Police News June 07.indd - New Zealand Police Association

The Voice of PoliceVOLUME 40 • NUMBER 5 • JUNE 2007PFWAC Conference hostedby Police Association■ TWO AWARDS FOR BRAVE POLICE OFFICER■ GANGS – WHY WE NEED A ROYAL COMMISSION■ MORE POLICEWOMEN NEEDED

PoliceNewsThe Voice of Police101AWARDS FOR BRAVE ACTIONS102ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS105PFWAC IN ACTION• Front page: Girl power: Australian women delegates(pictured at top) and their NZ Police Associationcounterparts (at bottom) met in Wellington recently todiscuss a wide range of issues affecting women in Police.It was also a valuable opportunity for the delegates tonot only compare notes but to receive some valuableinsights from speakers such as Dame Margaret Bazley,Lianne Dalziel, and Laila Harre, among others.NZ Police Association Police News is the magazine of theNew Zealand Police Association and incorporates the NewZealand Police Journal fi rst published in 1937.Editor: Steve PlowmanMay 2007, Vol. 40, No.5ISSN 1175-9445Deadline for next issue Friday, June 15, 2007.Published by the New Zealand Police AssociationP.O. Box 12344, Willbank House, 57 Willis Street, Wellington.Phone: (04) 496 6800, Facsmile: (04) 471 1309Email: editor@policeassn.org.nzWebsite: www.policeassn.org.nzPrinted by City Print Communications, Wgtn.Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of theAssociation.COPYRIGHT: NZPA Police News must not be reproduced inpart or as a whole without the formal consent of the copyrightholder - the New Zealand Police Association.ContentsFrom the President 99Association applauds clarity around repeal of Section 59 99No need to wear a tie when you don your body armour 99Bob Evans awarded prestigious Bill Murray Award 100Alastair Dickie’s bravery fittingly rewarded 101The Cinderella solution 101Association calls for Commission of Inquiry into gangs/organised crime 102The question of what to do about gangs 103Health Plan premiums to be held at current levels 104Insurance premium annual reviews 104Reunion for Cyprus veterans 104Travelpac giveaway 104Association hosts PFWAC Conference 105/110Memorial Wall 110Holiday home availability chart 111The Budget for Vote Police 111Police Act submissions – your chance to shape the face ofNZ policing 112/113Copper’s crossword 113Sports News 114Keen on wine 115View from the bottom 115Spicers – making the most of your hard work 116Letters to the Editor 117/119Association stalwart earnsBill Murray Award – page 10098June 2007

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceBob Evans awarded prestigious Bill MurrayAward for services to Association membersBob Evans recently received the PoliceAssociation’s Bill Murray Award for hisoutstanding service on behalf of membersover 24 years.Bill Murray was the first President of theNZ Police Association and worked tirelesslyto establish a police union and on behalfof members in the mid-1930’s when therewas vehement opposition in Police andGovernment circles to police officers havingany type of representation.NZ Police Association President, GregO’Connor presented Mr Evans with the awardat a special ceremony in Wanganui recently.Bob first became a committee member in1983 when based in Wanganui. He hasremained an active committee membersince, throughout many transfers around thecountry. He was also a founding secretary ofthe Tokoroa branch.Bob continued to be an active committeemember on his return to Wanganui,supporting staff through issues and disputes,giving valuable advice, and assisting withdocumentation. He has held the rolesof Welfare Officer and Association Vice-President, and in 2003 and again in 2004was elected Chairperson of the WanganuiBranch.In demandHe stood down from the Chair’s positionin 2005 when he took a year’s leave totravel to the USA. While he was away,Bob’s vast experience and wide knowledgeof procedures, policies and GeneralInstructions, where to find manualinformation on the intranet, and his generaloverall concern for staff welfare was sorelymissed. He was quickly in demand againwhen he returned from his trip Stateside.Bob was asked to stand for the newlycreated role of Deputy Regional Director forCentral. He was duly elected, and he filledin for former Director, Chris Cahill at Boardmeetings when requested.One of Bob’s last major achievements beganin mid-2006 when he picked up and ranwith health and safety issues that had beenraised with management by WanganuiCourt Orderly staff in August 2005. Theissue related to the poor state of the cellsin the Wanganui District Court. Bobco-ordinated meetings between WanganuiPolice management, Wanganui DistrictCourt management, and the industrialteam at NZPA National Office, to the stagewhere minor alterations were undertakenimmediately to minimise some of the risks.Serious concernsMore serious concerns resulted in buildingalterations being drafted, and forwarded tothe Manager of Buildings for the Courts inWellington.One of the major benefits from Bob’sintervention and the hard work done by theWanganui committee in this project wasthe raising of identified safety issues