Police News Sept - New Zealand Police Association

New Zealand Police Association NewsletterPersonal GrievancesBy Association Industrial Officer, John StuartSeptember 2002What is a Personal Grievance?Under employment law, a personal grievance is a claim that amember’s conditions of employment are affected to his or herdisadvantage by some unjustifiable action of their employer.A personal grievance claim is always filed against theemployer (which in the Police environment is - theCommissioner of Police) and can be pursued by the employeethemselves or by the employee’s agent. This is where theAssociation is often asked to help members.Association Assistance onPersonal GrievancesBecause of their expertise in this area, the Association is ableto assist members with personal grievance claims.When a member requests that the Association act as theiragent the Association needs:• Exclusive right of representation.• A reasonable opportunity to assess the grievance.• The member to abide by Association policies and acceptthe advice and direction of the Association’s experiencedrepresentatives.With experience and expertise in the area of personalgrievances particularly within the Police environment, theAssociation has an excellent track record in negotiating theresolution of grievances. Our regional Field Officers are part ofa group, which includes two employment lawyers and twoexperienced employment advocates.How does the Association AssessGrievances?The Association’s Board has endorsed the following policy inrelation to support for personal grievances beyond theassessment stage:The grievance must:• have a reasonable prospect of success;• be of some benefit to the wider membership; and• be cost-effective to pursue.Your localrepresentativesfor 2002-2003were listed in the August 2002 NZPAPolice News and can also be found onthe Association’s website:www.policeassn.org.nzin the ‘Member’s Only’ area.Using theAssociation VsUsing Your OwnLawyerUnder the currentemployment law, allemployees have the right tochoose their own agent topursue a personal grievance or even to act for themselves.However, the Association is not obliged to pay member’slegal costs if a member uses their own lawyer to pursue apersonal grievance claim and will not pay for a member touse their own lawyer. If a member pursues a grievancethrough non-Association channels then Association supportis withdrawn.The reasons for this are:1. The Association has the experience and expertise to runmost grievance cases ourselves, calling on a pool ofwell-tested specialists in Employment Law whennecessary. This ensures prudent expenditure ofmember’s funds.2. There is an Association commitment to resolvinggrievances in ways, which as far as possible, preservegood will in the members’ employment relationship.3. The Association has a duty of care to ensure thatinterests of the wider membership are considered andthe grievances are within the broader context ofAssociation activities.Members who think they have a grievance should, in thefirst instance, talk to their local AssociationRepresentative.AOS Proposal -voting deadline extendedRecently AOS members were asked to vote on a variation tothe sworn collective agreement negotiated by the PoliceAssociation, proposing allowance/remuneration changes.Sufficient questions about the proposal were received toindicate that an extension of the voting deadline would beappropriate.To allow for further clarification/discussion of the proposalby Police Association and OoC reps at the AOS Commandersconference on 26-28 August and time for report backamongst each squad, the new deadline for voting isMonday, 9 September, 2002.In the interim all questions received are being collated andresponded to.Those who have already voted will be able to change theirvote before the new deadline should they wish to.121

September 2002122New Zealand Police Association NewsletterPositive response toCode of ConductBy Association Industrial Officer, Kathy DrysdaleThe Association receivedspecific feedback from anumber of members andAssociation committees onthe design for the Code ofConduct, which was set out in the June 2002 Newsletter.The feedback was generally positive about the changes,with many members commenting that the colour-codeddiagram was good and that it appeared easy tounderstand.Most concerns were about the standards of conduct inthe draft Code Booklet being too vague and a number ofmembers asked for the system to have timeframes.Association staff were able to reassure members that theoperating manual for the Code would contain clearerAuckland Staffing Crisis- Retention Key FactorAt a meeting in July of AssociationRepresentatives, Police CommissionerRobinson and Deputy Commissioner Provost,which looked at the staffing crisis inAuckland, it was agreed that the Associationwould look at various options to overcomethe recruiting and, more importantly, theretention crisis facing the Auckland andCounties-Manukau Districts. After aperception of administrative denial, thesimple acceptance that there was a problemin Auckland City and Counties Manukaubuoyed staff immensely and the Associationthanked the Commissioner and DeputyCommissioner for their attendance.After considerable consultation withAuckland members, the Association proposedthat the following short-term solution beimplemented, while the impacts of possiblelonger-term solutions are evaluated.Retention essential partof any solutionWhile very little can be done to expedite therecruiting and training process, the retentionproblem can be focused on. Auckland Cityretention statistics show that attrition ofsworn staff from Auckland City District alone,is likely at best to neutralise the recruitinggains and at worst, further impact onfrontline staff numbers unless addressed. Anyinflux of cadets and recruits will also requirea greater number of experienced staff tointegrate them into the Police environment.This makes the retention of experience,which this proposal will undoubtedly bringabout, even more essential.Association’s SolutionThe Police Association is proposing a oneoff,non-superable sum of $2,500 to allsworn staff in Auckland and Counties/Manukau who were in those Districts on 1July 2002 and who are still in the sameDistrict on 1 July 2003. This wouldencourage staff to remain at least until nextyear when the recruiting initiatives shouldbegin to improve the situation,acknowledging the extra burden staff haveborne as a result of the shortages.The proposal is estimated to cost $3,125,000(1250 staff at $2,500) and could be easilyfunded from within the existing budget,given that the combined Total Remunerationsaving resulting from the shortages (128staff as at 31 July 2002) will be in excess of$6 million.This one-off payment will only need to berepeated if the recruiting situation does notimprove negating any Governmental fear ofan ‘Auckland allowance’ precedent. It is alsoself-funding as outlined above.In coming to the retention/training paymentsolution, the Association considered severaloptions to alleviate the crisis, however theretention/training payment is the mostpractical, expedient and fair means ofretaining experienced staff until thepredicted staff increases become a reality.indicators of serious misconduct or criminality and thatthe Association will seek time requirements in thesystem.National panel to benchmarkserious misconduct- most popular ideaThe most popular proposed change was to have thenational panel assess past cases to benchmark whatcomprises serious misconduct or criminality - this wouldmake Police fairer and more consistent.Work is still progressing on the operating manual for theCode, however there is still not a firm timetable forwhen Police would like to have the new system ready.The Association will keep members posted on this.Meet our newindustrial OfficerKathleen Byrne has been appointed as anew industrial officer. Kathleen has apublic service background where sheworked in human resource managementand was an active PSA delegate. Shethen spent time as a full-time parent andstudying to be a lawyer.As a lawyer Kathleen has gainedextensive experience in employmentrights, welfare law and criminal research.Kathleen commenced work at theAssociation on 19 August and is excitedabout joining the Industrial team. Shesays “I am looking forward to theopportunities and challenges of workingwith the Association on behalf of Policemembers.”Stop Press - Auckland’s staffing crisis has been acknowledged with the decision tomove 40 in staff from outside districts. While a little and late, it at least means that the concernsthat have been raised continually by the Association are being addressed. It remains a band aidsolution for what is quite possibly a chronic condition which will only be cured by a long termfinancial incentive to police New Zealand’s most expensive city. With the America’s Cup, Aucklandwill be shortly on show to the world’s wealthiest and most influential people and action shouldhave been taken to avoid this crisis much earlier. Real community policing means being in touchwith what is happening in the community! - Greg O’Connor

New Zealand Police Association NewsletterSeptember 2002Safety First......Protecting yourself from personal attackPart One: Personal Security - At HomeBy Association Member, Dave PotakaOver the past few years there has been asteady flow of cases where police officershave come under threat from criminals.These have varied in seriousness fromcontracts being placed on members, at thetop of the scale down to repeated phonethreats from offenders who need to venttheir anger. Police officers are always aneasy target.The application of Project Topaz to thesecases, including the investigation of thethreat, coupled with the securityassessment has identified one commonfeature, which raises itself in relation tosuch investigations. That is the questionof anonymity and how to prevent policeofficers names and addresses beingpublished so that criminals cannot getaccess to them.The obvious ones like the electoral rollsand vehicle car registration can beeffectively made confidential as cantelephone numbers. However, these mattersshould be thought about now as opposedto when a threat is being investigatedbecause by then it is too late. The electoralrolls are public documents and areaccessible to the public. Details fromvehicle registration can easily be obtainedthrough Post Shops and obviously phonenumbers and addresses can be obtainedfrom phone books.However, there is no point in making thedetails confidential in the abovedocuments when other public or semipublicdocuments contain the same dataand are easily accessible. These include:Mailing lists - Many people are tempted toenter into competitions at supermarketsetc where they put their names andaddresses on entry forms and place them ina box or whatever. Those details are thenplaced on mailing lists, which can beaccessed. One of the reasons for holdingsuch competitions is to obtain such detailsso that advertising can be sent directly toyour home.Bank Account Statements - these are agreat source for persons to find out whereyou live. What do you do with your bankstatements? I suggest they be shreddedonce finished with.Sports Clubs - Many sports clubs havetheir own web sites and normally on thosesites they have names and addresses ofcommittee members. Often police officersare elected to these positions and theirdetails appear on these sites.Rates - The rates roll is readily availablefrom local city councils. Some of these areonline.These are a few that briefly come to mindand I’m sure there are others. Some wouldsay that if someone wants to find outwhere you live - they will. That is probablytrue but why make it easy for them?Others would say “let’s not get tooparanoid about it”. These are probablypeople who are not likely to become thevictim of a threat, as they do not havedaily contact with the criminal community.If police officers are moving into workareas where they are likely to haveregular contact with criminals andorganised crime groups, a few simplepractical steps can be taken to maintainyour security to some degree.PERSONAL SECURITYIn the security field the followingprinciples are widely accepted in relationto the protection of property: The owner is primarily responsible forhis/her own property. Security measures must becommensurate with the known threat.These principles have equal application topersonal security. No one can have greaterinterest in protecting the life of a personthan himself/herself and the greater theeffort put into the task the greater will bethe degree of security.The precautions required in individual caseswill depend greatly on the threat, whichhas been assessed by taking into accountsuch things as employment, environment,specific threat and knowledge of anypotential assailants.You are responsible for ensuring you takesensible security precautions at all times,however, impossible to remain on ‘red alert’for 24 hours a day and the solutiontherefore is to gear precautions to thepossibility of attack. This advice is basedupon common sense and can be readilyadapted to meet the individual needs ofthe reader to form the base of his/her ownpersonal security plan.Be Aware:• You are at greater risk of attack in thearea of your home, your place of workand on routine activities when yourmovements can be predicted. Inparticular, you are most vulnerablewhen answering the door or preparingto drive or leave a motor vehicle.The greatest contribution to your personalsecurity can be made by: Your alertness Not setting routine patterns ofactivity Adopting sensible and practicalsecurity drills.SECURITY AT HOMEAnswering the doorAs you are at greater risk when answeringyour door, particularly at night. You shoulddevise a drill for checking who is at thedoor without exposing yourself to danger.