and knowledgeableabout the products and serviceswe offered members.”Pete says he is most proud ofthe establishment of the servicecentre and the introduction ofprofessional practices to PoliceHealth Plan.In 1997 he took on hiscurrent role as police welfareservices manager. “Every day isdifferent . . . One day I mightbe offering support to someonewhose loved one has died; thenext I might be getting on aplane to source new homes forour holiday home portfolio.”One thing that neverchanges, though, is dealingwith members who reach outfor help. “I believe in treatingpeople the way you wouldwish to be treated.” Drawingon his experience as a policeofficer helps, as does a senseof humour. “Sometimes wedeal with heavy situations, soif you’re able to relate to thekind of pressures our membersare under, I think that’sappreciated.”Police Association PresidentGreg O’Connor describesPete as an “unflappable cleverbugger” whose measuredapproach to his work is greatlyappreciated. “We really respecthis contacts in Police as wellas outside of Police, and it’sreassuring to know we havesomeone like him at the helm ofthe organisation.”116 june 2013police news – the voice of police

News/viewsPICKING UP THE PIECESThe shake-up of non-sworn Police positions is generating a rippleeffect of organisational and staffing disruption in stations aroundthe country. Ellen Brook reports.File management centres,criminal justice supportunits, investigative supportunits and the crime reporting lineare just some of the new workgroups synonymous with PolicingExcellence. But with no extrafunding, the non-constabularystaff who work in these new unitshave had to come from somewhereelse. Despite soothing reassurancesfrom Police National Headquartersthat the restructure is aimed atenhancing services to the public,some frontline staff are telling adifferent story.It’s about having to pick upthe pieces of a shattered supportnetwork and spreading themselvesso thinly they are struggling tocover their core roles.It’s also about losing valuable,experienced staff. Job lossesgo beyond just relocation andreassignment to the new units, withnon-constabulary staff numbersdown by more than 180 betweenDecember 2011 and December2012. As one senior sergeant says:“The heart of policing is our staff,who are being ripped out of ourstations.”In one district, a reshuffle at thewatch house last year has put alot of extra pressure on remainingconstabulary staff. Frustrationlevels have risen so much that onestaff member “had a meltdown”and left to work at another station.The watch house keepers weremoved from front-counter dutiesand related roles about sevenmonths ago. They either tookredundancy or were relocated tofile management work. To fill thegap, four constables and a sergeantand their desks hastily shifted andwere told that their jobs were nowcombined with attending to thepublic counter and all the relatedwork that involved.As much as our frontline officerslike to engage with the public, it’snot proving helpful to their coreroles to have to deal with counterinquiries as well. Far from workingmore efficiently, they say theyare falling behind with their ownwork as they fill the gaps left bytheir non-constabulary colleagues,whether it be at the frontcounter or handling the file andadministration work that has nottransferred to the file managementcentres.A spokesperson for the sectionthat is most affected has this to say:“The open-plan setup allows thepublic to see us sitting at our desks,and we are expected to leave ourwork and attend to the counter on aregular basis. In the meantime, ourown work is suffering . . . We arealso required to do the follow-upinquiries and prosecution of anyfiles we attend to at the counter.We were not given any trainingon the new processes and had toflounder our way through.”Several staff at the station havealready gone around in circlestelling their superiors that the newsystem is not working, makingformal email representations andhaving informal meetings. Theresponse has been dismissive,they say, a sort of like it or lump itattitude.On some occasions, inspectorshave had to attend to the frontcounter because there have been nostaff available.Elsewhere, the Associationhas been made aware ofdissatisfaction at smallerstations that have either lost watchhouse keepers altogether or aredown to just one person. Thatmeans juggling all the watch houseroles – answering the phones,attending to the front counter anda raft of other duties that involvedealing with the public, as well asdoing Winscribe work (listening toand transcribing recorded reportsleft by police officers). When astaff member complained, thesolution was to put a sergeant incharge of the front counter whileThe point aboutthese issues is thatit’s past any“bedding-in” timefor these changes,most of whichcame into effectlast year. We arenow into theterritory of newproblems.the Winscribe work was beingdone. You don’t have to be a rocketscientist to figure out that that isfalse economy.The loss of non-constabulary fleetmanagers is another unwelcomeeffect of restructuring. Despitebeing told that those duties, as wellas building maintenance, wouldbe taken over by Police NationalHeadquarters, there are reportsof some police cars being caughtout driving around with expiredwarrants of fitness and registration.Not a good look. The day-to-day offleet management is falling to OCs,some of whom are struggling to fillthe gap left by a person with morethan 20 years of experience.Many of the old nonconstabularyjobs are now fallingto middle managers, who, as oneofficer says, are already runningaround like headless chickenstrying to deliver on PreventionFirst and roll out mobility.Another frustration that onthe surface may appear minor– the provision of paper andphotocopying services previouslydone by non-constabulary supportstaff – can have a more criticalknock-on effect. In one station,a late shift arrived to find therewas no paper. A unit had to go toanother station to fetch some. Afew days later a CIB staff memberhad to collect more paper fromanother station and spend nearlyfour hours photocopying a file fora prosecution case, taking himaway from his core duties. As onesenior staff member said: “With nosupport staff around, who used toorganise the day-to-day stuff, noone has taken any responsibility.”118 june 2013police news – the voice of police

Cover storyAway from dramatic headlines about drugged teens, policeon the ground are genuinely worried that the popularity ofsynthetic cannabis is becoming a serious driver of crime.Deb Stringer reports.As with alcohol, trying to control thesale and use of a legal drug is neverstraightforward and synthetic cannabis hasbecome one more factor police have to takeinto account on the job.Hawke’s Bay Inspector Andy Sloansays encounters with young people highon synthetic cannabis, often boughtfrom their corner dairies, are a regularoccurrence. Users can display violent anderratic behaviour, which can put officers indangerous situations, he says.Burglaries and robberies committedby synthetic cannabis users were also onthe rise.In the South Island, Dunedin Policesenior analyst Heather Dunne is seeingthe same trend. “We have dealt with fiveor six burglaries in recent months wherethe offenders have been addicts whohave on-sold stolen itemsto buy more syntheticcannabis.”In anaggravatedrobbery in thecity, twooffenders raided a dairy and stole cash andup to 200 packets of synthetic cannabis.It’s the same story for Timaru policeofficer Sergeant Mike Miron, who saysthere has been a rise in domestic incidentsinvolving people who are “high” or “out ofcontrol” on synthetic cannabis. “It’s reallyhard seeing the damage this drug is doingto the community, and it’s a really difficultthing for police to manage because, at theend of the day, it’s legal.”Meanwhile, hospital emergency roomsare coping with the physical side-effectsthat synthetic cannabis cause in somepeople, including paranoia, panic attacks,headaches and prolonged vomiting, and, inextreme cases, psychosis, kidney failure andheart conditions.Police officers say it seems incredible thatthere is a substance legally available thatcan cause severe psychosis.Last month the Government issuedtwo Temporary Class Drug Notices forchemicals BB-22 and 5F-AKB48, two of thecompounds found in a popular syntheticcannabis brand, K2, meaning that fromMay 9 it was illegal to import, manufacture,sell or supply these substances.Because synthetic cannabis isn’tcovered under the Misuse of Drugs Act1971, the Temporary Class Drug Noticesare currently the only way to regulatepsychoactive substances, with the totalnumber of notices issued standing at 35(also covering the chemicals in party pills).To ensure dairies, along with otheroutlets, were adhering to the ban on K2,Police launched a nationwide crackdownthe day it came into force. Officers are alsocontinuing to urge dairy owners to stopselling any brand of synthetic cannabis.Associate Health Minister Peter Dunnedescribed the ban as a blow to the trade,though he realised it was “a cat and mousegame” between the Government and themanufacturers until the PsychoactiveSubstances Bill becomes law in August.Auckland K2 supplier Ben Thompsontold The Press newspaper that retailerswouldn’t have to wait long for a newshipment of a reformulated product. Hesaid it was “quite easy” to alter the productat short notice.Come August, though, manufacturerswon’t have such an easy option. Thelegislation, which will be a world first,will require manufacturers of legal highsto prove that any psychoactive substanceis no more than “low risk” before beingsold. That would involve pre-clinical and120 june 2013police news – the voice of police

human clinical testing, with manufacturerswho want to sell the substances having tocover the costs, estimated at $2 million persubstance.All approved products will have to listtheir ingredients, have standardised dosesand provide health and safety messages,something manufacturers are not requiredto do now.Supervising these processes, approvingapplications and monitoring any illegalimportation, manufacture and sale ofproducts will fall to a new body, thePsychoactive Substances RegulatoryAuthority.Party pill advocate Matt Bowden toldThe New Zealand Herald he welcomed thelegislation. It was something New Zealandcould be proud of. “While other placesaround the world have used prohibition, theGovernment has taken back control, whichis good to see.” Continues page 123Police are encouraging dairies and other retailoutlets to display posters such as this to indicatethey do not stock synthetic cannabis products likethose pictured below, which are widely available ata cost of $20 for a 2.5 gram packet.Gone to potAs New Zealand grapples with theproblem of so-called legal highs,some police forces in the UnitedStates are finding out what it’s liketo live with legalised marijuana.At the end of last year, the states ofColorado and Washington passed newlaws that give limited legal status tosome use and cultivation of cannabis.In Colorado, Amendment 64 allows“personal use and regulation ofmarijuana” for people aged over 21. Thatincludes being allowed to grow up tosix cannabis plants, as long as they arein a locked space, and being allowed topossess up to one ounce (28 grams) ofmarijuana and to give up to one ounce toother people aged over 21. Smoking thedrug in public is banned.The sale and distribution of marijuanaare being assessed by state authoritieswith a regulatory framework due to beset out in July. It could include settingup shops or cafes to sell marijuana, as isdone legally in Amsterdam.In Washington, Measure No 502 allowsfor legal possession of up to one ounceof marijuana for people aged over 21.Cannabis enthusiasts in Washington willnot be able to grow their own plantsunless they have medical authorisation.Washington is also considering provisionsfor the legal sale and cultivation of thedrug. The legislation in both statesis in direct conflict with federal lawsthat prohibit the selling of marijuana.Potentially, the “Feds” could pull rank andshut down retail outlets.Captain Frank Gale, national secondvice-president of the Fraternal Order ofPolice, told Police News that state policehad been forced to rethink their actionson marijuana, but there were still laws tobe enforced. Legalisation was expectedto drive the price per ounce down enoughto price out existing gangs and cartels,the source of most criminal behaviour.However, he said, the combined state andlocal sales taxes might be as high as 40per cent on each sale. “If gangs can beatthat price, the problem could grow forenforcement.”Colorado’s law enforcement agencieswere part of the task force that maderecommendations on Amendment64. Captain Gale said one of theirsuggestions was the requirement thatthe recreational marijuana industry bevertically integrated (as the existingmedical marijuana industry is), withthe aim of controlling the raw materialat source, rather than opening it up tocompeting companies. The marijuanalobby favours horizontal integration.Cover storyOpponents of the new law, such asColorado group No On 64, have saidthe amendment would lead to moredeaths on the road because more peoplewould be driving under the influence ofmarijuana. Captain Gale said police werealso worried that legal recreational useof cannabis would become a road safetyissue. Police are supporting legislation toestablish a standard of no more than “fivenanograms” of THC per litre of blood(one nanogram is the equivalent of 0.001micrograms).On the other side of the debate,entrepreneurs have been organisingtours to cash in on an expected surgeof recreational cannabis users travellingto Denver (Colorado) and Seattle(Washington), and established medicalmarijuana companies are consideringtheir marketing options.The promise of millions of dollars in taxrevenue from such sales, some of whichcould fund health and education projects,was promoted as a major benefit ofthe law changes. But the BloombergBusinessweek website has reported thatfiguring out the tax benefits of marijuanasales is tricky and estimates have rangedwildly: in Colorado, from US$5 million toUS$60m. It also noted that a Coloradothink tank found that when the costs ofenforcing the new laws were taken intoaccount, legalising marijuana wouldn’teven pay for itself.Bloomberg Businessweek reporterElizabeth Dwoskin wrote that becausethe drug had never been legal before,putting marijuana on the market involveda lot of guesswork. “Researchers havehad to ballpark the number of futurecustomers, the quantities they will buyand whether their buying patterns willchange over time after what they call the‘wow factor’ wears off.”State agencies would have to hireinspectors to enforce scores of rulesgoverning dispensaries, from placementof video cameras to keeping track ofinventories. “This enforcement won’tcome cheap, which means, oddly enough,that states looking for tax revenue… arecounting on people to smoke – or at leastbuy – a whole lot of pot.”Now that it’s legal to use the drugrecreationally, will officers be taking upthe habit?Captain Gale said the law changewould have no impact on existing banson officers using marijuana when offduty. Although it would be the decisionof each agency, he did not expect anywould allow off-duty use. “Prohibitionssuch as this are legal and if drug testingor other evidence shows an employeeto have used marijuana, they would besubject to discipline and most likely lossof employment,” he said. – Ellen BrookSources: dailymail.co.uk; washingtontimes.com;businessweek.com; guardian.co.uknew zealand police aSSOCIATION june 2013 121

