IF THE CAP FITS… - New Zealand Police Association

Pistol shooting:Schlebusch right on target atnational pistol championshipsNew Zealand Police AssociationThe Police Pistol Nationals took place for thesecond year running on the 23rd June at theAuckland Pistol Club.A heavy weather warning was in force at the timeand prevented some active duty members fromattending the competition. Heavy showers causedmatch organisers to pause the contest throughoutthe day. Despite the weather occasionallyintervening, shooters enjoyed the competition.Overall match winner was Johann Schlebusch ofAuckland Motorways. The Police Council of Sportsponsored the event.Minimum number of roundsThe match required a minimum of 94 rounds tocomplete although some required more rounds.Steel plate targets are required to fall to score andsometimes the first shot will not put them downdue to shot placement and the bullet’s power.The Police Pistol Nationals are a level one,production class, IPSC pistol shoot. IPSC (ip-sic)style shooting is a popular international eventinvolving a combination of speed, accuracy andpower. It features at the World Police and FireGames (next held in Vancouver Canada, 2009)and the Australia and New Zealand Police andEmergency Services Games (next held in CoffsHarbour, NSW, 2008).Variety of shooting stylesA typical stage involves drawing from the holsterand engaging multiple targets while moving.Reloading is often required while on the moveand props such as doors and windows have tobe negotiated while completing the course. Somestages may be shot from just one standing positionwhile others may require running, kneeling, goingprone, or all of these combined. The variety ofshooting styles required makes the event suitablefor shooters of all ages and levels of ability.Glock, Sportways, Serious Shooters, TacticalSolutions, Reloaders Supplies, and Uvex glasseskindly supplied prizes.A firearms license is required to shoot pistolsunder suitable supervision. See your local ArmsOfficer to apply. For more information ontaking up pistol shooting as a sport Emailcyrus.robinson@police.govt.nz• Marian (Jak) Polyblank of Tokoroa leansout to get to some hard-to-reach targets.- Photo courtesy of Cyrus Robinson.• Johann Schlebusch, the overall winner of the competition, shoots over a table top to engageconcealed targets.- Photo courtesy of Cyrus Robinson.“Racial set-aside” alleged against Austin Police DepartmentA veteran Austin (Texas) Police commanderhas sued the city manager and formerPolice Chief, and the incoming Police Chief,alleging he was denied a promotion becausehe is white, according to an article in TheAmerican Statesman.Commander Harold Piatt claims in thelawsuit that he was the victim of a yearlongPolice department practice of “racialset-asides” for positions for Assistant Chiefof Police. Piatt, said that despite being themost qualified person for the job he waspassed over and the position was given to aHispanic officer.Piatt claims the former Police Chief tolda group of commanders in a January2006 meeting that he would “exercise hisprerogative to maintain the racial balance”among Assistant Police Chiefs.The lawsuit also claims that Austin CityCouncil members weigh in on the AssistantChief appointments, which is in violation ofthe city charter.We remember…Who passed away…CHAUVAL Rae Vivien 7-Jun-07 Member Onehunga, AkldANTILL William Robert 26-Jun-07 Retired member Papatoetoe, AkldTAYLOR Betty Doris 28-Jun-07 Widow of member DunedinMAYO Rayna Lillian 2-Jul-07 Widow of retired member GisborneTAARE Elle Maree 7-Jul-07 Daughter of member Palmerston NorthCLEWS James 9-Jul-07 Retired member NapierBELL Brian Hamilton 15-Jul-07 Retired member InvercargillTHOMAS Ronald Lloyd John 20-Jul-07 Retired member AucklandAugust 2007161