withthe new Wanganui prison truck. This led tothe realisation that all the new prison trucksnationwide had similar design faults andthese were addressed before any mishapsoccurred that may have resulted in adversepublicity for Police.Bob’s replacement is yet to be found buthis legacy continues through the hard workbeing done by the Wanganui CommitteeBob recently resigned from Police andhe leaves some big shoes to fill. Staff inWanganui have been extremely appreciativeof Bob’s concern for staff welfare, hispractical advice and his wealth of knowledgeand experience in getting matters resolvedat a personal and station level.Monumental jobGreg O’Connor said that Bob Evans wasthe “epitome of what a good Associationcommittee member is” – going in to bat forhis members, taking a personal interest inthe welfare of staff and liasing with NationalOffice to bring about workable resolutionsfor the benefit of members. “Wanganui, inparticular and the Association generally,owe Bob Evans an enormous debt in termsof the monumental job he has done onbehalf of members and Bob is indeed avery fitting and worthy recipient of the BillMurray award,” Mr O’Connor said.• (From left to right): John Dale (Chairperson, Wanganui committee), Bob Evans (Bill Murray award winner), Gail Cato (Secretary, Wanganuicommittee), Greg O’Connor (NZ Police Association President) and Luke Shadbolt (Region 4 Director).100June 2007

New Zealand Police AssociationOutstanding act of bravery earns two awardsInspector Alastair Dickie is obviously aquick thinker – even when he’s half asleep.His quick reflexes saved the life of 10-yearoldJordan Paku when the then DunedinSenior Sergeant was staying at a motel inChristchurch in May last year.Inspector Dickie, who has been a policeofficer for 29 years, and is a former Balcluthafirefighter, was woken to the shouts of “Fire”and ran to the aid of Jordan who was trappedand barely conscious in a downstairs unit atthe Meadow Park Holiday Park.Inspector Dickie rushed into the unit anddragged Jordan to safety.Two honoursThe Dunedin-based Inspector, who iscoincidentally the Emergency ResponseCommander, was recently recognised forhis bravery when he received the RoyalHumane Society’s Silver Award and theCharles Upham Award for Bravery from theGovernor-General, Anan Satyanand.Jordan, who now lives with his family inQueensland, returned home to see hisrescuer receive the awards.PraiseThe Governor-General praised theincredible bravery of Inspector Dickie,saying that the rescue would “strike a chordwith any parent”.Inspector Dickie told The Otago Daily Timesthat he was humbled and “a bit embarrassed”by the awards and that he had merely “actedon instinct”.• Governor-General, Anan Satyanand, presents Inspector Alastair Dickie with the CharlesUpham Award for Bravery.- Photo courtesy of the Otago Daily Times..The Charles Upham Award is awardedannually for someone who undertakes anact of bravery during peacetime, while TheRoyal Humane Society Award is one of thecountry’s highest and is given to recognise“outstanding acts of bravery.”June 2007101

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceAssociation calls for Commission ofInquiry into gangs and organised crimeBy Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsThe Police Association has renewed its call for a Commission of Inquiryinto gangs and organised crime.Association President, Greg O’Connor, suggested a Commission ofInquiry would be a first step in dealing to a growing gang problemin the wake of the fatal shooting of a the two-year-old daughter of apatched Black Power member in Wanganui. The fatal shooting occurredas a result of a drive-by shooting. Several shots were fired into a houseoccupied by Black Power members. It is alleged that rival Mongrel Mobmembers were responsible for the shooting.Tip of the ‘ice’-berg“We began saying that an inquiry was needed as far back as 2003 andit would be inevitable that innocent people would be killed and thisis exactly what has happened,” Mr O’Connor said. “The sort of gangviolence that is boiling over in towns and cities around New Zealandis merely the tip of the ‘ice’-berg. Underlying these turf wars, are themillions of dollars at stake in controlling the ‘P’ market.”“Every year that goes by and the authorities fail to understand theextent of the sphere of intimidation of the burgeoning organised crimeindustry, then the amount of time and investment needed to root themout in the future just increases, if indeed that will be possible,” he said.