Police Home Loan Package NewsStay warm and add value to your homethis winterRenovations or improvements to your home can be a trickybusiness. While it’s great to get the kind of home you want,it’s important not to over-capitalise (spend more on theimprovements than they will add to the value of your home).But one improvement that’s almost always a good idea isinstalling or improving your home’s insulation.Many New Zealand homes (especiallyolder ones) are poorly insulated. Thatcauses problems on two fronts. First,cold homes are often unhealthy ones.The World Health Organisationrecommends a minimum temperatureinside your home of 18 degrees, or 20degrees for more vulnerable people likechildren and the elderly. If you live in abadly insulated house, it can be a realstruggle in winter.Second, it’s expensive. Much of yourheating disappears through the ceiling,floor, windows or gaps, making yourpower bills higher than they need to be.Insulation makes your home warmerand drier, so it’s easier to heat up. Andonce you’ve got it warm, it’s also easierto keep it warm – so you get more valuefor your heating buck.The good news is that as well as givingyou a more comfortable and healthierhome, money spent on insulating yourhome properly will more than pay foritself. Your heating bills will be smaller soyou’ll have more money in your pocketeach month. And when you come to sell,well-insulated homes are moreattractive to buyers.The Government and ANZ may be ableto help you with the cost of getting yourinsulation up to scratch.Help from the GovernmentIf your home was built before 2000 youmay qualify for funding from theGovernment’s Warm Up New Zealand:Heat Smart scheme. In the year 2000,more stringent insulation requirementswere added to the Building Code, sohomes built before then are not likely tobe well insulated. The Heat Smartscheme will subsidise the cost of ceilingand/or underfloor insulation for eligiblehomes by up to 33 per cent (maximum$1300). If you have a CommunityServices Card, or if you are a landlordwith tenants who have a CommunityServices Card, you could qualify for asubsidy of up to 60 per cent of the totalcost.For more information about the WarmUp New Zealand: Heat Smart scheme,visit energywise.govt.nz or phone0800 749 782.Help from ANZThe Heat Smart scheme can help fundsome of the cost of installing insulation,and if you have a home loan with ANZ,you may be able to finance the rest bytopping up your home loan. This couldbe a very cost-effective option forheating your home this winter and if youapply for a top-up for home insulationor heating, we’ll waive the normaltop-up fee, saving you $250.And don’t forget that if you’re a PoliceWelfare Fund member you can saveeven more money by taking advantageof the Police Home Loan Packagethrough ANZ, with special discounts onhome loan interest rates and bank fees.If you’d like to know more abouttopping up your home loan or anyaspect of the Police Home LoanPackage, simply call our dedicatedanz@work team on 0800 722 524,email specialistchannels@anz.com orvisit any ANZ branch.Package details are subject to change. ANZ’s eligibility and lending criteria, terms, conditions, and fees apply.This material is provided as a complimentary service of ANZ. It is prepared based on information and sources ANZ believes to bereliable. Its content is for information only, is subject to change and is not a substitute for commercial judgment or professional advice,which should be sought prior to acting in reliance on it. To the extent permitted by law ANZ disclaims liability or responsibility to anyperson for any direct or indirect loss or damage that may result from any act or omissions by any person in relation to the material.Buying a new home or refinancing can bean expensive process, even with today’slower interest rates. We aim to make iteasier on Police Welfare Fund members’pockets. So for the time being thosedrawing down a new Police Home Loanwill be eligible for six months’ free homeinsurance through the Welfare Fund’sPolice Fire & General Insurance*.Members eligible for the free covershould contact our Member ServicesTeam on 0800 500 122. You will need acopy of your loan document from ANZ.Police Home Loan PackageWhether you’re refinancing, buying your firsthome, selling, investing in property, buildingor looking for ways to manage your currenthome loan – a Police Home Loan throughANZ may be able to help.The Police Welfare Fund Home Loanpackage provides attractive benefits to PoliceWelfare Fund members and their immediatefamily, like:• No Home Loan application fee• A contribution of $500 towards legal feesFor borrowing 80% or lower of a property’svalue:• Discounted floating rates• 0.50% pa off the standard ANZ FlexibleHome Loan interest rates• 0.25% off the standard fixed interest ratesOur Police Home Loan package is highlycompetitive and flexible.For more information or to applyfor the Police Home LoanPackage visitwww.policeassn.org.nzANZ’s lending criteria, terms, conditions and fees apply. A low equity premium may applywhere a loan amounts to over 85% of the property’s value. A registered valuer’s report willalso be required for lending over 80% of the property’s value. Eligibilty to apply for a PoliceHome Loan package is at the discretion of the Police Welfare Fund Limited and applicantsmust be current members of the Fund. This home loan package is not available for lowdocumentation home loans or loans approved through a broker. For a copy of the ANZDisclosure Statement and full details (including terms and conditions) contact any branchof the ANZ.*Police Fire & General Insurance will be subject to the standard underwritingterms and conditions and is provided through the Police Welfare Fund not byANZ. Members are eligible for one period of six months free Police Fire & General HomeInsurance premium only, per member, regardless of the term of Police Home Loan taken.Police Fire & General Insurance is underwritten by Lumley General Insurance (NZ) Limited.122 june 2013police news – the voice of police

Cover storyFrom page 121The Police Association also welcomesthe bill, with some reservations, which itpresented to the Health Select Committeelast month. While it believes that placingthe onus on suppliers to prove a substanceis safe prior to sale is a good move, ithas suggested a few amendments to thebill, including raising the purchasingage from 18 to 20, tighter restrictionsaround internet selling of psychoactivesubstances, banning online advertisingand having packaging restrictions.The Association also suggests thatthe Land and Transport Act 1998,section 57A, be amended to include anypsychoactive substances in the definitionof a “controlled drug” to cover theincreasing number of drivers that policehave noticed being affected by legal highs.Without this change, it is potentiallylegal to drive while high on a psychoticsubstance.Police Association President GregO’Connor says it is important that thelegal-high industry be regulated. However,he told the committee that police might bereluctant to enforce the new laws as the costof testing whether a substance was bannedwould outweigh the maximum $500 fine.The enforcement of the regime wouldbe bolstered by approved party pills andsynthetic cannabis being labelled correctly.Investigations by Police News on the daythe BB-22 and 5F-AKB48 ban came intoforce found that at least one New Zealandsynthetic cannabis supplier, WickedHabits Ltd, was already selling a differentversion of K2 (K2 Black) in its Aucklandstore, although, when asked, the retailerdid not know what the new K2 contained.Manufacturers of the brand subsequentlydecided to stop supplying the drug toNew Zealand until new regulations areimposed, according to a spokesman.Meanwhile, police are continuingtheir campaign against retails outlets,particularly dairies. Some businesses areresponding, but with a profit margin ofabout 200 per cent on a $20 2.5 grampacket of synthetic cannabis there’s littleincentive to change. Marlborough Policehas asked local businesses to stop sellingsynthetic cannabis because of the numberof people ending up in the hospitalemergency room after using it. Socialmedia campaigns have called for boycottson retailers and, in some cases, have beencarrying out name-and-shame campaigns.Some dairies have voluntarily decidednot to sell the product and are displayingposters that say, “We choose not to supportthe sale of synthetic cannabinoids”.What is syntheticcannabis?In the mid-1980s, scientists in the UnitedStates, led by organic chemist JohnWilliam Huffman, started creating syntheticcannabinoid compounds for use in developingmedical therapies. Over the next 20 years,the team made 450 synthetic cannabinoidcompounds to assist with research intomultiple sclerosis, Aids and the use ofchemotherapy. Cannabinoids include THC– the active ingredient in cannabis – butalso other substances that interact withreceptors in the brain and play a role inregulating appetite, nausea, mood, pain andinflammation. The synthetic compounds werewidely discussed in scientific publicationsover the years and Emeritus ProfessorHuffman told media recently that ''evidentlysome people have figured out how to makethem and are putting them in products''. Inthe late 2000s, two of the compounds werefirst marketed in Germany, under the namesK2 and Spice, as alternatives to marijuana.The professor warned that the compoundswere not meant for human consumption and''absolutely should not be used as recreationaldrugs''. ''Their effects in humans have notbeen studied and they could very well havetoxic effects. We simply don’t know what thehealth effects might be.”Sources: Wikipedia; Otago Daily TimesUnderstanding crime trendsTrends in criminal activity changeand there is never one single reasonwhy crime falls, according to acrime science institute studying changes inoffending in eight “core cities” in England.The Jill Dando Institute of Security andCrime Science at the University College ofLondon says the reasons usually offered forcrime reduction include: the legalisationof abortion; lead-free petrol; reductions indrug use; effective policing and communitysafety strategies; the movement of crimefrom the street to the internet; social mediause; reduction of prolific offending; and,specific to recorded crime, a change incrime codes, incidents not being “crimed”,a fall in reporting and fewer police officersobserving crimes.The institute notes that most attemptsto explain crime fall typically involvecommentators speculating on theirpreferred single posited reason.“We argue that it is not appropriate toattempt to identify one single reason. . .For example, the reason for explaining whytheft of vehicles has fallen is likely to bedifferent to why violent crime has fallen,and different to why criminal damage hasalso fallen,” it says in its report.The institute has analysed a continuingfall in crime statistics in Britain since2007, working with Community SafetyPartnerships (CSPs) groups fromBirmingham, Manchester, Bristol,Newcastle, Leeds, Nottingham, Liverpooland Sheffield to “unpick” the statistics.“The reason for explainingwhy theft of vehicles has fallenis likely to be different towhy violent crime has fallen,and different to why criminaldamage has also fallen.”Each of the core cities had a reductionin all recorded crime of more than 28per cent. Three crime types – theft fromvehicles, criminal damage to vehicles andcriminal damage to dwellings – accountedfor almost half of the overall fall in crime.Theft of vehicles fell by more than 50 percent, but in recent years that reduction hadslowed.What had increased, however, in all thecore cities, was theft from a person, whichthe institute says is likely to continue due tothieves targeting smartphones and the risein ownership of these high-value items.Criminal damage continues to fall andthe institute predicts that it will be a keyfactor in overall crime falls in the next fewyears.Despite the significant drop in vehiclecrime, the institute’s research suggests thedecrease has abated and that would belikely to result in a curbing of future overallfalls in crime.“The number of offences for the types ofcrime that are on the increase is not enoughto fully halt the crime fall in the very nearfuture. However, there are warning signsthat the fall in overall crime may soon cometo a halt if anticipated increases remainunchecked and if falls in some of theprevious big contributors abate, as is beingindicated,” it warns.Source: ucl.ac.uk/jdinew zealand police aSSOCIATION june 2013 123