• Wide angled lens door viewers anddoor chains provide a means ofchecking the identity of a caller.• Do not stand immediately in front ofthe door, especially one fitted withglass panels, when asking for proof ofidentity.• Do not switch on the hall/lobby lightwhen answering the door.• Never open the door if you aresuspicious of any caller.• Make sure that all doors are madesecure with robust locks and bolts.Windows• Keep all windows locked unless youare occupying a room and then onlyopen enough for ventilation.• Close curtains before turning on lightsat night.• After dark keep all curtains or blindsclosed.• Switch off lights before openingcurtains and blinds.Lighting• Check all doors and windows beforegoing to bed at night and when youleave the house unoccupied for anyperiod. Sufficient lighting duringdarkness outside as well as inside aresidence can provide an element ofdeterrence to potential intruders.• At least one strong ‘courtesy’ lightshould be kept burning in the areas ofthe front and rear doors during thehours of darkness.• If you go out at night, prepare foryour return by turning on your garagelight and any approach and/ordriveway lights installed. Someinternal lights should also be leftburning.Next month we look at other areas ofhome security.123

September 2002New Zealand Police Association NewsletterDuncan Taylor Memorial Trustexceeds expectationsThe generosity of members and the public has exceededall expectations with the total of the trust as we go toprint, now in excess of $140,000.The trustees of the trust will be President of the NZPolice Association, Greg O’Connor, Commissioner ofPolice, Rob Robinson and Family Representative, SimonMoutter. Melanie Taylor will be an advisory Trustee.The purpose of the trust will be to provide for Melanieand Campbell any maintenance, education oradvancement as deemed fitting by the Trustees.“Melanie has asked that I thank all those members whohave so generously donated money or their time incollecting for the trust”, Greg O’Connor said. “She isoverwhelmed by the support shown to Campbell and herby the Police family”.When reflecting on the loss of Duncan Taylor, and otherofficers who have lost their lives doing their duty, Gregsaid, “We are continually looking at ways to ensure weget better at handling these tragic situations. What thiswhole event has shown us, is that the Police Associationand it’s subsidiaries need to continue to support people,like Melanie and Campbell, whose lives have changedforever in such tragedies.”Manager of Public and Industry Affairs, Holden NZ, Aalbertvan Ham hands over a cheque to Police AssociationPresident, Greg O’Connor for the Duncan Taylor MemorialTrust. The Holden dealerships in Christchurch, Wanganui,Lower Hutt, Pukekohe, Manukau, Hastings, Hawera, Nelson,Morrinsville, Otorohanga, Palmerston North, Newmarket,Rotorua, Blenheim and Holden NZ, together donated$5600 to the trust, saying they were grateful for thisopportunity to acknowledge Detective Constable Taylor’slife.New York Police Benevolent Appeal to focus onGround Zero survivorsOn the brink of the world taking a pause to remember thetragedy a year ago that was September 11, it is fitting toupdate members on the disbursement of the New YorkBenevolent Appeal funds, which reached a fantastic$32,907.82.With the number of funds that had already been provided tothe families of those New York police officers who lost theirlives in the collapse ofthe World Trade Centreand in consultationwith the New YorkPolice, the Association,NZ Police and Guildhave decided to usethese funds for thosewho survived thetraumatic disaster.A member of the NewYork and Jersey PortAuthority Police andtheir young family willbe brought out to NZfor a well-deservedholiday.American Charge d’affaires Philip Wall at the launch ofthe Appeal in September 2001.It is anticipated that with prudent use of the funds, theAssociation’s own Holiday Home Network and some generoussponsorship, a number of ‘survivors’ and their families will beable to experience a holiday in NZ, thanks to all who donatedto the Fund.The first family will be flown into Auckland in early October,spending some of their time there with members who arepolicing the America’s Cup races. While they visit theWellington area, the officer has kindly agreed to address thePolice Association conference about the experience of NewYork that day and the effect it has had on policing in NewYork. A report on this will be published in the November 2002,NZPA Police News. Following this, the family will travel southto enjoy the delights of the South Island.124

New Zealand Police Association NewsletterPolice Memorial DayThe annual remembrance service for Police members whohave died in the past year will be held at the Royal NZPolice College in front of the Memorial Wall at 11am onFriday, 27 September, followed by a luncheon.All members and their families are invited to attend.Held as a mark of respect for all those officers both retiredand serving who have passed away in the preceding 12months, the service is held on the same day in all PoliceServices throughout Australia and the South Pacific.September 2002The plaque in memory of Duncan Taylor was unveiled by Melanie and Campbell Taylor in a specialservice on Monday 26 August. Members of the Fielding CIB were among those who spoke. Duncan’sboss, Detective Sergeant Kevin Anstis said July 5th was the worst day of their lives and that hefelt priviledged having Duncan as a friend. Detective Jeanette Park, leg now healed somewhat,stood and spoke fondly about Duncan’s poor work ethic, she said “he simply did too much!” Shesaid she wished Duncan knew how proud she was of him that day.Two Certainties in Life- make sure you update your willAs most members are aware, there are only twocertainties in life, death and taxes.Many members do their utmost, albeit legally, to avoidtaxes. Unfortunately, even with the latest developmentsin medical technology, they cannot avoid death - ithappens to us all. One of the most important thingsmembers can do when planning for this certainty is tohave an up-to-date will, which will ensure that theircurrent wishes are met, should they die unexpectedly.