“Millions of dollars have been spent on an inquiry into Police behaviour,now it is time to start concentrating on the behaviour of our organisedcriminals,” Mr O’Connor said.Threat to NZ’s security“Until we understand the extent of the problem, we will not be able toproperly focus our efforts on exterminating this threat to New Zealand’ssecurity.”New Zealand First MP, Ron Mark, has led the chorus of public andpolitical concern in the wake of the killing of the young girl. Mr Marksaid that gangs were a blight on society and as organised criminalenterprises needed to be dealt with in the same way that many countriesdealt with terrorist organisations – by putting laws in place to make itillegal to belong to them.Other politicians have said that such laws would only drive the gangsunderground but Police are all too aware that many of the gangshave already started converting their criminal wealth through moneylaundering through legitimate businesses in order to do just that.Wanganui mayor Michael Laws recently got support from formerpolice officer and National Party Police spokesman, Chester Borrows, inhaving legislation tabled in Parliament that would outlaw the wearingof gang patches and other regalia in public places. The Government hassaid such a ban would be difficult to enforce.Government action?Meanwhile the Government has said it will look at strengtheningintimidation laws, possibly by amending the Criminal Proceeds(Recovery) Bill, which is currently before Parliament.Prime Minister, Helen Clark, said recently that officials would belooking at legislative ways in which intimidating behaviour by gangscould be dealt with.For decades, politicians have debated how best to deal withgangs with little effect on their burgeoning criminal empires ormemberships. The Black Power and Mongrel Mob continue to attracta steady stream of disaffected mainly Maori youth, many effectivelyfamily ‘cast-offs’ from parents who have long since abdicated anyparental responsibility for their offspring. Many gangs have becomegenerational enterprises, quagmired in crime and knowing no otherlifestyle.Disaffected youthDisaffected young people provide fertile ground for gang recruiters,who seek out prospects who come up through the ranks by sellingdrugs in schools, robbing neighbourhood dairies and engaging inbeing as ‘staunch’ as possible. These actions are all in the hope ofwinning gang leadership approval in a misguided effort to eventuallyreceive their coveted patch. Such is the draw of being ‘patched’ thatmany young prospects will admit to crimes, which have actuallybeen done by senior gang members.Police sources say that senior gang members in the established gangshave, in some instances, lost control of younger members. Theyounger members use of P is fuelling the divisions between youngand old within some gangs.While the Mongrel Mob, Black Power and Hells Angels have beenaround for decades there is a new breed of gang on the street that isbecoming the scourge of towns and cities – youth gangs who pickout lone victims for beatings and robberies or who fight amongstthemselves. They organise themselves into ‘crews’ with names like‘Bloods’ and “Crips”, trying to emulate American street gangs whoare glorified in gangster rap and hip hop songs.Strutting for the camerasThe sight of gang members, with bandannas drawn down over theirfaces and posing for the media like strutting peacocks and makingcalls like baying dogs will have sickened most New Zealanders. Itwill also have brought home to them it is high time that tougher,more positive action takes the place of long-term political rhetoric inthe fight against such organised criminal enterprises.It seems highly doubtful that Jhia Harmony Te Tua’s death willcause reflection at a widespread level within gangs – though it maydo at an individual level for some – given the thoroughly entrenchednature of the gang mentality.There are many who will hope that this young girl’s tragic death willbe the catalyst for finally getting some consensus on how best to dealwith the gang problem and the Association’s call for a Commissionof Inquiry could be a first step in the right direction. Whether thepolitical will to do so remains after the original furore over the weegirl’s death has subsided, will be at the heart of whether that call isheeded though.102June 2007

New Zealand Police AssociationThe question of what to do about gangsNZ Police Association President, Greg O’Connor, talked toPolice News about issues relating to dealing with gangs after thefatal shooting of two-year-old Jhia Harmony Te Tua in Wanganuirecently. Mr O’Connor had a significant involvement with thegang culture during his time as an undercover operative. Hereare his reflections in a question and answer session:Q: Why is it necessary to have a Commission of Inquiry intogangs and organised crime?A: Having seen the commitment both the Commissioner and theGovernment have given to implementing the recommendations ofDame Margaret Bazley’s Commission Of Inquiry into Police Conductreport, I feel that a similar Commission of Inquiry is essential if aserious co-ordinated and well-resourced strategy is to be employedagainst organised crime in New Zealand.While Police do have much information it is unco-ordinated andtends to be used in the investigation of individual crimes ratherthan as a co-ordinated operation against crime groups. A very goodexample is the current homicide investigation following the gangshooting of a two-year-old girl in Wanganui.Once the offenders are located, the inquiry will end and no effortwill be made to address the broader issues around the cause of theconflict, i.e. a turf war over drug distribution