InsurancePOLICE HEALTH PLANPolice Health Plan (PHP)premiums are reviewedeach year and adjusted fromtime to time to ensure oursubscriptions revenue willbe sufficient to meet currentand anticipated claims costs.Premiums were last increasedin July 2012; premiums formembers aged 50 and over wereincreased by 5 per cent, withno increase for members agedup to 49 years. Our currentand anticipated claims costsare such that a further increasein premiums is necessary toensure the on-going viabilityof the PHP. New premiumswere approved by the PoliceHealth Plan Board in May tobe introduced on July 3, thefirst deduction date in Policepay period in our new financialyear, and are expected to besufficient until at least July 2014.The Board also approved a new,and less expensive, premiumstructure with a $1000 excess(as well as retaining the existing$500 excess model) on surgicalprocedures as an alternativemodel members can chooseto apply to offset premiumincreases.How are premiumscalculated?PHP engages an externalactuary to analyse the claimshistory for the previous fouryears across all the plans foreach age band and the actuaryuses this information andanticipated future costs torecommend future premiums.As all members, regardless oftheir type of cover (Surgical,Basic or Comprehensive),have the same Surgical cover,the actuary first calculates thesurgical premium for each ageband. Members within eachage band pay the same Surgicalpremium. The actuary thenadds an additional component,again based on the relevantcosts incurred, for those withBasic and Comprehensivecover to meet the primaryclaims costs such as GPvisits, prescriptions, imaging,physiotherapy and the like.What is happeningwith claims costs?Last year (ending June 30,2012) PHP claim costsincreased by about $1 million(4.7 per cent). Year to date (toApril 30 this year), our claimscosts are $2.175m (10.15per cent) more than for thesame period last year. All ofthis increase in claims costsis for Surgical claims, almostexclusively associated withclaims submitted by our moresenior members. Analysis ofthe claims has identified thatmore than 70 per cent of theincreased cost incurred isvolume – we are funding moreprocedures than in previousyears. For example, so far thisyear we have funded 14 morehip replacements, six more kneereplacements, 25 more jointarthroscopy procedures andseven more rotocuff proceduresthan last year, at an additionalcost of $840k.Therefore, we need toincrease premiums to be ableto cover the increase in claimscosts and maintain our reservesas a proportion of the claimscosts we are expecting to incur.The Board has approved thefollowing increases. Consistentwith previous years, the newpremiums reflect the claimscosts of various age bands.The Board is conscious of theimpact these increases will haveon our more senior members,hence the introduction of thenew premium structure with a$1000 excess (see NEW $1000EXCESS OPTION this page).For members aged:up to 34Existing premiums unchanged.35-39 yearsPremiums will increase bybetween 2.2 and 2.35 per cent,with increases ranging from51c to 91c per fortnight.40-44 yearsPremiums will increase bybetween 3 and 3.3 per cent,with increases ranging from88c to $1.38 per fortnight.45-49 yearsPremiums will increase bybetween 4.2 and 5.8 per cent,with increases ranging from$1.61 to $2.50 per fortnight.50-54 yearsPremiums will increase bybetween 8.6 and 13 per cent,with increases ranging from$4.61 to $6.11 per fortnight.55-59 yearsPremiums will increase bybetween 10.2 and 14.3 per cent,with increases ranging from$6.55 to $7.70 per fortnight.60-64 yearsPremiums will increase bybetween 10.5 and 15 per cent,with increases ranging from$7.70 to $8.85 per fortnight.65-69 yearsPremiums will increase bybetween 11 and 15.2 per cent,with increases ranging from$9.36 to $10.69 per fortnight.70 plusPremiums will increase bybetween 11.4 and 15.9 per cent,with increases ranging from$11.26 to $13.51 per fortnight.NEW $1000 EXCESSOPTIONIn 2011, the PHP boardapproved an alternative reducedpremium structure with a $500excess on each surgical claimand, currently, about 7 per centof PHP members have taken thiscover.This year, and especially inrecognition of the quantumof the increases for membersaged 50 years and over, theBoard has approved a thirdpremium structure memberscan select a $1000 excess oneach surgical claim from July 1.This model allows for a discounton the new Surgical premiumrates without any excess ofbetween 20 and 30 per cent (orbetween 9 and 17 per cent fromthe $500 excess premiums)depending on the age band,and then applies the relevantBasic and Comprehensivepremium component to meetthe primary claim costs.Specifically, members facing thelarger premium increases canoffset the bulk of any increase intheir fortnightly premiums byamending their cover to eitherthe $500 or $1000 excess.PHP makes Surgical paymentsbased on the “usual, customaryand reasonable” costs of eachprocedure, and where a memberselects cover with either excessthe excess will be deductedfrom this amount and not fromwhat the member is charged.Therefore, the excess will applyin addition to any shortfallsin cover that already exist. Forinstance, some members whostay overnight in a privatehospital may face a shortfall inthe overnight bed charge, andthe excess will apply in additionto this charge the memberalready has to pay. There arealso some other specific rulesassociated with the excessoptions.124 june 2013police news – the voice of police

InsurancePREMIUM INCREASESThese include:• All conditions that wereexisting under the voluntaryexcess option ($500 or $1000)will still incur the voluntaryexcess if any procedure on thiscondition is carried out afterswitching to a no excess (orlower excess) option.• Where a member selects thecover with an excess and looksto then change to either noexcess or from the $1000 excessto a $500 excess, there is a90-day period before the newlower or no excess will applyWHAT YOU NEEDTO DOAll primary members of the PHPwill receive written notificationproviding more details ofincreases. Generally, memberswho pay their premiumsthrough the Police pay systemwill not have to do anythingas the new premiums will beautomatically deducted from theirpay for July 3. Members who paytheir premiums through Policeand Families Credit Union(PFCU) will need to ensureautomatic payments into theirPFCU account are sufficient tomeet the new premiums deductedon July 3.You should also note that ifyou have Police Fire & GeneralInsurance or Police Life InsuranceExtra, any premium changes forthese will also be deducted onthe same date (see page 132).Any change to your automaticpayment will need to reflect allthe premium changes.Members who wish to amendtheir cover and have an excessapply need to complete a PoliceHealth Plan Amendment form.A copy of this form will beincluded with the writtennotification (referred to above) toprimary members.The following are the new fortnightly premiums that will apply from Police pay and PoliceCredit Union deductions from July 3.Cover with no excessAge Surgical Only Plan Basic Plan Comprehensive Plan0–18 $ 8.00 $11.45 $14.0419–24 $19.99 $24.49 $32.8725–29 $23.06 $27.56 $35.9430–34 $24.08 $28.58 $36.9635–39 $26.69 $31.30 $40.9540–44 $30.97 $37.10 $47.2845–49 $37.67 $44.71 $56.2850–54 $48.26 $57.40 $70.4055–59 $58.05 $69.06 $82.8660–64 $65.37 $78.28 $92.8365–69 $78.25 $92.97 $108.1970-plus $92.82 $111.68 $129.05Premiums with $500 excessAge Surgical Only Plan Basic Plan Comprehensive Plan0–18 $6.79 $10.24 $12.8319–24 $16.90 $21.40 $29.7825–29 $19.65 $24.15 $32.5330–34 $20.69 $25.19 $33.5735–39 $23.18 $27.79 $37.4540–44 $27.16 $33.28 $43.4645–49 $33.12 $40.16 $51.7350–54 $42.68 $51.82 $64.8255–59 $52.30 $63.31 $77.1060–64 $59.23 $72.14 $86.6865–69 $70.93 $85.65 $100.8870-plus $82.23 $101.09 $118.46Premiums with $1000 excessAge Surgical Only Plan Basic Plan Comprehensive Plan0–18 $5.70 $9.15 $11.7419–24 $13.99 $18.49 $26.8725–29 $16.60 $21.10 $29.4830–34 $17.65 $22.15 $30.5335–39 $20.02 $24.63 $34.2940–44 $23.63 $29.76 $39.9445–49 $29.28 $36.32 $47.8950–54 $37.95 $47.09 $60.0955–59 $46.73 $57.74 $71.5460–64 $52.95 $65.85 $80.4065–69 $63.38 $78.10 $93.3270-plus $74.26 $93.12 $110.48new zealand police aSSOCIATION june 2013 125