“Many of our members’ estates which I deal with areeither not covered by a will or a will that is out of datewith the member’s present circumstances.” says PeteHayes, Manager Welfare Services.There has been a promotion in the last few weeks toencourage members of the public to either create orupdate their current will. All members are encouragedto check that their own affairs are in order. Althoughwill kits may be adequate for the most basic situations,professional advice is the best thing members couldinvest in, particularly if they have extended familycircumstances.Members who have Group (sworn or non-sworn) andSupplementary Life Insurance should also update theirRevocable Nomination Form whenever personalsituations change, as this form tells Police Welfare FundInsurances, who should benefit from your life insurancecover. For a new Revocable Nomination Form print onefrom our website: www.policeassn.org.nz or contact theCustomer Services Centre 0800 500 122.Reminder for all members with SwornGroup Life, Non-sworn Group Life andSupplementary Life insurance.All members with Sworn Group Life, Non-sworn Group Lifeand Supplementary Life insurance have been written toand asked to fill in a new Revocable Nomination form.This new nomination form advises Police Welfare FundInsurances, who the benefactors of your life cover are.The form will replace and update any existing form, soit is imperative that all members return it as soon aspossible. If you need another form call 0800 500 122.BEST DEAL SOUGHTFOR MEMBERS TRAVELINSURANCEBy Welfare Fund Manager, Pete HayesOne of our most popular products, Travelpac has been providedto Police Welfare Fund members for many years and for the past5 years has been underwritten by NZI.Large premium increase prompted Welfare Fund to searchthe market for best productFollowing notification by NZI, of a substantial increase inpremiums, Police Welfare Fund Insurances Limited went to themarket again to ensure we have the best product for ourmembers.As a result of this, we are in final negotiations with anotherprovider and the new policy will be in place by 1st September2002. There is likely to be some small enhancements to thecover and a small increase in premiums, however not as large asthe current provider (NZI) has proposed. Considering there hasnot been an increase in premiums for our Travel Insurance forsome 3-4 years and in light of recent overseas events, we canaccept that a small increase is reasonable.What does this mean for members currently holding orwanting Travelpac Insurance?As at 1 September 2002:New Applications - Any new applications for Travelpac receivedafter 1 September 2002, will not beaccepted by NZI. Members will be requiredto complete an application with the newprovider.Existing policies - This change will not affect any existingpolicies accepted before 1 September. Themembers’ cover will be unaffected even ifthey have not yet commenced their travelor are overseas at the time of changeover.Policy Extensions - Those members who wish to extend theircurrent policy for a further term after 1September 2002, will be required tocomplete an application with the newprovider before their current expiry date.New brochures and rates will be available shortly, contact theCustomer Service Centre on 0800 500 122 or our website:www.policeassn.org.nz for details.125

September 2002126New Zealand Police Association NewsletterPolice Council of SportSPORTS NEWSTo contact the Police Council of Sport, call Linda Duncan at the RNZPC. Ph: (04) 238 31398-a-side cricket tournament Hawke’s BayThe second Police eight-a-side cricket tournament is scheduled for 27/28 November2002 at Cornwall Park, Hastings.Tournament Organiser, Dave Garnett from Flaxmere, spurred on from the response fromthe inaugural event held last year, is confident of an excellent field this year.The format of the tournament is one seven over innings with six games to be playedover the two days. With handicaps applied to even the sides out prior to thecommencement of each game, a competitive competition is expected.All members of the Police and their partners are eligible with all equipment provided bythe event organisers.Inclement weather will not deter the tournament from going ahead as the event willsimply be transferred to the Napier Indoor Sports Centre.With an entry fee of only $100 per team to cover costs such as grounds rental, cricketballs and other equipment, the scene is set for a fabulous midweek extravaganza ofcricket in Hawke’s Bay.Entry details available from Dave Garnett, Flaxmere Police Station ph (06) 879 9799.Stewart Island TriathlonThe 2003 NZ Police Triathlon will be held in Stewart Island on 8 March 2003.This is a great opportunity for people to see a part of the country many wouldn’tnormally travel to and thanks to airline competition, very affordable flights toInvercargill are now available (especially for those that book early).The distances for the event 750 metre swim; a 20km cycle; and 5km run.Individuals or relay teams of three can enter and the event caters for all levels ofability and ambition.Further information is available from Mike Oxnam, Porirua Station extn 45022, KirstyHurnen, Porirua Station extn 45030 or from the event organiser, Rob Fox O/C StewartIsland (03) 219 1020.2002 NZ Police Cross CountryMountain Bike ChampsThe 2002 NZ Police Cross Country MountainBike Champs, sponsored by theNZ Police Council of Sport, will be held againin Whakarewarewa Forest,Rotorua, on Friday 25 October 2002.The race venue will be based on Radio Hut Rd.accessible from the parking area at theRedwood Grove, Longmile Rd - off TaraweraRd, Rotorua. The 2002 course is different fromprevious years. It is a 5.9Km lap and is 98%singletrack.The Defence Forces, have also been invited toparticipate, but championship trophies willonly be awarded to financial members of theNZ Police Council of Sport.There is a non-championship short course forrecreational riders and family and friends areJarod Walsh winding through lastyear’s Cross-Country Mountainbike forest trail.welcome to participate.Entry Forms are available by email to DavidDonaldson on Lotus Notes or from theTelephonist, Rotorua, Fax 07 3431604. Phone(07)3499400, (extn 75780)2002 NZ PoliceNational DBRugby 7’sand NetballTournamentEntry forms for this event can beobtained from Paul Claridge on 65842 orPeter Broughton on 64600.NationalSelector atNovemberSouth IslandPolice TouchTournamentA national selector will be at the SouthIsland Police Touch Tournament thisyear with a view to selecting playersfor the various national Police touchteams.The South Island tournament,previously known as the New BrightonPolice Touch Tournament, is being heldon Sunday 24 November 2002, at theMandeville Sports Centre, Ohoka, NorthCanterbury.If any members wish to be eligible forNational selection they will need toregister their intention with theorganisers early. There will also be adivision for teams with non-policemembers for those teams strugglingwith numbers.Entry fee is $100 per team and entriesclose 31 October 2002.This promises to be a great family dayout, with loads of free entertainmentfor the kids.For further details please email orphone Tony Maw at the Rangiora PoliceStation on (03) 313 6167, Policenetwork 35760 oranthony.maw@police.govt.nz.Visit the policeassn.org.nz website for updated contact details for thePolice Council of Sport management committee, District Sports Officers and the latest schedule of events.