and other crime. Aproperly constructed and empowered Commission would, firstly,not be so hampered around the need to prepare an evidential case.It could be much more broad ranging than an evidential inquiry. Itwould also have the impact of informing New Zealanders of howdeeply entrenched in New Zealand society these organised criminalgroups are.Q: Should Police and politicians be meeting with gangleaders?A: Police and political leaders should only ever meet with gangleaders if a meeting is so requested by the gang leaders and thatwould be because those gang leaders were feeling under suchpressure that it is curtailing their criminal activities. Police andpoliticians should only meet with such gangs to inform them thatthe pressure will continue until they stop committing crime. Anyattempt at detente of any type merely empowers those gang leadersin the eyes of their own and of the public. Many of those members ofthe public, who are the victims of gang crime, are from lower socioeconomicbackgrounds.Q: Is NZ First MP Ron Mark correct in his assertion thatgangs are effectively New Zealand’s terrorist organisations?A: Gangs are not terrorist organisations; they are organised groupsof criminals in which a few leaders become wealthy and powerfulthrough the efforts of their underlings. To describe them as terroristsin any way mobilises them or indicates they have a cause. The onlycause they have is to make money out of crime, through theircollective ability to intimidate people.Q: What more can be done to stop disaffected youth fromjoining gangs?A: Youth will want to join gangs while senior gang membersremain the dominant male role models. In lower socio-economicbackgrounds, mostly Maori and Polynesian communities, youngpeople will naturally be attracted to a lifestyle they perceive asdelivering wealth and freedom from the monotony of a normalworking life. This is why it is important for politicians, senior Policeand the media to not add to the allure of the gang culture by meetingwith gang leaders and boosting their public image.Q: Should gang patches and other regalia be banned inpublic places?A: While there is a legitimate argument that it is easier to identifygang members if they are wearing gang regalia, a stronger argumentis that forcing such members to hide their patches when approachedby Police does diminish the power of the patch. Also, at times ofgang tension, such as has been experienced in Wanganui, it doesgive Police a tool to arrest and put pressure on individual gangmembers, and to obtain information on them, knowing that if theystrut their stuff in public places or even embark on motorcycle runs,then they will automatically be arrested. This will assist in reducingthe attractiveness of gangs to young people.Q: Gangs are heavily involved in the distribution of illegaldrugs such as P. What new powers, if any, do the Police needto deal with this problem?A: The main power required by Police is effective asset seizure. Thegangs are now well entrenched in the P industry and drug distributionand only by taking the profit out of crime will we discourage peoplefrom becoming involved in what is a very lucrative industry.Q: Is it time New Zealand looked at making it illegal to belongto a gang? Should there be “non-association” laws?A: It is probably impractical to make gangs illegal, as the necessarylaws to protect our democracy will inevitably give gangs protectionagainst persecution. What are required are better non-association andparole conditions. This would essentially ensure that an individual,so defined, couldn’t associate with any gang or gang activity withoutrisking arrest. In order for non-association legislation to be renderedmeaningful, the power of such laws needs to be strengthened.Q: Are Police resources adequate to fight the gang scourgeor do they need more of a boost in terms of specific squadstargeting gangs, as we had in the past?A: Police must take a national focus towards the policing of organisedcrime groups and gangs. It cannot be left to the districts individually.In the same way that the gang is bigger than any individual, so it isthat the national association is bigger and more powerful than anylocal chapter. It is essential that a national group be formed to coordinateoperations and target national crime groups. The impactof the current unco-ordinated policing of crime groups is that iteffectively serves as a culling exercise, which makes those left behindstronger.Q: Are Police chiefs taking the gang problem seriouslyenough?A: Police Chiefs are not taking the gang problem seriously. Theperformance criteria of District Commanders is heavily focusedon the amount of crime. Policing of gangs invariably increases thereported crime, as it uncovers crime that would not otherwise haveappeared in the statistics. This will effectively be a very low returnstatistics wise. Police Chiefs must look at the manner in which theperformance of the districts is measured, to empower them to tacklethe gang/crime problem.Q: What should they be doing?A: The Police Chiefs need to be working with politicians to persuadethem that the politically sensitive nature of the crime statistics,which impacts heavily on current strategy, should be minimisedor eliminated. One means of achieving that would be to report thecrime statistics monthly instead of annually and this would assist indepoliticising the issue.June 2007103