FeatureTaking partHowto get involved andmake a difference withinthe Police AssociationThe New Zealand Police Association is a bit of aniceberg. What you might see is just a tiny part ofwhat it has to offer; there’s even more going on belowthe surface – a huge range of services and expertiseavailable to the 11,000 Police employees who make upour membership.The Association is one of thecountry’s most successful employeerepresentative organisations interms of membership and services.Just as it derives strength from itshigh membership, it also relies onthe input of members.Though it is sometimes takenfor granted until a crisis arises, theAssociation is really the go-to placefor help on all work-related issues.To provide a comprehensiveand meaningful service we rely onthe participation of our members,constabulary and non-constabulary,particularly those at the coalface ofpolicing.To that end, we have a network oflocal committees that meet regularlyand keep in close contact withour field officers, region directorsand the Association’s nationalheadquarters in Wellington.The committees have two coreroles: to deal with matters affectingmembers (individually or as awhole) within their district; and tobe a communication point betweenmembers in their district, the boardof directors, the president and theAssociation’s national office.Detective Sergeant MarciaMurray has been on the AucklandCity District committee since 2009and is now its chairwoman andan Auckland delegate. Althoughshe has a full-on day job, havingrecently moved to the Adult SexualAssault team, and a busy home lifewith a police officer husband andeight-year-old son, she says shefinds it satisfying to be involved withhelping her colleagues.“It’s been really good to assistmembers who aren’t aware of whatall the correct processes are or whattheir rights are,” she says.“Employees who have neededassistance know what theAssociation does, but those whohaven’t needed help generallyhave no idea. Before I joined thecommittee, I didn’t realise the hugeamount of work that goes on behindthe scenes.”Marcia says the workload for herdistrict is huge and the big issueto have emerged in the past fewyears, which is affecting all districts,is lack of support for non-swornstaff following Police reviews andrestructuring.The work is shared among the 16or so members of the committee.“I rely on my committee. I delegateto them. My aim is to have a fullytrained and active committee torepresent our members.”Marcia says one of the best aspectsof the Association is the trainingthat it provides to committeemembers and office holders.The Association has two trainingcourses for committee members:one, for new committee members,covers dealing with workplaceissues, the disciplinary process,performance management andidentifying and dealing with healthand safety matters; the other, fornewly elected committee chairmenand women and secretaries, alsocovers leadership roles and runningsuccessful meetings.Marcia originally decided to jointhe committee because she wantedto “give back” and she encouragesothers to do the same, though shesays it’s generally longer-servingemployees who put their hands upto join in.Marcia says some youngermembers worry that there mightbe a perception that if they take ona role with the Association it coulddamage their careers. Older, moreestablished staff members don’tthink that way.One of the Association’s youngercommittee members is DetectiveDetective SergeantMarcia Murray,Auckland City Districtchairwoman: “Before Ijoined the committee, Ididn’t realise the hugeamount of work thatgoes on behind thescenes.”To provide acomprehensiveand meaningfulservice we rely onthe participationof our members,constabulary andnon-constabulary,particularly thoseat the coalface ofpolicing.If you areinterested injoining yourdistrict’s PoliceAssociationcommittee goto http://www.policeassn.org.nz/support/your-localrepresentativeto find your localrepresentative.Constable Danny Kirk, secretary ofthe Gisborne District committee.The 26-year-old took on the rolein mid-2012, keen to be able torepresent members and theirconcerns. “If you don’t take part, youcan’t complain.”He says the work is reasonablystraightforward, taking minutes attwice-yearly meetings, taking noteof work-related issues that arise andpassing information on to the rightpeople. The Gisborne committee has14 members, including two nonsworn,and Danny says it definitelyneeds more young blood.“In a station like ours there are alot of new, young GDB cops. Theydon’t really have a voice and theyneed one. We need more youngpeople, and across a variety of workgroups, including non-sworn.”Committees also need input froma variety of rank levels to make surethere are no controlling influencesfrom management-level staff, hesays.Danny is sympathetic to youngermembers’ concerns aboutAssociation involvementand the effect on theircareers, because somesupervisors do carrythat prejudice.However, he pointsout that it is importantto remember thatthe vast majority ofPolice employees areAssociation members,so they are all in goodcompany.126 june 2013police news – the voice of police

What your region directors doBeing a region director forthe Police Associationis a challenging andrewarding role that appeals tomany members. The knowledgegained and skills developedcan enhance their careers bothinside and outside Police.That’s because our directors,who are all working policeofficers, must provide oversightand direction for all Associationactivities using their workingknowledge of day-to-daypolicing.While the role coversgovernance of the Association’ssubstantial business interests,it’s also about connecting withand representing members at alllevels, relaying their concernsand ideas to the Association.The Association has sevenregion directors who, along withthe president and two vicepresidents,make up the boardof directors, meeting once amonth. Because the role coversso many aspectsof theFeatureFrom left, Emmet Lynch. Craig Prior, Dave Pizzini, Brett Roberts, Wayne Aberhart, Craig Tickelpenny, Jug Price.organisation, directors receivespecialised training throughthe Institute of Directors.The Association and itsPolice Welfare Fund have acollective turnover of morethan $40 million, with assets ofmore than $60m and employ50 staff. A region director isalso a director of the PoliceWelfare Fund, and often oneof the Welfare Fund subsidiarycompanies (Police Health Plan,Insurances or Mortgages).Directors approve annualbudgets, review and monitorfinances and treasurymanagement and approvelegal assistance and othercapital expenditure. Theyalso assess strategic plans,determine policy andreview the activitiesof the Association’sindustrial and legal staff.For example, the boardrecently considered adecision by Police onthe expiry of theCPK (core policeknowledge) test, theoutcome of whichwas acknowledging thatPolice does have the rightto expire a member’s CPK fiveyears after being completed, oraccredited, where the memberhas not been promoted orappointed within that five-yearperiod.In terms of representation,directors are in regular contactwith local committees, districtcommanders and other localPolice management. They alsoprovide service to members,along with our field officers,helping to resolve employmentissues and providing support,such as sitting in on interviews.Since 2007, Dave Pizzini hasbeen our director for Region2, Auckland City & CountiesManukau districts. Like alldirectors, Dave has a busyday job – as an area detectivesenior sergeant in CountiesManukau – but he says it is aprivilege to represent the 2600members of his region.He tries to do most of hisAssociation work after hours,but if that is not possible hecan call on his deputy directorto fill in, including attendingboard meetings. Having asupportive family also helps,he says, as well as bosses whounderstand the role of theAssociation.“Due to the nature of ourprofession, every officer’scareer has peaks and valleys.Every member has their hourof need at some stage, whetheron or off duty,” he says. Butbeing an Association rep waslike being a police officer: “Wehave a big capable team todraw on.”Recently, Dave representeda member caught up ina difficult employmentrelationship problem. “Byengaging with a seniorContinues page 128Nominations forregion directorsRegion directors are electedfor a two-year term by threerepresentatives from eachPolice district within the region.Regions 1, 3, 5 and 7 are electedon “odd” years, and Regions 2,4 and 6 on “even” years.With 2013 being an “odd”year, this year there will be anelection for directors in Regions1, 3, 5 and 7. The term will befor two years and will expire nolater than September 30, 2015,at which point the director isup for re-election should he orshe choose to be available for afurther term.Nominations for regiondirector roles will be calledfor in June. Nominations aremade by the local district/area committee, with eachcommittee able to nominateone candidate.To be eligible for nominationa member must have servedfor at least one year as acommittee office holder – chair,secretary, delegate or treasurer– or a total of three years onany district or area committee.Where there is more thanone nomination, the regioncommittee, comprising threemembers from each Policedistrict (six voting members intotal), will meet and elect theirregion director.The president and vicepresidentsare elected at theannual conference, each fora three-year term with oneelection held each year.new zealand police aSSOCIATIONjune 2013 127

FeaturePolice and Families Credit UnionBoard and Trustees ElectionsThe Police and Families Credit Union has sevenDirectors and three Trustees. This year, two Directorand two Trustee positions will be contestable.• If you know someonewho would be keen tocontribute to the futuresuccess of the Police andFamilies Credit Union,please talk to themabout being nominated.• Directors are electedfor a two-year term andretiring directors may bere-elected. The retiringdirectors are Ian Harrisand Stu Mangnall.• Trustees are elected fora three-year term andretiring trustees may bere-elected. The retiringtrustees are SteveVaughan and MurrayDrummond.• The retiring Directorsand Trustees haveindicated their intentionto stand for re-election.• In accordance with Rule7, I call for nominationsfor two Directors andtwo Trustees.• Nomination formsare available from theReturning Officer orPolice and FamiliesCredit Union websitewww.policecu.org.nzNominations should bemarked confidential andsent to:The Returning Officer,Don Clayton, P O Box 12344, Wellington 6144All nominations are due by4pm, June 28, 2013.If you have any questionsabout the process pleasecall 0800 429 000.As a member of the Policeand Families Credit Unionyou have an importantrole to play, so why notget involved and make anomination.From page 127police manager of integrity wenegotiated a good outcomefor the member and for Police.Nothing was more satisfying forme than ringing the memberand passing on the good newsthey had been waiting over ayear for.”Dave is as committed to thework of the Association as he isto policing, he says. “I am proudof the fact that we have a strongAssociation that adds valueto the brand of New ZealandPolice.”Fellow director EmmetLynch, Region 4 (Central &Eastern districts), a detectivesergeant with Napier CIB, cameto his director role through thedistrict committee structure.He says he has found greatprofessional satisfaction fromcontributing to the performanceof the Association and, equally,personal satisfaction frommeeting the challenges of thegovernance aspects of theposition.It was also rewarding to beable to help members who“generally operate to a highstandard, but have that one-offbad day, or make a genuinemistake or error of judgmentwhile trying to function in astressful environment”.Friendly and competentadvice from the Associationoffice holders and boardmembers was invaluablewhen members were facedwith difficult employmentsituations for the first time.That went hand-in-hand withstrong, consistent and effectiveleadership, especially at boardlevel.Succession is also important,he says, and he is pleased to notethe calibre of members puttingup their hands to assist at alllevels within the Association.• Region 1: Northland & Waitakere Districts – DirectorAlan (Jug) Price, Whangaparaoa• Region 2: Auckland City & Counties ManukauDistricts – Director Dave Pizzini, Counties Manukau• Region 3: Waikato & Bay of Plenty Districts –Director Wayne Aberhart, Morrinsville• Region 4: Central & Eastern Districts – DirectorEmmet Lynch, Napier• Region 5: Wellington & PNHQ/RNZPC – DirectorCraig Tickelpenny, Royal New Zealand Police College• Region 6: Canterbury & Tasman Districts – DirectorCraig Prior, Christchurch• Region 7: Southern District – Director Brett Roberts,Dunedin.128 june 2013police news – the voice of police

