<strong>Police</strong><strong>New</strong>sThe Voice of <strong>Police</strong>Safety footwear approvedfor frontline police staffBy Amanda Craig, <strong>Association</strong> Industrial OfficerAgreement has been reached between the <strong>Police</strong> <strong>Association</strong> and the<strong>Police</strong> on the issue of new safety footwear to frontline officers.The project had its genesis four years ago when Constable Doug Peach,the <strong>Association</strong>’s health and safety representative in North Shore-Waitakere, saw a need for safety footwear because of the hazards he wasexposed to while working on Auckland’s roads.This need was further highlighted when staff were injured and footwearruined because of involvement in operational incidents.Health sand safety issueLike a good cop, Doug investigated. He found there was a health andsafety issue for frontline cops. <strong>Police</strong> are obligated under the Health andSafety in Employment Act, to provide health and safety clothing andequipment for their employees.Doug brought the issue to the North Shore-Waitakere Health and SafetyCommittee and when they couldn’t deal with it, he referred the issue tothe <strong>Association</strong>’s National Office.Doug then worked with me to put together a proposal for <strong>Police</strong> toprovide safety footwear for frontline staff.In response, <strong>Police</strong> eventually set up a working party (which includedDoug Peach and myself) to assess whether safety footwear was reallyneeded. The working party surveyed staff about their work activitiesand the nature of their working environment. The survey received agood response. Thanks to all of you who took the time to complete it.A clear picture of the hazards was obtained and it showed that safetyfootwear was needed.<strong>Association</strong> pushThe <strong>Association</strong> then continued to push for safety footwear to beapproved for frontline staff and <strong>Police</strong> have now decided that safetyfootwear will be issued to frontliners.But don’t order your boots yet!From here, there is still some work to be done. What the <strong>Association</strong>pushed for, and what the <strong>Police</strong> have approved, is safety footwear. Thismeans that the footwear will have to meet the relevant safety standardand other specific criteria (e.g. non-slip soles). Having to meet thesecriteria will ensure that the footwear is suitable for the <strong>Police</strong> workingenvironment. <strong>Police</strong> will then tender for a supplier.There is likely to be a range of footwear available to cater for differenttypes of feet and footwear preferences (e.g. some people like to wearshoes and others boots).When?So, when will frontline staff actually be able to look down and see <strong>Police</strong>issued footwear on their feet? As Rachel Hunter once said: “It won’thappen overnight but it will happen.” The <strong>Association</strong> will now pushfor safety footwear to be issued in a timely manner.• Constable Doug Peach, the <strong>Association</strong>’s North Shore-Waitakerehealth and safety rep, who realised there was a need for safetyfootwear for frontline staff.• A typical boot as worn by frontline officers. Note the polish - mustbe a Senior Sergeant!• “<strong>THE</strong>SE BOOTS WERE MADE FOR WORKING”: Bootsas used by AOS/STG members.• A typical set of boots as worn by Armed Offenders’ Squad orSpecial Tactics Group members. These ones have obviously seen abit of service.148 August 2007
<strong>New</strong> <strong>Zealand</strong> <strong>Police</strong> <strong>Association</strong>Babies behind bars:Bill seeks to allow children to stay withincarcerated mothers for first two yearsBy Steve Plowman, Editor, <strong>Police</strong> <strong>New</strong>sA private members’ bill being consideredby Parliament’s Law and Order SelectCommittee seeks to change the law so thatmothers in prison are allowed to have theirbabies with them until the child reaches theage of two.Green Party MP, Sue Bradford has sponsoredthe Corrections (Mothers with Babies)Amendment Bill.The <strong>Police</strong> <strong>Association</strong> has given its tacitsupport to the Bill, agreeing with theintention and noting that in many casesyoung children may be better off with theirmother in a prison environment, than inthe often-dysfunctional family, from whichtheir mother was removed.While noting the intention of the Bill wasto benefit the child (and the young agethe Bill proposes to cover) the <strong>Association</strong>did caution the need to ensure it couldnot be used as a future tool for criminalsto “beat the system” (by way of providingan opportunity for an easier incarceration)or adversely influence their childrenby exposing them to negative criminalinfluence in their developmental years.