New Zealand Police Association NewsletterSeptember 20022003 HOLIDAY HOME EASTER BALLOTEntries are now being taken for the 2003 Easter Ballot, which will take place on the followingdates:Friday 18 April - Sunday 20 April (inclusive)Entry is restricted to serving Sworn & Non-sworn members of Police and forms are availablethrough our website www.policeassn.org.nz or by contacting the Customer Service Centre on0800 500 122 or Police Network 44446.Close-off date for entries is 29 November 2002 and successful applicants will be notified bymid-December.HOLIDAY HOME AVAILABILITYSeptember October NovemberPaihia 1, 9-13, 26-27 7, 9-10, 13-17, 20-24 3-6, 20-21, 23, 26-28Stanmore Bay 1-20, 22, 25, 28 6-15, 20-25, 28-31 1-14, 17-30Whangamata 1-5, 8-12, 16-19, 22-24, 29 8-10, 13-17, 21-25, 29-31 3-30Mt Maunganui 1-5, 8, 11, 16-17, 19 9-10, 13-17, 19-24, 29-31 4-7, 10-14, 17-26Ohope 1-5, 7-9, 12, 16-22, 27 6-17, 20-24, 28-31 1, 3-14, 18-21, 23-30Rotorua 1-4, 9-10, 12-13, 15-20, 27 6-10, 13-17, 20-23, 28-31 3-7, 10-14, 18-21,24-30Taupo 4-5, 9-10, 15, 20 7-8, 10, 13-17, 21-23, 28, 30-31 3-7, 12-16, 18-21, 24-27Turangi 18 13-16, 20-26, 28-31 1-28Napier 1-5, 9-12, 15-19 6-8, 20, 29-31 3-7, 10-13, 17-21, 26-28Paraparaumu 1-5, 8-12, 15-19, 24 15-17, 29-31 1, 3-14, 17-20, 25-28Wellington No Dates Available 31 10-14Nelson 1-2, 8 6-10, 20-23, 27-31 1-8, 10-13, 20-21, 26-28Hanmer Springs 3-4, 8, 18-19, 23-24, 27-31 14-17, 20-22, 30-31 5, 7, 10, 17-22Christchurch 3-5, 16 7-9, 14-16 3, 5, 17, 19-21, 26-27Tekapo 19 7-10, 13, 20-22, 28 7, 11-13, 20-21, 26, 28-29Wanaka 13, 25, 29 5-16, 22, 24, 30-31 4, 11-21, 23-30Cromwell 15-19 7-13, 17, 20-23, 25 2-6, 11-12, 14-17, 19-21, 25-30Queenstown No Dates Available 3-7, 24, 28-29, 31 7, 16Te Anau 1-16, 23-25, 30 1-2, 6-17, 21-23, 27-31 1-7, 9-15, 18-20, 25-30Managing your financial lifeAs a nation,New Zealand hasone of the worstsavings records inthe world. Ouraccumulated wealth istypically spent on living expenses,housing improvements, recreation andconsumables in the form of bigger andbetter lifestyle assets. The 2000/01Household Economic Survey results fromStatistics New Zealand showed that since1997/98 average household spending hasrisen 2.5 percent to $758 per week.Housing continued to be the mostsignificant item of household expenditure,accounting for 24 cents in every dollarspent in 2000/01.Throughout your life your financialsituation will be determined by thebalance of what you earn (income), whatyou spend (expenditure) and what yousave. Over a lifetime most of us willspend a significant period of time in debt,often at great cost, to achieve majorgoals such as a tertiary education, homeownership and a comfortable retirement.By putting in place a savings plan youcan smooth out your financial life, avoid(or at least minimise) debt and ensureyour money is working as hard as possiblefor you.The first step is to set some financialgoals - the costs of what you want toachieve and when you want to achievethem. You may have some real assets onyour side - your ability to earn incomeover your working life, and the power ofcompounding returns over time. Whenyou harness these assets and get into thehabit of putting a portion of your incomeaside on a regular basis you will besurprised how easy it is to achieve yourgoals, whatever they may be.And, thanks to the power of compoundingreturns, it really does pay to start savingas early as possible. For example, if youwanted to build a nest egg of $100,000over twenty years you would need to save$272 per month, invested at 4% perannum (after tax and inflation). Thismeans, after 20 years you would havecontributed only $65,464 or only 65% ofyour goal, the compounding of yourinvestment return does the rest for you.However, if you only had 10 years toachieve your savings target, you wouldneed to save $679 per month. This meansyou would contribute $81,511 or 81% ofyour goal. As there is less time for yourreturns to compound you have tocontribute more.As you can see saving can be easy andrewarding, particularly if you can startearly. Also, by seeking the services of aprofessional financial adviser it can beeasier still. Your adviser can help ensureyour savings plan is effective by workingwith you to set realistic financial goals,helping you budget to allow for savingand offering expert advice on the bestplace to invest to meet your goals.Long term investing and sensible financialplanning, utilising a diversified portfolioto achieve your goals, has workedoutstandingly well for over half a centuryand allowed many individuals to retirewhen and how they choose to.To talk to a financial advisor contact PoliceFinancial Planning on 0800 662 328127

September 2002New Zealand Police Association NewsletterThis column is written by a frontline police officer. It does notrepresent the views or policies of the Police Association.View From The BottomBACK TO BASICSWell, the days are getting longer andthe stock aren’t huddling so closetogether, which is clear sign thatsummer is on its way down here inthe deep South.The yearly kafuffle over PA’s is almostover and the AB’s have the Tri Nationstrophy - so a new financial yearstarts.A new coalition government is inpower and I wonder what this meansfor Police? I hope you all had your sayas I certainly did! Mr Dunne and hiscrew say they will be taking a sensibleapproach to all issues so I hope thisincludes law and order, which wastopical throughout this election.Maybe he will help address theAuckland staffing crisis, which is insome desperate need of politicalsupport to get things happeningbefore they get worse.New Sentencing Law -what does it say tovictims?I’m still very nervous about this newsentencing act bought in by the lastgovernment that has the potential torelease rapists, robber’s etc afterserving a third of their sentence. Imean do we really want these peopleout on the streets after such a shorttime? What does this say to the manyvictims we deal with day to day? Whatvalue does it place on their