View from the bottom BY CONSTABLE IAM KEENThis column is written by a frontline police officer. It does not represent the views orpolicies of the Police AssociationPCT – add ambush toinsultIn a disastrous exercise in staffrelations, someone, possibly inHR (not pointing any fingers,though), has declared a newcategory for officers needing acurrent physical competencytest (PCT). These staff are nowlabelled “non-compliant”. Thename conjures up thoughts ofwrong-doing and bad-guys;naughty people at the very least.To whoever thought upthis term, and to thosewho sanctioned or at leastdidn’t challenge it – it wasn’tclever and it doesn’t fit thecircumstances.In reality, 90 per centof folk in the so-called“non-compliant” groupare recovering from injury,operations or illness. They’regood coppers who’ve givenblood, sweat and loyalty, onlyto suddenly find they’re slappedwith a new, leper-like status.The term “non-compliant”reminds me of an incident inthe Canadian public service,when a municipal authority putup a notice over a counter usedfor paying minor infringements(parking, dog fines, etc). Thesign said “Violators QueueHere”. Ordinary citizenscoming in to pay theirpenance for minor infractions,understandably, took umbrage.I have no problem with staffhaving to be “fit for purpose”,but the way this has been doneis a brutal slam-dunk, almostby stealth, after a quarter ofa century of paying the PCTissue little more than a genteelreminder. One memberremarked that it came so swiftlyand with such force it was likethe sports coach from hell hadjust taken over the PCT coordinationrole.Since its introduction 28years ago, enforcement of thePCT has always been ad-hocand lacking co-ordinatedor consistent support fromsenior management. Whensupervisors tried to tackle theissue of staff who hadn’t donetheir PCT (sometimes for adecade or more), HR wouldsimply say the supervisor mustmanage the case accordingto the policy. But when pushcame to shove, HR would backdown and dish out a benevolentextension. The staff memberor supervisor would move onand the case was eventuallyforgotten about until the nextsupervisor raised it and HRwould decree that the processstart again.A few months ago, someoneat 180 Molesworth St suddenlygot serious; they re-wrote therules and looked to exit anysuitable target aged over 45(coincidentally at the top oftheir pay band) with a view tobig dollar savings by replacingthem with newbies.I agree the PCT issue hadto be fixed, but this has beena ruthless approach, akin tocounting 1, 2, 3, 10! I’ve yetto see any acknowledgementfrom the Castle that theissue could have been moreprogressively dealt with, andin a more humanistic manner,commencing many years agoinstead of leaving line managersto juggle what became anelephant on their lap.Very few people fail theirPCT out of laziness. The stigmaof being sent to Coventry (fornon-contact duties) underthe looming threat of medicaldisengagement, for those withgenuine medical ailments,needs to be addressed quickly,for no other reason than that’swhat a good employer woulddo.The last mention must go tothose who have been injured atwork in the execution of theirduties. No Purple Heart medalsunder this policy; no thanksfor putting your body on theline. Just a glaring mention onthe spreadsheet of those whoare PCT non-compliant, whichgets emailed to all and sundry,when personal medical issuesare supposed to be afforded anelement of privacy.See yaOur homes make getting away on holiday affordableA Police Welfare Fund Holiday Home for just $60 a night is great value.TE ANAUTe Anau has adopted various slogans over the years – Gateway toFiordland, Holiday Resort of Fiordland, Walking Capital of the World – alltrue, but its spectacular setting on the shores of New Zealand’s secondbiggestlake (after Taupo) speaks for itself. Lovely Lake Te Anau is deepand placid, bordered by virgin forest and with stunning views of theMurchison mountain range, including Mt Luxmore. Activities in and aroundthe area include:• Hiking in Fiordland National Park (access to the Milford, Kepler,Routeburn and Hollyford tracks)• Visiting Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound• Guided tramps and nature walks• Kayaking, cycling, jet boating, fishing, hunting, farm tours• Scenic lake cruises• Milford Sound coach and cruise tours, taking in Mitre Peak and theUnderwater Observatory• Helicopter rides• Fiordland Wildlife Park• Te Anau glow worm caves.The Police Association has two homes in Te Anau ($60 a night). They arevery close to the beach (about one minute’s walk away) and each has a TV,DVD player, washing machine, dryer, shower, bath, spare blankets, pillows,high chair, radio, night store heater, electric blankets on all beds, and asecure garage.There are dates available forour Te Anau homes. Check outthe availability on line at www.policeassn.or.nz/products-services.holiday-accommodation, or call uson 0800 500 122. If Te Anau doesn'tsuit, check out our homes in Turangiand Akaroa.new zealand police aSSOCIATION june 2013 129

A day in the life of the…SERIOUSCRASH UNITSpeed kills – ConstableSteve Carey knows that alltoo well after nine years asa crash investigator withthe Counties ManukauSerious Crash Unit. Butdrivers making poorchoices is also deadly, hetells Deb Stringer.The sad thing, says Constable Steve Carey,is that most of the incidents the ManukauSerious Crash Unit attends could probablyhave been avoided. “Dealing with a victim’sloved ones after they have died in a fatalcrash is probably the most challenging partof the job.”People should take a few seconds beforethey commited to a course of action,because once it was done, it couldn’t beundone.The unit - a sergeant and six investigators- is called out to all crashes that result inany kind of injury, but its involvement willgenerally continue only where there is aserious injury or a death.Steve has a long list of grim storiesthat he shares to get his message across,including that of a fatal crash at a railwaylevel crossing in Paerata, near Pukekohe, inJanuary 2009.Driver Alan Stephens ignored the bellssignalling the approach of a train andattempted to drive around the barrierSteve has a long listof grim stories thathe shares to get hismessage across.arms to cross the railway lines. Hispassengers were four children - three ofhis own and his 12-year-old niece. Theoncoming 850-tonne train, travellingat 65kmh, ploughed into the left side ofhis car, killing his four-year-old son andseriously injuring his niece, who was flungfrom the car and suffered brain damage.The two other children suffered bleeding,cuts and bruises. Stephens was unhurt.Steve and his team arrived on thescene half an hour later to begin theirinvestigation. Road closures were putin place, statements were taken fromwitnesses and the unit set about collectingforensic evidence at the scene that mighthelp determine the pre-crash movements ofthe vehicles and the speeds involved.The team’s equipment ranges from ahumble tape measure and chalk guns tospecialised robotic GPS mapping devicesthat create 3D models of the crash site.Once all scene data is collected, thevehicles involved are subject to mechanicaltesting to determine whether a mechanicalfault might have contributed to the crash.Pathology reports are also included inthe final document that assesses the reasonsbehind the crash.If the team is investigating a crash thatinvolves a fleeing driver, the unit willshare all information it collects with theIndependent Police Conduct Authority,which is informed of a crash as soon aspossible.130 JUNE june 2013police news – the voice of police

The main findings in the Stephenscase showed he had driven around thebarrier arms that had descended to stoptraffic, even though the barrier arms,warning bells and lights at the levelcrossing had all been in working order.Stephens was found guilty of recklessdriving causing manslaughter and threecharges of reckless driving. He was jailedfor three years.Steve and his unit were pleased withthe result of the trial after spendingseveral months gathering evidence tobe presented in court. “Although, whenyou really think about it, it wasn’t verymuch for killing someone and leavingsomeone with serious brain injuriesthat will affect her for the rest of her life,and for no other reason than the drivercouldn’t be bothered waiting.”Most of the crashes the unitinvestigates happen on regular roads,but sometimes it is called to seriousoff-road incidents, such as a recent fatalaccident on a farm, involving a diggerand a bulldozer.A farmhand had died after becomingtrapped between the two vehicles.The tractor was stuck in a boggyhollow at the bottom of the hill and twofarmhands were hoping to free it byhooking it up to a bulldozer and thenthe digger. One of the men was standingbetween the digger and the bulldozer toconnect the two with a chain. He waskilled when the bulldozer got too close,crushing him against the digger.This was another situation wherepeople needed to think before theycommitted to a course of action, Stevesays. Educating the public is part of theunit’s work and it takes its messages onsafe driving practices to schools. “It’sall very well sitting back and looking atyour workload, but what are we doingto stop the vehicles from falling off thecliff, so to speak?” he says. “Sometimesyou’ve got to go back up to the topof the cliff and stop them from goingover and this is why we try and get thismessage through to the schools andother safety expos.”The top fiveissues that causeserious crashes1. Speed2. Alcohol3. Not keeping left4. Not wearing seatbelts5. Reckless anddangerous drivingReport confirms fleeingdriver to blameThe IPCA report released last monthinto the deaths in Gisborne last year ofpassengers Peter Bunyan and Holly Gunnand driver Dylan Kingi is another exampleof the point made by the Manukau SeriousCrash Unit about driver choices. Thereport makes it clear that the fleeing driveralone is responsible for such deaths.In a media statement last month, PoliceAssociation President Greg O’Connor said:“The tragic, simple fact is Mr Kingi – arepeat drunk driver – crashed because ofthe selfish choices he made: starting withhis decision to get behind the wheel whilemore than two-and-a-half times the drinkdrivelimit, despite the protestations of hisfamily and friends. The minute he did so,he immediately put all those in his vehicle,and other innocent road users, in danger.“Mr Kingi then chose to speed, andrefused to stop for police. Instead he fledat high speed, putting his selfish desireto evade responsibility ahead of the livesof his friends, despite those same friendspleading with him to stop. He continuedto speed even after police had lost sightof him and abandoned pursuit. The tragicoutcome was due to his choices andactions, and his alone.“These facts are quite clear fromthe IPCA report, yet once again mediacommentary has focused on minorbreaches of policy by the pursuing officer,such as imperfect communications, orexcess speed in trying – without success– to catch up with the offender, who wasdriving even faster. These breaches in noway caused the crash, and focusing onthem, when it is clear they had nothing todo with the deaths, unfairly places blameon the officer; an officer who was at alltimes doing the job the public expectedof him.“Of course police officers shouldendeavour to comply with all aspects ofpolicy in carrying out their duties, andwhere mistakes or omissions are identifiedin the course of investigating an incident,as they were in this case, we should learnfrom them. However, this learning shouldnot distract us from putting the blamefor such incidents where it lies – and thatis squarely with the fleeing driver,” MrO’Connor said.Another fatal crash last month involvinga fleeing driver, this time in SouthAuckland, which resulted in the deaths offour men, was another example of recklessand selfish behaviour, he said. “Oursympathies go out to the families of thedeceased. Once again this is an avoidablewaste of lives,” Mr O'Connor said.new zealand police aSSOCIATION june 2013 131