“Horror stories”During its first reading, Ms Bradford recentlyexplained to Parliament that her Bill wastriggered by ‘horror stories’ of childrenbeing separated from their mothers. Shewas shocked as a mother of five children,that access to children was used as a ‘tool ofprison management’. She heard of a recentcase where a mother was told even beforeher baby was born, that she was not able tokeep it, though no explanation was givenfor this. The Bill would allow babies to staywith their mothers for two years by default,and create a situation where breast-feedingwas encouraged. Currently, mothers canhave their babies with them until the childis six months of age, subject to CorrectionsDepartment consent.Ms Bradford said that when she had soughtfigures from Corrections a year ago, shehad been informed there were 13 pregnantwomen in prison. Ms Bradford said that thenumbers were very low, which meant thatit would not cost a huge amount of moneyto provide for these women. The majority ofthe women were Maori. Maori have a higherbirth rate than non-Maori.Ms Bradford told the committee that it was“vital” to keep babies with their mothersand, given the fact that 75% of braindevelopment occurred in the first two yearsof a child’s life, it was an imperative thatthe law be changed to allow for mothersto be with their children in those formativeyears. She said it was a “critical aspect of acontinuity of care”.National’s Law and Order spokesman,Simon Power, asked Ms Bradford whetherthe Bill was fundamentally about the needsof the mother or child or both.Children’s needs paramountMs Bradford said that it was about bothmother and child, but she felt the needsof the baby were paramount. She said sherealised that across the political spectrumthere were different philosophies withregard to prison. Although parties might notshare views on philosophies of correction,she felt it was vital to support babies to havea relationship with their mother. WorldHealth Organisation evidence showed thatbreastfeeding was important especially inthe first six months, and up to two years.This developed an intimacy and connectionwith the mother, which was vital in a child’ssocialisation and development.In other jurisdictions, babies were ableto stay with their parents for up to sixyears, including in countries as diverseas Australia and Malaysia. Sweden, onthe other hand, does not allow babiesto be with their mothers at all during themother’s incarceration, Swedish legislatorshave taken the view that prison is no placefor babies.NZ First MP, Ron Mark, asked if therewas any evidence from studies which saidanything about the impact of babies beingin prison, particularly in regards to how itaffected them later in life and particularlywhether they fell into criminal activity and/or anti-social behaviour.ResearchMs Bradford responded that she was notaware of such research, but she suggestedthat Corrections might have some. Therewas clear evidence, however, that havinga baby in prison, reduced recidivism ratesamong mothers, she said.Ms Bradford said that she had settled ona term of two years as a “compromise” toensure parliamentary support but she wouldwelcome any suggestion of extending theperiod to three years or more.Labour MP, Jill Pettis, expressed concernsabout mothers in prison who had abusedtheir children and what protections thechildren would have under the Bill. MsBradford said that under Section 5.2, theChief Executive of each prison would havediscretion concerning the best interests ofthe baby. Ms Bradford conceded that somesituations would clearly be unsafe and themother would not be allowed to keep herbaby in those circumstances.Human rights considerationsThe Human Rights Commission hassupported the Bill, saying that it stronglysupports a mother’s right to breastfeed herbaby and that the Bill is “consistent withand supported by these principles and thehuman rights considerations that underliethem.”According to a report produced in 2004,the United Kingdom has the highest rateof female imprisonment in the EuropeanUnion and the steepest rate of increase.The report estimated that 32,000 childrenper year (aged under-16) are separated fromtheir mother due to her imprisonment –2,880 of these children are under-18 monthsof age. Only 114 of the children under 18months old could be accommodated withtheir mother in prison by 2005. Twothirdsof the women in prison in the UKare mothers with children under 16 yearsof age.Numbers smallJust like <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zealand</strong>, the number ofwomen remanded in custody or receivingcustodial sentences in England and Wales isincreasing. Women represent just 6% of the<strong>New</strong> <strong>Zealand</strong> prison population.The UK has a century-long history ofallowing mothers to keep their babies withthem in prison, but no formal arrangementswere made until the early 1980’s. Thereare five mother and baby units in the UK.France introduced mother and baby units in1979 and Belgium followed suit in 1990.Mother and child ‘self-care’ units are partof the <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zealand</strong> prison system andare run under strict conditions, includingthe mother remaining drug free. The rulesare set to ensure that the child’s safety isparamount at all times.National Party spokesperson, KatherineRich, speaking in support of the Bill, toldParliament that feedback suggested theunits were “underutilised and lacking inresources”.August 2007149
Change language