privacyand their right not to be subjected tothese crimes?B Y CONSTABLE IAM KEENI saw an articlerecently fromsome touringCanadian expert onsentencing and itsoverall effect. He was pushing thebarrow that longer sentences was notthe way to go and we should beaddressing the root cause of theproblems and concentrating onrehabilitation. He said harshersentencing doesn’t work. No rightmindedperson would argue with theapproach of identifying the cause andtrying rehabilitation but it alwaysamazes me how people like this ignoresome of the other obvious advantages.The one thing longer sentencing doesdo, is protect the public. Forgive mefor thinking this but that’s what Ithought our community wanted. Someof our ‘very bad offenders’ need to goaway for substantial periods of time toensure they do not continue theirrapes, robberies, assaults, burglariesand yes even those dangerous drivingoffences!Certainly seems the Hutt Valley teamin blue has had its work cut out latelywith the amount of high profile crimesurrounding the kidnapping cases.Excellent work team, maybe yourinvestigative skills should be utilisedfor standard reference and backgroundchecks.Duncan TaylorTragedy time toreflectTimes of pain and sorrow always seemsto bring reflection and draw a familytogether, and the tragedy surrounding‘Dunk’ and ‘Jeanette’ did just that. Afew from our station made their wayNorth for Dunk’s final farewell andupon their return they spoke of theemotion. This was clear from the mediacoverage and I don’t think there wouldbe a person in the Police family whowouldn’t have been touched by it all.Though it was a tragedy wecelebrated ‘Dunks’ life and itreiterated that policing is not aboutthe uniform but about the peopleinside it.Lest we forget.Have you movedrecently?If you have or perhaps you’reabout to, please let us know sowe can update your records. Youcan do this by:• writing to us at PO Box 12-344;• calling on freephone0800 500 122;• faxing us on (04) 496 6819;or emailing us at:membership@policeassn.org.nz.You need to let us know yourmembership number, new addressand sworn staff, your newstation.It’s a Bob’s Life ......... By Rohan Stace128

New Zealand Police Association NewsletterSeptember 2002Keen on WineOver the last year or so I’venoticed that I have been tryingEuropean wines on a more regularbasis. I’ve found them to be anenjoyable change from the wealth of NewZealand and Australian wines that have dominated mywine collection in the past. I’ve previously writtenabout the good buys that are now available fromSpain, but this month I want to give you an insightinto wines originating from the Southern Rhone regionof France.By Ricky CollinsThe Southern Rhone is renowned worldwide forproducing warm, spicy, full-flavoured blended reds.The dominant grape variety in wines from Southern has very earthy, forest floor characteristics, withRhone is usually Grenache, but this is often blendedVista from smoky above bacon, home. cherry and black pepper flavours. Thiswith one or more varieties including Syrah andMourvedre. There are an increasing number ofSouthern Rhone wines available in New Zealand. Theprices can vary significantly, as can the quality of thewine. However, there are some exciting wines outthere if you are prepared to experiment and accept theodd failure. At a recent tasting I tried six newlyreleased wines. Of the six wines tried, two werestandouts to me, and both represent great value formoney.2000 Domaine de L’Ameillaud Cotes du RhoneRRP $15Of the six wines, this was my favourite, and it was thecheapest. This is a blend dominated by Grenache, butwith a helping of Syrah and a touch of Mourvedre.This wine has seen no oak treatment, having beenfermented in stainless steel, then aged in largeconcrete tanks for six months. The result is a complexwine with ripe fruit flavours, spicyness, good lengthand drying tannins. The best way I can describe thiswine is that it has good structure. Grenache, if nothandled well can result in a wine that is flabby, butthis isn’t one of those. A wine that will complimentfood, but equally good on its own. Don’t bothercellaring it though, it’s very appealing now.1999 Santa Duc Selection Cairanne ‘Les Buissens’Cotes du Rhone Villages RRP $20This is quite a different wine to the L’Ameillaud. Itis a fairly big wine, with softened tannins, a texturalmouthfeel to it, and a toasty oak finish. Being quitea dominant wine, it will overpower mild food dishes,so serve it with strongly flavoured food such as game.A very enjoyable wine, that should be drunk withinthe next two years.There is a wide range of Cotes du Rhone winesavailable in New Zealand, but specialist wine storesare your best bet. These two wines are availablethrough Wine Direct, a company based in Newmarket,Auckland. Wine Direct are specialist importers ofEuropean wines, and have a great selection at pricesthat are not over the top. Check their website out atwww.winedirect.co.nz. Their delivery prices are verycompetitive and they specialise in mixed dozens.Copper’s Crossword By Constable CunningAcross1. This gun in a cage makes goodrabbit food (7)5. Hardened sort of company (4)8. Failed to Appear (3-10)9. Happens after a Post-Mortem (9)10. South African golfer (3)11. Small bits? (6)13. Able to be employed (6)16. Make of Computer (1,1,1)18. Stimulants? (4,5)20. American Cars? (4,5)21. Reverse dial so as to haveInformation Sworn (4)22. DLVIII jumbled up to bring joy (7)Down1. Despicable (12)2. Arrestable (slang) (7)3. Dismay (5)4. Facial Cover? (6)5. Rummages (7)6. Different type of angercreating scope (5)7. Evaluate a scene again (12)12. Wired safely (7)14. Wage structuring (7)15. Forbid (6)17. Italian Mob (5)19. Ocean phases (5)1 2 3 4 4 5 6 7789 1011 12 13 141516 17 18 192019 2018 21 22Across1. Conceal7. Examine8. Numing9. Aorta12. Impacts13. Loss14. Tramp15. Ozone16. Art17. Impound18. Gassy21. Nailing22. Amnesia23. LiningsDown1. Convicting2. Name Plates3. Episcopacy4. Legislational5. Ammo6. Knot9. Aorta10. Resolution11. Appendages14. Aims20. Seed129