NotebookAnnual insurance premium reviewsPolice Fire &General InsuranceEach year, the underwriter(Lumley General Insurance)reviews the rates for Police Fire& General Insurance (home,contents, motor vehicle andpleasure craft). This year, thegood news is there will beno increase in premiums forcontents, motor vehicle orpleasure craft covers.Unfortunately, the news is notso good for house insurance. Theongoing effects of the Canterburyearthquakes and, to a lesserextent, other disasters, give a lossratio (claims costs divided bypremiums) for houses this year of179 per cent, meaning premiumswill increase, some significantly.Most other insurers have alreadyincreased their premiums inresponse to these disasters, andothers are signalling that furtherlarge increases are pending.Driven by reinsurancerequirements, the increases thisyear will also be determined bylocation, with the areas assessedas having a higher risk facing thelarger increases.The company premium (notFire Service or EarthquakeLevies) in greater Auckland willincrease by 10 per cent. GreaterWellington, Canterbury andHawke’s Bay are considered thehighest risk areas and housepremium in all these locationswill increase by 40 per cent,with company premiums for thebalance of the country increasingby 20 per cent.Please note that the increasesare on the “company premium”only, so the net increase rangesfrom 6 per cent to about 27per cent. For the worst affectedmembers, the increase is unlikelyto be more than $10 a fortnight.A review of the costs of insuringwith other providers hasconfirmed that, notwithstandingthese increases, our premiumsremain very competitive.There will also be a changeto home policy excesses fromJuly 1 and a new natural disasterexcess. Information will beprovided with members' RenewalSchedule.All members with coverthrough the Police Fire & GeneralInsurance will be sent a renewalschedule, with the new premiumseffective from deduction dateJuly 3.Please note that the aboveincreases do not include anyimpact that may arise from thechange from Area Replacementto Sum Insured cover.Circumstances changed?Take some time to check yourinsurance cover.You may have “moved intogether”, got married, renovated,splashed out on a big-screenTV or updated your car’s soundsystem. We all accumulate moreassets over time and often thelevel of contents cover thatmembers have is insufficientwhen a major loss is suffered.When you receive your insuranceschedule, please check it to ensurethe details are accurate and theitems are insured for a realisticamount. A handy checklist onwww.policeassn.org.nz can helpyou work out the current valueof your contents, listing commonitems and providing a guide totheir value.Have you heard about ourfree roadside support service?For more than four years now,members with “Full Cover”motor vehicle insurance* havebeen enjoying the peace of mindof having professional roadsideassistance only a call away, at noadditional cost. This service isprovided by the New ZealandAutomobile Association andincludes emergency transportand accommodation benefits notgenerally provided by standardroadside services. This free coverand support are attached to thefully insured vehicle, not the driver,so it doesn’t matter who is drivingyour car. If there is a problem, thedriver calls PWL Roadside AssistPlus on 0800 500 122.*Motor vehicles insured for “FullCover” are eligible for PWF RoadsideAssistance Plus; all third partypolicies, trailers, horse floats andvehicles over 3.5 tonnes are excluded.When you get yourrenewal noticesIf you pay through the Policepay system . . . you do not haveto do anything. The relevantpremium adjustments for PoliceLife Insurance Extra and forFire & General Insurance willbe automatically deducted fromyour pay on July 3.If you pay through yourPolice and Families CreditUnion account . . . you willneed to ensure that you havesufficient funds going into yourcredit union account to meetany premium changes by July 3.This means automatic paymentsto your credit union accountmay need to be increased.Police LifeInsurance ExtraEach year, Police Life InsuranceExtra premiums are adjusted inline with a member’s age at theannual renewal of the policyin July. Members will receivepremium advice in June for effectJuly 3.Who should your lifeinsurance benefit go to?Now is a great time to reviewand, if necessary, update whoyour life insurance benefitshould go to in the event of yourdeath. To view the latest BenefitNomination Form, go to theMembership Details page in theMembers Only section of ourwebsite, www.policeassn.org.nz.If this needs to be updated, youcan print a new form from theForms & Documents page of thewebsite. When we receive yournew nomination form, it willautomatically revoke and replacethe previous form.Take our one-minute onlineLifestyle Security CheckWe want to help ensure youand your family’s lifestyle issecure and protected fromfinancial hardship. Take oneminute from your day to takethe Lifestyle Security Check atwww.policeassn.org.nz/productsservices/insurances.Need some help?Call our Insurances Team,8am-5pm, Monday to Friday,on Police network extension44446, freephone 0800 500122, or email insurances@policeassn.org.nz.Members –don’t missout on greatdiscountsCheck out our growing range ofdiscounts for members throughthe Police Association MemberDiscounts Programme.Simply log in to www.policeassn.org.nz.Select “Member Discounts” from theProducts & Services menu to view thediscounts available.132 june 2013police news – the voice of police

NotebookTraumatised by a tornadoA violent storm affected threepolice families in Auckland, allof whom received aid from theAssociation.With the sky darkeningaround her, CatherineTaylor realised theweather had turned, but she wasdetermined to finish mowing thelast bit of lawn at her Hobsonvillehome. Her Labrador dog, Wag,wasn’t hanging about though – heran inside as a violent and totallyunexpected tornado bore down onthe area.Catherine’s partner, Regan, adiesel mechanic with the NewZealand Air Force at nearbyWhenuapai, had just made it hometo the West Auckland suburbbefore the roads were closed. In lessthan five minutes the tornado hadkilled three construction workers,destroyed 22 homes and badlydamaged more than 300 otherproperties.The violent twister was followedby torrential rain and flooding andCatherine and Regan franticallytried to save their possessionsinside their rented house, notrealising at that stage that most oftheir roof had been blown off.“Our neighbours and friendswere fantastic assisting with thepack-up,” Catherine says. “Thestreets were cordoned off, and westayed home packing.” They storedsome items at a neighbour’s housethat wasn’t as badly damaged.Newly pregnant, Catherine, adispatcher at North Comms inAuckland, phoned her midwife tocancel her appointment and thenrang her insurance company.“Rhys Cantwell [Police staffwelfare officer] phoned asking howhe could assist, and the next dayoffered us a Police home to live inwhile we got sorted,” Catherinesays.That first night, Wag went to staywith a friend and Catherine andRegan bunked down with friendsat West Harbour. The next day,“after some Kiwi ingenuity packingup wet gears we were in the Policehome”.“Rhys continued to make phonecalls of support, and within dayswe had a grant to assist withimmediate costs,” Catherine says.Her boss, North Commsmanager Superintendent KelvinPowell, also made regular callsand ensured she had time off workduring the busy Christmas period.With winds of up to 200kilometres an hour, the tornado,which hit on the afternoon ofDecember 6 last year, left behind aclean-up bill of $16 million and upto 300 people were homeless. Theextent of the devastation shockedcivil defence and emergencyservices.Not only was Catherine andRegan’s house not safe to returnto, but the tornado had written offone of their cars and extensivelydamaged the other. Regan’s projectCadillac was also damaged.The Police Welfare Fundprovided Catherine and Regan witha financial grant, petrol vouchersand two nights in a holiday home.Catherine and Regan found anew rental property just beforeChristmas and are now happilysettled in and expecting their firstbaby in July.“The assistance from the PoliceAssociation has been amazing,and we wouldn’t have recovered asquickly without such generosity,along with support from friends,family and colleagues, includingfood hampers that were perfect intime for Christmas,” Catherine says.Police Welfare Fund assistanceis available to members who findthemselves in a situation such asthe loss suffered by Catherine andRegan. Two other Police families“The assistancefrom the PoliceAssociation hasbeen amazing,and we wouldn’thave recoveredas quicklywithout suchgenerosity.”– Catherine Tayloraffected by the tornado were alsoassisted by Rhys and AucklandCentral Police Associationcommittee secretary Simon Prentis,who works at North Comms.Police Welfare Fund managerPete Hayes says it was amazing thatthere were three Police familiesliving so close to each other whoall suffered because of the freakweather event.“In cases such as this, the wholePolice family can work togetherto assist members in their hour ofneed. It is very pleasing to assistCatherine and the other memberswho were so badly affected thatday.” – Ellen BrookThe tornado left up to 300 homes uninhabitable, including CatherineTaylor's rental property, above.new zealand police aSSOCIATION june 2013 133

NotebookflashbackHe knew his onionsIn 1942, the world was still inthe grip of war. After years ofrationing, many ordinary foodsthat we take for granted todaywere hard to come by. Such wasthe case in parts of Britain withthe humble onion, as this incidentreported in the New ZealandPolice Journal of October 1942, inthe style of the day, shows.“The hero of the incidentis Const. R S Rusbatch,of Central Otago: he isstationed at Cromwell.In April last, a friend ofhis was travelling throughCentral Otago and calledto see him. He wasaccompanied by a highofficial of the MerchantMarine who was enjoying afew days of a well-earnedholiday.Let us now have the storyin Const. Rusbatch’s ownwords:I had a good crop ofonions drying in thesun. The member of theMerchant Marine wanted tobuy some to take ‘home’.By the expression on hisface I would say that hehad not seen an onion forsome time. I told him Iwould make him a presentof the onions, 30lbs [13kg],on condition that hegave some to the policeconstable residing nearhis home. He was a verypleased man, and I shall notforget him for a long time.Proof that the onionsreached ‘home’ is furnishedby receipt of a letterby Const. Rusbatch.The letter is sent from“Lynton”, SchoolRoad, Hightown,Liverpool, and isdated the tenth ofJuly. Here it is: –I beg to informyou that I havereceived mypresent from yousafely, and forwhich I am verythankful. I amstationed on acountry beat as Iunderstand youare, but probablythings are a bitdifferent overthere with morearea to cover onyour beat.If you shouldever come toEngland, thewife and myselfwould be verypleased to seeyou, as wehope you willhave the pleasure someday. Thanking you again,I remain yours trulyJOHN SUMNER, PC 1057.Thus was the link offriendship forged in aunique way.”And thus did a bag ofKiwi onions play its part inthe war and help sustain afellow police officer and hisfamily on the other side ofthe world.Te PunaReothe spring oflanguageConstable JuanitaTimu Timu, a Maoriresponsiveness adviserin Gisborne, provides abasic phrase that couldbe used in everydayinteractions.Kanohi ki te kanohi,pokohiwi ki tepokohiwiFace to face, shoulder toshoulderCar-know-he key-teecar-know-he, poor-kohee-weekey-tee poorko-hee-weemost wantedAir headsThe search is onagain to find “thegreatest guitaristin New Zealandwho has neverplayed”. Aroundthe country,regional qualifyingrounds are beingheld for the 2013New Zealand AirGuitar Championships, and the finalwill be judged at The Paddington pubin Parnell, Auckland, on Saturday, June29. If you fancy yourself as a contender,entry is free. The organisers advise youto “practise till ya fingers bleed”. The airguitar competition belongs to a selectgroup of global events, including theLip Synch World Champs, the ThumbWrestling World Champs and theAustralian and New Zealand Rock PaperScissors Champs. For more info visit,airguitarnewzealand.com.Cross-country on two wheelsOrienteering is an outdoor sport that exercisesmind and body. Chuck a bicycle into the mixand you have the even more demanding sportof mountain-bike orienteering – flying alonga rough track on two wheels in the middle ofnowhere while trying to read a map. Though itsounds daunting, Orienteering Bay of Plentysays it’s suitable for all ability levels and ithas organised a weekend of events at theWhakarewarewa Forest trails in Rotorua, July13-14. It’s been dubbed the “Vegas Vindaloo”event in honour of its “hot and spicy”mountain-bike action, including the “ChilliChallenge” (details to be announced closer tothe time). There are three events, includinga two-hour rogaine (a team cross-countrynavigation event). Visit obop.org.nz for entrydetails and more information.134 june 2013police news – the voice of police