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceHealth Plan premiumsto be held at same levelsMember subscription premiums for Police Health Plan are reviewedevery year, with premium adjustments reflecting member claim patternsimplemented on an as-needed basis.In recent years, premium increases have been introduced in July,associated with the commencement of a new financial year. Premiumswere last increased in July 2006. Prior to this, increases were effective inJuly 2004 and July 2002 respectively.Following a recent review of the Police Health Plan, the May Boardmeeting of the Directors confirmed that, notwithstanding claims coststo the end of April which have increased by 9.15% from the same periodlast year, the financial position of the Plan is such that it is believedpremiums can, at least for the time being, be left unchanged this year.Some confidenceWhile we are confident premiums can be held until July 2008, thiswill be dependent on the level of claims costs incurred as the newfinancial year progresses. Claims costs will continue to be monitoredclosely and, if necessary, premiums will be adjusted to ensure the Planremains financially strong.A key factor in the success of Police Health Plan is only having threestreamlined plan types – Surgical Only, Basic and Comprehensiveand not having a variety of options and rebates. This has ensured ouroverheads, representing about 3.5% of revenue, are much lower thanmost other insurers who have ratios at least twice those of PHP.Claim limits reviewedIn conjunction with the premiums review, we have also reviewedspecific claim limits. Members are reminded that, ultimately, claimscosts can only be sourced from subscriptions revenue. Increasing thevarious limits can only be funded by way of increasing premiums. Whilelast year a number of benefit enhancements were introduced, the onlychange this year is to increase the maximum amount claimable forone procedure from $35,000 to $50,000. Past experience has shownthat on very rare occasions the previous maximum was insufficient tomeet the cost of an extremely complicated procedure, generally heartoperations.Police Health Plan does not aim to meet 100% of all members’ claimcosts, as this would be impractical. Instead, we aim to meet anachievable, significant majority of the costs incurred by the majorityof members.Chairman of Police Health Plan, Greg O’Connor, said that the decisionnot to increase premiums was “a good one in the circumstances”, inthe interests of holding costs for members.Reunion for Cyprusveterans in OctoberThe Australian UN.CIV.POL who served with the UN in Cyprus, holds a re-unionbi-annually.This year, the reunion is being held in Sydney over Labour weekend.NZ Police personnel who served in Cyprus are most welcome to attend.The reunion will begin on Sunday, 21 October, 2007 with registration and aget together with the Cypriot community. An unveiling ceremony at the SydneyPolice Centre will take place on Monday, 22 October, while a mayoral receptionand official dinner will be held on Tuesday 23 October. Reunion attendeeswill also march during the United Nations Day parade on Wednesday, 24October.Accommodation is at the Vibe Hotel, 111 Goulburn Street, Sydney. This hotel isvery central and a discounted rate has been negotiated for reunion attendees.Anyone who might be interested in celebrating the 40th anniversary of thecompletion of NZ involvement with UNFICYP should contact Dennis Percy byEmail: ozpercy@bigpond.com.au for details.Those still with ‘snail mail’ can contact Blue Caldwell on (04) 905-1066 forfurther details.Insurance premium annual reviewsThe respective premiums for Fire and General Insurance (house,contents, motor vehicle and boat) and Supplementary Life Insuranceare reviewed each year by our Insurances staff in conjunction with theportfolio underwriters.While the house/home component of the Fire & General insuranceportfolio is the main contributor to premium adjustments, increasesvary depending upon the total risks held, location and each member’sclaims history. In addition, there is a provision made for inflation. Acrossthe whole portfolio the average increase, including inflation, is 4.52%.Time to review your contents cover?Members are reminded that it is also worth reviewing your level ofcover, especially house contents cover. Assets are accumulated overtime and it is likely the level of contents cover held by many members isactually insufficient, should a major loss be suffered. If you need furtherinformation or assistance for this, contact our insurance staff throughthe contact details listed below.Supplementary Life premiums are adjusted annually as membersage, with renewals effective every July. This procedure is unchangedthis year. As a separate exercise, we are currently reviewing