:)September 2002New Zealand Police Association Newsletter130Letters to the Editor “Write It Here! Letters to the Editor are welcome.Signed letters are preferred, but in all cases the writer’s name and address must be supplied. Names will bepublished unless there is a good reason for anonymity. All letters are edited”.Where was the PoliceHierarchy?In relation to TV3’s recent 20/20program involving Detective TrevorFranklin, Commissioner Robinson refusedto make any substantive comment as heclaimed all investigations in relation tothe matter were not yet complete. Thisdid not seem to prevent Auckland CityDistrict Commander SuperintendentBroad and senior CIB staff from goingaround and apologising to the three“victims” in front of the press and TVcameras for the Police involvement inthis matter - all done a long time beforeall enquiries had been completed toestablish who was to blame in thismatter.On the subject of blame, why is it thatDetective Franklin has been completelyleft out on his own to be picked apart bythe media vultures without any supportfrom the Police hierarchy? This is abloody disgrace.This would appear to be an obvious caseof Police bosses distancing themselvesfrom something unpleasant andsubsequently Detective Franklin hasfound himself hung out to dry.Isn’t it funny that when “the workers”achieve a good result there’s not a sparespace at the press conference table forall the bosses that suddenly come out ofthe woodwork to bathe in the afterglowof success!Tony CowleyAUCKLANDThe “BIG A” factorEveryone that works in Auckland wouldappear to be moaning about work loadsand expenses etc. They all claim theycan’t wait to leave.If that was the case then the vacanciesthat come up in the Ten-One would beinundated with applicants.They are not.Why not come and work in Opunake???It is a three-cop station. It has sun, surfand good support from surroundingstations. It offers band “H” and rent isdirt-cheap when compared to Auckland.The lake and the beach are 5 minutesfrom the station, (walking). Themountain and skiing 45 minutes(driving). It is also good for the old CVand the all round policing experience isgreat. The locals love the Police.The cafes here, all two of them, arecomparable with the best cafes Aucklandcould offer.The air is clean and the grass is alwaysgreen. There is a great view of theMountain (Egmont/Taranaki).It takes the boss 45 seconds to walk towork. There are no traffic jams, exceptfor when the cows are being taken acrossthe road for milking.The Hawera Police Station is also lookingfor staff. (A bit bigger than Opunakeand closer to supermarkets). Give us acall and come to the humble metropolisof Opunake!!T McIntyre (Ex-Aucklander)and the boss (Sgt Hannah)OPUNAKEP.S. Last one out of Auckland please turnoffthe lights and lock the front door.Bit of courtesy in themiddle of the nightI recently received a telephone call froma member of the police trying to contactmy husband for an after hours callout. Ihave had many similar calls over theyears.The calls that annoy me generally go likethis “Brian There?”I do not need to know much. Just thatyou are friendly - especially in themiddle of the night when he is out.You will find me a lot more helpful.Gail BennDUNEDINThe Transfer GSF toPSS optionThe other day I cast my mind back to theearly 90’s, you remember them - TomCruise starred in Top Gun, Auckland hadthe best rugby team in the world and thePolice Association advised ALL membersto remain in the GSF Super Scheme.While I admit the Super Scheme is a verygood investment option (which outstripsits PSS replacement in terms of monetaryreturn) it has some fundamentalproblems that can limit members if theyleave the Police by way of PERF. Howexactly do you go about getting a secondcareer when you have a “psychologicaldisorder”, or try and convince a futureemployer to take you on over someonethat is ‘healthy”? Look at it from theirperspective, would you want to employsomeone in our current OSH environmentthat has medical issues? Not to mentionthe possibility of them having to payhigher ACC levies because you havedisclosed a “dodgy back” or a “gammyknee”.It seems a little unfair that GSF membershave to disclose a condition in order toPERF (receiving the full entitlementalong with the handicapped parkingpermit). Whereas PSS members cansimply resign, take ALL of their cash, andfreely pursue other life opportunities. Allthe while retaining the flexibility toreturn to the Police if they desire. Withthe recruitment crisis we areexperiencing, I would have thought wewould want as many “old hands” eligibleand available to us as possible. Whowould you rather work with, anexperienced “retread” or a 17-year-oldcadet?I say give us the option NOW, you haveprocrastinated long enough. Let usinvestigate what is best for us on anindividual basis. Circumstances havechanged over time for all of us, just lookat the Auckland rugby team.Craig LornsAUCKLAND CITYShould a Men’sConsultative bestarted?I have two points of reference that Iwould like to comment on.The first, I read with interest the piecein the August 2002 Newsletter entitled‘Australasian Council of Women andPolicing Excellence in Policing Awards’.It strikes me that all organisations, notonly the Police, have gone to great endsto incorporate the needs andrequirements of not only women but alsothe vast range of ethnic and sexuallyoriented minority groups. This is in orderto show a greater mix of peoples,consistent with that of our country’spopulation.I am very aware of the department’srequirement upon me to be sensitive tothe needs, aspirations and beliefs ofothers. I am also aware of need for us allto be inclusive of others inside thePolice.The National Womens’ Consultative andthe Australasian Council of Women areclearly exclusive clubs geared wholelyand solely towards the needs of women.It appears to me, (this is my personalview), that men have now beenostracised within this Police