NotebookKeen on wine by Ricky CollinsSomething big is stirringin Central OtagoOver the past 20 years, CentralOtago has evolved to be apremier wine region in NewZealand, with many of itswines awarded gold medalsand trophies at national andinternational wine shows.Pinot noir has captured most ofthe awards, but there is anotherwine variety produced in theregion that is worth trying. Afterattending a recent tasting ofAuburn Wines, at Wine Freedomin Dunedin, I’d say there is asleeping giant waiting to bediscovered – riesling from CentralOtago.Actually, riesling has beenproduced in Central Otago aslong as pinot noir; it’s just that itdidn’t get off on the right foot.I recall tasting Central Otagorieslings produced in the early90s and some of them werepretty ordinary. Since then, therehas been a huge improvement inthe quality of rieslings producedin the south, but these Auburnrieslings take New Zealandriesling, not just Central Otagoriesling, to another dimension.Auburn Wines is a rieslingspecialist; it produces onlythis one variety. It also doesn’trecognise Central Otago as justone wine region, but rather asa combination of sub-regions,each with its own microclimate,soil, land aspect and slopesthat give winemakers theopportunity to produce winesthat are individual expressionsof each location. It alsoacknowledges that rieslingsfrom so far south have a highlevel of acidity, but it uses thatacidity as a strength, ratherthan a problem, in producingwell-structured and balancedrieslings, offsetting the aciditywith residual sugar.Auburn Wines took a braveapproach at the recent tastingin Dunedin; it allowed WineFreedom to start with fivebenchmark rieslings from acrossNew Zealand, Australia andGermany. But the four AuburnRieslings that followed stole theshow.2012 Auburn Northburn RieslingRRP $30This a very clean, crisp winewith distinctive lemon andlime flavours showing through.It’s a little more elegant andunderstated than some of theother Auburn rieslings, but it hassome excellent linear structureand length. It has 36 grams ofresidual sugar, and its alcoholstrength is 11 per cent.2012 Auburn BannockburnRiesling RRP $30This riesling is a bit more upfrontand has more palate weight, andthere’s a touch more acidity tothis wine than the Northburn. Itstill has those citrus notes, butthere is a mineral edge to it aswell. It has 34 grams of residualsugar, and its alcohol strength isthe same as the Northburn at 11per cent.2012 Auburn Lowburn RieslingRRP $30The flavour profile of this wineappears to be more complexthan the first two wines. It’s anopen, expressive wine with citrus,honey and blood orange aromasand flavours, with a hint of spiceon the finish. It has 45 grams ofresidual sugar, and its alcoholstrength is 10.5 per cent.2012 Auburn Bendigo RieslingRRP $30The Bendigo Riesling was myfavourite. On the nose it’s quiteclosed, but there’s an explosionof citrus and grapefruit flavourswith a mineral edge to them. It’san amalgamation of pure flavourconcentration, crispness andlength with a zingy finish. Thisis my kind of riesling, and onethat Auburn and New Zealandcan be proud of. It has 62 gramsof residual sugar, and its alcoholstrength is 9.5 per cent.At this stage, Auburn is arelatively new producer withlimited stock available. Itswines are distributed by Dhalland Nash, based in Auckland.Alternatively, you can contactAuburn Wines through itswebsite, auburnwines.com.1. What is thepoliceman’s name inthe Noddy stories?2. Which Latin phrase,usually applied to legalevidence, means “atfirst sight”?3. In which Dickens novelwas Miss Havishamjilted on her weddingday?4. What is the colour ofthe bull’s-eye of anarchery target?5. Which TV characterused the phrase “livelong and prosper”?6. How old is a horsewhen it changes froma filly to a mare?7. Colin Blunstonefronted what 1960sband?8. What is a haboob?9. What is the whitepart of the human eyecalled?10. What colour is a“double word” squareon a Scrabble board?1. PC Plod. 2. Prima facie3. Great Expectations.4. Gold. 5. Mr Spock inStar Trek. 6. Four. 7. TheZombies. 8. A sandstorm.9. Sclera. 10. Pink.COPPER’S CROSSWORDby Constable CunningACROSS2. UN averted mix up in exciting holiday(9)8. Donated (5)9. Curse as break in parts of dinner set (7)10. What Police staff have to be for anymistakes made? (10)12. Lots of land areas (5)14. Sea vessel (5)15. Popular part of any Police station (10)18. Bit by bit (7)19. Female relative (5)20. Easy getaways for criminals? (9)DOWN1. The worst feature of somerobberies? (13)2. As divers combine so do wise men(8)3. Location of event (5)4. Remembers the past (13)5. Normally (7)6. Level (4)7. Taking apart (13)11. People who blame others? (8)13. Seabird (7)16. Reddish coloured dye (5)17. Information put in computer (4)1 2 3 4 5 6 78 9101112 13 1415 161718 19Across: 2. Adventure 8. Given 9. Saucers 10. Answerable 12. Acres 14. Yacht 15. Watchhouse 18. Gradual 19. Niece 20. Alleyways Down: 1. Aggravatingly 2. Advisers3. Venue 4. Nostalgically 5. Usually 6. Even 7. Dismantlement 11. Accusers 13. Seagull16. Henna 17. Data20new zealand police aSSOCIATION june 2013 135

SportTo contact the Police Council of Sport,email Dave Gallagher at info@policesport.co.nzRegistrations open for Melbourne 2014It’s time to drag your tiredold body off that comfy sofaand get moving – at least tothe nearest computer screen.Registrations for next year’s AustralasianPolice and Emergency Services Games, to beheld in Melbourne from April 19-24, openon July 1.Games manager Inspector DannyBodycoat, who is also chairman of theAustralia and New Zealand Police GamesFederation, is encouraging competitorsfrom throughout Australasia to takepart in the event that promotes friendlycompetition and inter-agency camaraderie.Up to 50 sports are on the agenda. TheMelbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre willprovide international standard facilities forswimming, badminton, basketball, volleyball,squash and table tennis. The new LakesideAthletics Stadium will host track and fieldand the picturesque parklands around AlbertPark and the nearby bay beaches will be thevenues for outdoor events.Some sports, such as surfing, angling,mountain biking and shooting, will be heldin regional centres. The competition is inopen and age-graded categories and willcater for all ability levels.The first games, held in 1984, werelimited to Australian police organisations.Eventually competitors from New Zealandwere included and in 1999 fulltimeemergency services personnel were alsoinvited to compete in the biennial event.The last games were held in New Zealand,in Lower Hutt in 2012, with support fromthe Police Association. The games are nowrecognised as a premier event on the policeand emergency services sporting calendarand many New Zealanders are expected totake part, including retired members.For more information onregistering, official merchandiseand accommodation packages, visitapandesgames.com.au and to followprogress on Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/apandesgames.The proposed schedule of sportingevents, from A to Z, for the 15thAustralasian Police and EmergencyServices Games is:ANGLINGAQUATHONARCHERYBADMINTONBASKETBALLBOX TAGCRICKET INDOOR& T20CROSS-COUNTRYCUE SPORTSCYCLINGDARTSDRAGON BOATSDUATHALONEQUESTRIANGOLFHOCKEYLAWN BOWLSHALF & QUARTERMARATHONSMOUNTAIN BIKESNETBALLPETANQUEROWING INDOORRUGBY 7SHOOTINGSPORTSSOCCER FIELD& INDOORSOFTBALLSQUASHSTAIR RACESURFINGSWIMMING OPENWATERSWIMMING POOLTABLE TENNISTENPIN BOWLINGTENNISTOUCH RUGBYTCATRACK & FIELDTRIATHALONVOLLEYBALLBEACH & INDOORX TERRADUATHALONBest feetforwardThe Police Association andPolice Council of Sport CrossCountry Champs were heldon May 8 at the Bason BotanicGardens in Whanganui. AaronWhite, from Whanganui,attacked from the start andinstantly split the field. JeremyNatusch (Hastings), Jason Page(Whanganui) and AJ Cornwallfrom Palmerston North managedto challenge Aaron for the firstlap, but Aaron kept on thepace and finished one minuteclear of Natusch, the 2011winner. Other top runs camefrom Claire Adkin (1st, openwomen), Rob Conder (1st, vetmen), Angelique Walker (1st,vet women), Michael Morgan(1st draught horse) and TonyStrachan (1st, walk). The mostoutstanding run of the day wasfrom Ray Langmed who, at 84years old, completed the coursein fine form. – Rob Conder2013 Cross-Country Champs ResultsOpen men (8.1km)1st Aaron WHITE 31:022nd Jeremy NATUSCH 32:053rd Jason PAGE 32:114th AJ CORNWALL 32:445th Trevor BAKER 36:54Open Women (5.4km)1st Claire ADKINS 24:282nd Felicity MANSELL 32:23Veteran Men (8.1km)1st Rob CONDER 33:272nd Colin WRIGHT 41:553rd Tim MASTERS 43:334th Ray LANGMED 44:05Veteran Women (5.4km)1st Angelique WALKER 29:042nd Shirley FOTHERINGHAM 32:423rd Susan ROBINSON 34:12Draught Horse (5.4km)1st Michael MORGAN 25:272nd Michael NORTON 27:383rd Bryan SMITH 28:51Open Walk (5.4km)1st Tony STRACHAN 40:242nd Gary McFAYDEN 42:053rd Neil MARTIN 43:304th= Trevor SCARROW 46:044th= Sumita RHODES 46:04Relay (3 x 2.7km)1st Wanganui Yes ‘Nic” 39:042nd Central MAN-A-WA-NUI 43:013rd Wanganui Super Heroes 44:594th Wanganui Young GUNS 47:255th Wanganui INTEL 51:07The start of the race at the Bason Botanic Gardens.Aaron White and Claire Adkins, the men’s andwomen’s winners.136 june 2013police news – the voice of police

SportBoard gamesin GisborneThe worst conditions tested the bestsurfers at this year’s New ZealandPolice Association Police SurfingChampionships held at Gisborne.Geoff PardoeCompetitor Carl Neustroskisaid that over the four daysof this year’s Police SurfingChampionships, March 18-21, conditions ranged fromnear perfect to almost unsurfableas 70 surfers in eightdivisions took to the water.Day one was all blue skies,crystal-clear water and lightoffshore winds. Day two had“perfect, waist to over-headsize waves, with even largerset waves toward the end ofthe day”. On day three, thecompetitors headed up theEast Cape to Anaura Bay toescape the southerly winds.“Local knowledge fromone of the competing tangatawhenua put us at one ofCaptain Cook’s landingspots with sheltered, rideablewaves,” Carl said.It was also a chance tosoak up some East Coastflavour. “There’s nothing likea hangi pie and a flat whitein Tolaga Bay before goingfor a surf at a rarely surfed,remote break,” he added. Thefinal day was a mixed bag ofa fresh southerly swell anda leftover southerly breeze“putting a real wobble on thewave faces”. But, Carl said, “atleast there were waves, so wecould crown our champions,who showed their talents infar-from-perfect conditions”.The organisers weregrateful to their sponsors,particularly the PoliceAssociation and the PoliceCouncil of Sport, and tothe Blitz Surf Shop andThe Boardroom, whichsupplied two new boards asspot prizes. Ayson Williamsprovided the wave camand the Late-Night MeatSandwich band, made up ofPolice personnel, entertainedthe competitors, officials andgeneral hangers-on at thefinal-night shindig.Next year’s event, whichmarks the 10th anniversaryof the competition, will beheld in Taranaki.ResultsSam JohnsonKris EdgingtonPhotos: AYSON WILLIAMSOpen Men1st Sam Johnson2nd Campbell McEvedy3rd Geoff PardoeOpen Women1st Hayley McKevitOver 50s1st Greg Crouch2nd Lloyd Buckley3rd Larry MaloneOver 40s1st Kris EdgingtonNovice1st Nathan Whitley2nd Greg Hall3rd Dean BurgerOnya Guts1st Nathan Whitley2nd Gina Samson3rd Tina SmallmanLongboard1st Geoff Pardoe2nd Sam Johnson3rd Scott Pitkethley2nd Scott Pitkethley3rd Bill DawsonStand-up paddleboard1st Aaron Fraser2nd Carl Southwick3rd Logan Nicholas2nd Steve Sutherland3rd Lincoln Sycamorenew zealand police aSSOCIATION june 2013 137