the overallcompetitiveness of the current Supplementary Life premiums and hopeto be able to introduce a new premium structure next year.What to doMembers who pay their premiums through the Police payrollsystem do not have to do anything. The relevant premium increasewill be automatically deducted from your pay on July 11.Members who pay their premiums through the Police and FamiliesCredit Union will need to ensure they have sufficient funds goinginto their Credit Union account to meet the relevant premiumincreases.This means automatic payments to the Credit Union may need to beincreased. We suggest you wait until you receive all relevant notificationsbefore you change your automatic payment to the Credit Union, so youonly need to make one change.For any information contact the Member Services Centre:• Through the Police Network 44446;• By Direct Dial 04 496 6800;• Toll Free 0800 500 122; or• By Email to enquiries@policeassn.org.nzTRAVELPACGIVEAWAYPurchase your travel policy with usduring the month of June 2007and be in to win a fabulousPantech TX-215C mobile telephoneDual mode (800M/1.9GHZ)310K Pixel cameraEmbedded fl ash65K CSTN colour LCDWAP 2.0/Java (J2ME) MIDP 1.0PhonebookCMX 32 Chord Polyphonic RingtonesT9 text inputVoice dialing, voice memoTTY/TDDTwo-way speaker phoneTwo-way SMSPhoto messaging(Competition is closed to NZPA staff)104June 2007

New Zealand Police AssociationPFWAC conference provides rewardingopportunity to network on issues facingwomen within the policing environmentBy Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsNew Zealand Police Association hosted thePolice Federation of Australia Women’sAdvisory Committee Conference (PFWAC) inWellington recently.Delegates were welcomed with a traditionalMaori powhiri, the ritual ceremony ofencounter, which was led by Luke Crawford.Association representative on the Police ActReview team, gave an address on “Making adifference” while Field Officer, Jeff (JJ) Taylorspoke about “How to get involved” whileDame Margaret Bazley, one of New Zealand’sforemost women public servants, gave anaddress on the theme: “The importance ofbeing involved as a women.”Delegates told Police News that they foundthe experience of networking with otherlike-minded union advocates a rewarding onein terms of clarifying issues and developingstrategies for the advancement of the issuesthat they felt needed to be addressed withintheir own jurisdictions and within the PFWACframework.During the two days of conferencediscussions, delegates: took part inworkshops; debated the role of women inthe Police; talked about the advancementof women’s careers; overcoming barriers;advocacy; goal setting; advancing women’scareers and gained insight from a broad rangeof speakers, all of whom spoke on various topromote the interests of women within thepolicing environment.Range of speakersCarol Train, an Equity and Diversity manager,spoke to the delegates about women’s issuesin New Zealand, while psychologists CarolynCavana and Jane Dyer spoke about the genderand role differences in the Police and othermale-dominated organisations. They spokeabout identifying strengths and enhancingthem in order to overcome any barriers thatmay be present in the workplace. Others tospeak on similar themes included AssociationIndustrial Officers, Amanda Craig and MeganWilson while Senior Sergeant Sharon Stephensgave an overview of the leadership coursefor women and also spoke about the barrierswomen may encounter in their career andhow to develop strategies to overcome them.Association Director Tracey Maclennan, whowas the facilitator at the conference, gave anaddress outlining the role and responsibilities ofa PFWAC representative.Various topicsGwynne Pennell, who is the NZ Police• Greg O’Connor, President of the NZ Police Association, opens the PFWAC conference. Atleft is Tracey Maclennan, a Police Association director, who acted as facilitator.June 2007105

PoliceNewsThe Voice of Police• Luke Crawford (right) welcomes guests with the traditional Maori powhiri, which was performed by pupils from local colleges.Help us recruit more police womenCommissioner tells delegatesCommissioner of Police, Howard Broad, told the conference that 40years ago just 2.4% of police officers in New Zealand were women,while currently female officers constituted just over 16% (nearly one insix officers) of the sworn workforce.By contrast, women filled two-thirds (66%) of non-sworn positions.