New Zealand Police Association NewsletterSeptember 2002organisation. How do such womensgroups cater for the needs, aspirationsand beliefs of all other groups?The department is obviously happy tosupport such a system. Has this‘correctness’ further led to males beingoverlooked for vacancies in order toservice a quota system?The second, today I see that OoC isestablishing OMPES in order to buildrelationships with Maori, Pacific Islandetc. groups.I believe that we must fosterrelationships with other groups,however, what is a group based inWellington going to do for me and myrelationships with local iwi? I wouldventure to say that their effect, apartfrom forming more policy, would beminimal to say the least.In closing I ask:Surely we must establish a ‘Mens’Consultative’ in order to have a voiceand surely we must be encouraged tofoster relationships at a local level?How does the OoC plan to do this?Finally, have we lost the plot!!! We arehere to protect and preserve. Who isgoing to set up the group to do this? Iwould invite any feedback in relation tothese topics.Jason ClarkeHELENSVILLEAssociation andWelfare Fund AGMand AnnualConferenceNew Zealand Police AssociationAnnual ConferenceJames Cook Grand ChancellorOctober 9-11Welfar Fund AGM1.30pm Wednesday, October 9Credit Union AGM11.30am Wednesday, October 9Draft agendas for all meetings willbe forewarded to DistrictCommittees by the week ending20 September.Nominations forVice-PresidentPositionIn accordance with Association rules,one of the Vice-President positions isopen for election this year.Nominations for a position ofAssociation Vice-President must bereceived by National Office,PO Box 12344, Wellington, by 5pm24 September 2002.AUCKLAND INITIATIVESIMPLY A STOP-GAPSo an initiative to fund out-of-districtpolice to alleviate the Auckland staffingcrisis has been approved. And moneyhas been set aside for this purpose. Thisis a kick in the teeth for those of usburdened with an excessive work loadday in day out. Yeah the talk of anAuckland allowance is a controversialone and may (not) be the answer. Butsurely a million would be better spenton solutions that might go some way insolving the real issue - staff retention.The commissioner states that staffingwill be fully stocked in 2003/4 - watchthis space. It’s all very well to besuccessfully attracting new recruits buthow about the 11.7 experienced staffleaving this district every month.Anyone taking up the offer would bewelcome so that a dent might be madein the outstanding unassigned seriouscrime files, (and they would be mad notto for 80 odd bucks a day over 5weeks). But beware - word is theyshould bring their ticket books - thedistrict is so far behind in SAP hours,traffic is the priority. The whole ideathrows up numerous issues, knowledgeof the area, resources, what aboutfollow on costs - i.e. returning to thearea for prosecution etc. And I hearmumblings from communities losingtheir Police for Auckland - fair enough.Auckland’s not the only busy or shortstaffedregion in the country - an issuethat will continue for them into nextyear with out of district staff beingprovided for America’s Cup.At best this is an ill thought-out, stopgap measure - its about time staff wererecognised who have put up with thissituation for too long now.Darryl PetherickAUCKLANDMemorialWallOur sympathies to all our members’ families for thosewho have passed away in recent months...We remember... Who passed away...New AssociationDirector for Region SixNewly elected, Association Director for Region6, Peter Burt has worked for the Associationfor 15 of the 19 years he as been in Police.Peter has worked in Invercargill, Christchurchand Timaru and been the Chairperson inTimaru for 5 years taking on a dual role asconference delegate 3 years ago.A Detective Sergeant and O/C at Timaru CIB,Peter has been in the CIB since 1991 with asmall excursion back to uniform in 1995 forpromotion to UB Sergeant and back into theCIB in 1996.Peter believes that anyone who is not happywith any part of their working environment orconditions needs to make a positivecontribution to the Police Association toeffect change for their and for theircolleagues benefit.Having always promoted and endorsed thePolice Associations role and its services, Petersays that the Association has developedtremendously in the last 5 years. He believesthe New Zealand Police Association sets avery high benchmark of service and is theleading example of the most effective ServiceOrganisation in New Zealand. Peter says, “TheLegal and Industrial environment is very fluidthese days and we, ‘the Association’ must bealive to the changes that we can pursue toenhance our members conditions and workingenvironment.”“I am looking forward to working closely withthe Board, the Executive and Association Staffas well as the Committees and Policemembers in Region 6. I want to make apositive contribution at every level and lookforward to the future with anticipation.”TOMLIN, Geoffrey (Geoff) Roger 21 July 2002RetiredMcKAY, Brian Maurice 04 August 2002 RetiredPHILIP , William Mason (Jock) 04 August 2002 RetiredSHEPPERD, Thelma Dorothy 06 August 2002 Retired SpousePlease advise us by writing to the Editor, NZPA News,PO Box 12344, Wellington, or emailing: editor@policeassn.org.nz,if there are any other members who have passed away.131

STAFFPAC INSURANCESeptember 2002New Zealand Police Association NewsletterProtection for your possessionsWhen it comes to insuring your possessions, Staffpac provides theprotection that’s right for you - whether you need completereplacement coverage, or just the bare essentials.Motor VehicleHomeContentsPleasurecraftThree Levels of cover to suit your needsYou choose the perils that you want to beprotected against, and tailor yourinsurance coverage accordinglyCover for Accidental Damage or Restricted CostsLets you take to the water without worry.Protects you against loss or damage resultingfrom an accident132For more information, contact thePolice Welfare Fund Customer Service Centreon 0800 500 122