LettersForgive me . . .As I sat snugly at home watching theburgergate drama unfold on the news, itstruck me that I, too, had sinned againstPolice policy. Despite the fact that my weetown is not graced by these fast-food giants,I was misled by a far more insidious force –Pippins and Brownies.There I was one frantic afternoon, slavingaway over the computer trying to do thework of two, when I was interrupted bynine bright, shiny-faced wee lasses from thePippin Brownies group.Clasped in the hands of their excitedchosen representative was a packet of GirlGuide biscuits (the chocolate ones).Their shy leader politely informed me thatthey had “bought me the biscuits for all thehard work I do in their town”.I accepted their offering with all thehumility and humbleness befittingthe occasion; that someone within mycommunity actually cares for the work I do,and had shown me this by presenting mewith a packet of biscuits (did I mention theywere chocolate?).The warm fuzzy feeling I got from receivingthis simple gift probably surpassed the one Ihad felt a few weeks before on receiving my28-year service bar (not chocolate).But now I have been reminded of thepolicy that states: “Police employees mustnot accept gifts offered for simply doing agood job”.This leaves me with a dilemma should thissituation arise again. Should I harden myheart and send them and their treats back towhence they came? Or perhaps hide out theback?Or should I exhibit the items and seekapproval to eat them?Forgive me, but I took them home andate them (my wife ate some too) and I got tothinking that, yes, accepting gifts is the thinedge of the wedge that leads to corruption.But the more I thought about it, I realisedthat those damn Pippins had me fooled…I am still trying to figure out where their Plab is!LYLE PRYORAkaroaDiscounts for policeI want to thank Commissioner PeterMarshall for reminding us all what being aprincipled police constable means. He’s right– it is an outrage that sworn police acceptdiscounts while wearing their uniform.He’s correct that, even though no law hasbeen broken, it’s morally wrong.I hope Pete will continue the crusadeagainst discounts and, as he said, holddistrict commanders to account. I can evensuggest where we should go next.Every day across Auckland, police receivefree or extended parking while constablesattend non-emergency jobs.Sure, Auckland City Council has neverasked us to pay for the parking, and it’sarguable that we aren’t breaking any laws,but morally it’s wrong and it needs to stop.Auckland Transport offers a text-a-parkservice. We can use our new mobile devicesto text to park and end this moral outrage.I’m sure the Commissioner will support usby changing the business rules to do this.Now we just have to find a way to stop ourmanagers from using the bulk buying powerof the organisation to get discounts. Just likeour dirty, immoral Association has beenguilty of doing.Keep your petrol station receipts whenyou fill up and send them to Pete so he canmake sure no rebate on bulk purchase isgiven and that Police pay retail price foreverything.It’s a real shame Peter Marshall hasdecided to not to seek another term – weneed a leader like him.Name withheldConstable, Auckland CentralPolice and pursuitsYet again we hear the media outcry thatinevitably follows a vehicle pursuit where theidiot in the driver’s seat didn’t have the abilityto control the vehicle, resulting in a crash.Previous investigations, media criticismand PCA (now IPCA) recommendationshave resulted in the policy of pulling out ofpursuits following predetermined criteria.The letter in last month’s Police Newssuggesting that drivers may attempt to gofaster once they know, or believe, they havelost the patrol has enough merit for furtherresearch.I have watched televised pursuits fromthe United States, where they seem to havevideo cameras in all their patrol vehicles,and their policy appears to be that the patrollooks after their own safety, but the pursuit iscontinued to the point where the driver is incustody or crashes.Also, the fleeing drivers are heldaccountable for the consequence of theiractions.During the inevitable inquiry that followsthese events in New Zealand, there is noreal-time scenario set up to reconstruct whatoccurred so that the IPCA might view it atthe speed that it happened.Maybe if there was, there would be amore realistic appreciation of the situation,resulting in better recommendations.In sport, frame by frame analysis after anevent produces outcomes that are unrelatedto the real-time event, but seem to providesatisfaction for commentators who weren’ton the field.Also, the need for continuouscommentary from a pursuit vehicle is aserious intrusion on the driver’s abilityto concentrate on the primary task if thepursuit driver is alone. It would be betterto have a brief exchange reminding thedriver that they alone are responsible for anyconsequence of their actions, and leave themto get on with the job.Most importantly, let’s have clear laws thatput total responsibility on fleeing drivers forthe consequences of their actions, includingmurder charges for any deaths. I say thisbecause, in virtually every case, death is aforeseeable outcome.Let the courts reduce the charges if it canbe proved that it was impossible for thedriver to have foreseen the consequences atany stage, including their decision to flee.I agree with those who say the currentrules provide an incentive to flee because,on average, the offenders are fully awarethat Police have to abide by rules and theyperceive a clear chance that they won’t endup in a cell if they can beat the police byoperating outside those rules.LES SHARPNew PlymouthWho are these 'shrinkingviolets?As an avid reader of your magazine, Iappreciate your balanced reports on Policematters, but in the last issue (May) onearticle raised my ire.In “From the President”, Greg O’Connorreferred to the current changes in policingand said “many middle and senior managersare privately expressing their disquiet at thelong-term implications of these changes”.My question is, why are these concernsbeing expressed privately?Surely these are the people we underlingsrely on to get messages to the bosses.Are these managers “shrinking violets”, orare they afraid to raise their heads, fearingtheir career prospects will be curtailed bytheir superiors, who also want to head to thetop of the slippery pole.Those of us who have been around for awhile will remember having to endure threedays of “Quality Policing” training, duringwhich it was declared that staff at the topwould “listen and hear the ones from thebottom”.Perhaps it’s time for a refresher?PAUL (SPIKE) DICKEYWhakataneWe would like to think that all staffcan express their views without fearfor their career prospects or of beinglabelled a disrupter or disbeliever. This issomething that those driving the changeneed to be aware of. – Editor138 june 2013police news – the voice of police

Signed letters are preferred, but in all cases the writer’s name and address must be supplied. Names will be publishedunless there is a good reason for anonymity. The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or decline letters.Email: editor@policeassn.org.nz or write to Editor, PO Box 12344, Wellington 6144WOFs and insuranceA recent newspaper story quoted theAutomobile Association as saying thatPolice should do mandatory vehicleinspections at all vehicle stops becausewarrant of fitness (WOF) systems arenowhere near good enough to preventcrashes in defective vehicles.What a load of rubbish. Police resourcesare a vital part of the community and notthere to be wasted on babysitting motoristswho cannot look after their own cars. Whydon’t we take a few tips from overseasand have mandatory insurance for alldrivers? There would be many benefits tothe community, not least that insurancecompanies would monitor vehicle problemswithout Police resources being used:1. If a vehicle was not roadworthy, it wouldnot meet the insurance requirementsand would be uninsured. If a car wasstopped and the insurance was absentor invalid, the driver would have to startwalking.2. Modified vehicles? No problem, pay anextra insurance premium. How manyboy racers would want to, or could,pay thousands of dollars a year in extrainsurance?3. Injured in a crash while not wearinga seatbelt or helmet and probably notinsured? Pay your own medical costs.ACC shouldn’t have to pay, even undercurrent guidelines, as the person hascontributed to their own injuries bynegligently not fitting or wearing a safetydevice.4. Intoxicated with any drug (includingalcohol)? Insurance invalid.5. As happens overseas, any trafficinfringements have to be declared tothe insurance company so it can judgethe risks. Insurance premiums wouldincrease for drivers who collectedinfringements. The financial deterrentfactor is huge and cannot be wipedout by the courts with a few hours’community service.6. Crashes would mostly becomearguments between insurancecompanies as to who was at fault, ratherthan ugly roadside arguments betweenuninsured drivers.Memorial wallOur sympathies to all our members’ families for thosewho have passed away in recent months. We remember…7. The cost of vehicle insurance would bereduced if it was spread out for everyone.Also, we enforce the use of cellphones bydrivers because of the risk of distraction,so perhaps we should consider theconsumption of alcohol inside vehicles asa safety risk too. How about having theequivalent of a liquor ban zone in vehicles;ie, no open liquor in a vehicle? It could bepoliced in a similar way to council bylaws,whether a car was parked up or not.Last point: if diesel vehicles had to havetheir road user charges current before theycould get a WOF that would eliminateanother vehicle administration task for Police,and would be easy to add to the WOF.Let’s put our resources into making thecommunity safer, rather than being taxcollectors.POINTS TO PONDERTimaruPresident's AwardsFormer Police Association employeeDiann Stephen received thePresident's Award for OutstandingService after 30 years on June 16,2006, not 2010 as reported lastmonth. Her colleague Tui Hunter,who was a personal assistantto Association President GregO'Connor and Chief ExecutiveChris Pentecost, also received thePresident's Award after 25 yearsservice on October 29, 2008.BOOK WINNERSThe winners of last month’sLITTLE LIFE SAVERS giveawayare KRISTEL COLDICUTT ofChristchurch, and MARY GODDARDof Auckland.Your books will be posted to you.MITCHELL, Ernest Joseph 28-Dec-11 Spouse Te AwamutuROBERTS, Tony Andrew 6-Apr-13 Serving ChristchurchBRIDGE, Ronald 28-Apr-13 Retired DunedinCHURCHES, Ellen Pauline 5-May-13 Widow North ShoreBALLANTINE, Gavin John 15-May-13 Retired PaeroaUseful Information andContactsNew Zealand Police Association:For immediate industrial & legal advice(on matters that cannot be deferred suchas police shootings, fatal pursuits ordeaths in custody) ring 0800 TEN NINE(0800 836 6463) – 24 hour/seven daysservicePolice Network 44446Freephone 0800 500 122Police Health Plan/Police Fire & General InsuranceQuotes & information 0800 500 122or 04 496 6800or fax 04 496 6819Police Fire & General InsuranceClaims 0800 110 088Police Home Loans 0800 800 808Police Credit Union 0800 429 000Credit Union www.policecu.org.nzGSF information 0800 654 731PSS information 0800 777 243Field OfficersWaitemata and Northland DistrictsSteve Hawkins 027 268 9406Auckland and Counties Manukau DistrictsStewart Mills 027 268 9407Waikato and BOP DistrictsGraeme McKay 027 268 9408Eastern and Central DistrictsKerry Ansell 027 268 9422PNHQ, RNZPC and Wellington DistrictJJ Taylor 027 268 9409Tasman and Canterbury DistrictsDave McKirdy 027 268 9410Southern DistrictCeleste Crawford 027 268 9427Vice-PresidentsStuart Mills 027 268 9416Luke Shadbolt 027 268 9411Regional DirectorsRegion OneWaitemata and Northland DistrictsJug Price 027 268 9419Region TwoAuckland and Counties Manukau DistrictsDave Pizzini 027 268 9413Region ThreeWaikato and Bay of Plenty DistrictsWayne Aberhart 027 268 9414Region FourEastern and Central DistrictsEmmet Lynch 027 268 9415Region FivePNHQ, RNZPC and Wellington DistrictCraig Tickelpenny 027 268 9417Region SixTasman and Canterbury DistrictsCraig Prior is currently unavailableContact Craig Barker 027 273 4499Region SevenSouthern DistrictBrett Roberts 027 268 9418new zealand police aSSOCIATION june 2013 139