“None of our 12 districts has yet broken through our own glass ceilingof 20% and even our top performing districts have struggled not to gobackwards in the gender stakes,” Commissioner Broad said.Mr Broad said Police were committed to engaging in work on genderroles and differences, barriers to promotion and leadership and heassured delegates that he and his executive were “alert and committed”to addressing these issues.He believed the goal was to get to a point where the focus was notso much on being a woman in Police but that “we become ‘people inpolicing’ - where everyone was “engaged in ensuring that addressinggender issues is the responsibility of men and women in the job.”The Commissioner said that more women were needed in the Policeservice, especially in the higher ranks. Police were currently runninga recruitment campaign, which was geared towards recruiting morewomen. “We are making the numbers required of us in total, but on anygiven week the calls made to 0800 NEWCOPS by women run at 50% ofthose made by men,” Mr Broad told conference.Police were working on encouraging women already in Police to takepart in women’s leadership development courses, which encouragedwomen to put themselves forward for promotion, to try new experiencesand challenge old attitudes. They also emphasised the importance offostering and renewing networks, Mr Broad told the audience.Mr Broad said the old adage about “us being our own best recruiters”was a truism. He encouraged women police officers to take up thechallenge of bringing more women into the service. “I realise thateveryone has enough on their collective plates without recruiting aswell, but please bear in mind when a friend or family member mentionsto you that she may be interested please supply her with a lot ofencouragement and some of the information that might start her on thejourney.”are “professional, ethical and above all dedicated to helping theircommunities.”He said the Commission of Inquiry was a “difficult, but necessarycritique of Police”.The job was to start to repair the damage and to implement therecommendations - one of which was to recruit more women intoPolice.“Your continued professionalism and integrity will help us do that.Each one of you can potentially help repair the damage, particularlyto potential women recruits out there who may have been left feelingunsure about whether Police is the place for them,” CommissionerBroad said.Mr Broad said that despite a recent loss of public confidence in Policeas a result of historical sexual allegations against some officers,he knew that the “vast majority” of men and women in the Police• Police Commissioner, Howard Broad, addresses delegates.106June 2007

New Zealand Police AssociationBazley reflects on the advancement ofwomen’s issues in the workplaceBy Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsDame Margaret Bazley, who delivered theCommission of Inquiry into Police Conductreport, addressed conference about the roleand contribution of women in New Zealandsociety and the workplace.Dame Margaret said that she could not speakspecifically about the Commission of Inquiryor the report but she could speak abouther experience in advancing women in theworkplace.Dame Margaret said that in a long career as apsychiatric nurse for 17 years and as a nursefor 27 years, she had learned a lot, especiallyduring the integration of both male and femalestaff and patients, when she was principalnurse at Sunnyside Hospital in Christchurch.Later, she worked in an all-womenenvironment in Auckland and found asignificant change in culture as a result. “Youget a distorted culture whether it is all-maleor all-female,” she said. Dame Margaret saidthat, in her opinion, a mixing of the gendersin a workplace enhanced the employer’sability to “get the best out of its workforce”.“If you only have one sex in a workplace youare really only getting half the benefit of theworkforce and I think you need men andwomen at all levels within an organisation.”Qualities“Women bring different qualities to anorganisation. They have often brought upchildren and they are very flexible. Theylook at things in a different way. In my timeworking at Sunnyside, I learned very early onthat women won’t usually cover up things,”Dame Margaret told conference.Dame Margaret said that the genesis for herinvolvement in advancing women’s issues inthe workplace came from her being appointedChief Nurse in the Health Department – themost senior job in the public service at thattime. Later, in 1984, she was appointed asthe first female Commissioner in the StateServices Commission (SSC).“That’s when I first got involved in the fight forequality of women in the public service andthe reason I got there was because Labourcame into power and people like Ann Hercuswere pushing for more women to be involvedin senior roles. So the political environmentforced people to be there,” she said.Support from management and PSAShe said that several senior male members ofthe SSC management and the Public ServiceAssociation (the union which representedpublic sector employees) were passionateabout getting women equality in the publicservice.“I think the union leaders showed real couragein advancing the role of women within theirmovements as most of their membershipwasn’t too keen on seeing women taking jobsthat they thought they should have.”Change came within the State ServicesCommission when the ‘blocks’ to womenadvancing within the system were identifiedand action was taken to clear them by way ofjoint working parties between managementand the unions. At that time there were onlyfour women in management positions withinthe SSC.“In 1986 we set about attacking all thoseblocks,” Dame Margaret told delegates.Parental leave, family friendly work places,job sharing and the setting up of 20 crecheswithin the public service all followed. “Wefound that as these were set up there werealso benefits for the men and they reallyappreciated them,” Dame Margaret added.Mid-level developmentShe said special funds were set aside bymanagement to develop mid-level managersand this had very positive spin-offs in “gettingpeople through.”Dame Margaret said that men were also atrisk of suffering from stress and depression inthe workplace. “They tough it out,” she said.Women brought dignity and compassion tothe way people are treated, she said, addingthat as a result “men have learned to be moreopen than in the past and I think that’s comefrom having a more integrated workforce.”One of the most positive changes she hadseen in the workplace was allowing parentsto look after their sick children. “This wasbrought in for women, initially, but in no timemen were applying for it too – and men wereopting to stay home and look after the kids. Idon’t see them as women’s things; they arepolicies that make for a better workforce.”Managing changeDame Margaret said that she had managedchange most of her life and the way in whichto make change, was to know where youwanted to be when you set out. “You havecreated the right environment by dealing withsexual harassment and that is now havingpositive flow-on effects in terms of womenbeing recruited. Then you have to get thosewomen up through the system, because onceyou start to do that you are going to changethe bottom of the organisation as well. Theway we did that in the public service wasto free up the block and then to go throughall the policies, establish working partiesand then we went over the policies with afine toothcomb to make sure that there wasnothing in those policies that discriminatedagainst women.”Designing policies that move everyone forwardwas good for men too. “A lot of those policiesdon’t work too well for the men either,” DameMargaret said. “I am not suggesting that youdevelop systems that allow women to getthrough just because they are women but Ithink you need systems that allow everyoneto advance on merit and not have any blocksfor them.”Identifying leaders“You need to identify your women leadersof the future and work out how they can befast-tracked, changing time restraints andhow they can get relevant experience quickly.You need to move people around so that theyget a wide experience of an organisation.You need to have, initially, a separate streamof experience and education opportunitiesand once you get moving you don’t needthose things. The people you push up initiallyneed to be strong because they will run intoopposition and they need to have the supportof management and the union.”Dame Margaret said that jobs like nursing andpolicing were good jobs because they offeredthe opportunity to help the community. “Whileyou are dealing with the more seedy side oflife there is also a hang of a lot you can do in apositive way, even if it is being a positive rolemodel for the kids, because often you may bethe only person like that those kids ever havecontact with and that contact with you givesthem a vision of what life could be like.”June 2007107

PoliceNews The Voice of PoliceWomen’s involvement at seniorlevels “not just the right thing,it’s the bright thing” - DalzielBy Steve Plowman. Editor, Police NewsMinister of Women’s Affairs, Lianne Dalziel, stood in for Minister ofPolice, Annette King, who was unable to attend the conference.Ms Dalziel, a former union delegate for the Service and Food Workers’Union, said that she had been “all too aware” that many of those in lowpaidwork within the hospitality sector were women.After being elected to Parliament, Ms Dalziel found herself on theJustice and Law Reform select committee, as an associate oppositionspokesperson on justice.”During the annual review of the performance of the Police in 1991, Irecall the then Commissioner appearing quite surprised when I beganasking questions about the number of women in the Police Force,” shesaid. A year later she quizzed him about how many women held seniorpositions, and was given assurances that Police were “making steps”around this issue. “He assured me that just over half of the latest intakeof recruits had been women; and they had appointed a women’s liaisonofficer – it was a man, but at least it was a start,” she told conference.RelegationShe said she had also been concerned about hearing that when womenleft the Police to have children, the very small number who came backdid not return at the same level at which they had left. “In Parliamentaryterms they were relegated to the backbenches, which made it moredifficult to make their way back to their original rank or position, letalone progress any further,” Ms Dalziel said.“That really began my interest in watching women grow within apredominantly male profession, and occupational segregation remainsan area of interest for me personally and the Ministry of Women’sAffairs generally,” she told delegates.She said she felt that there “probably hasn’t been an appreciationof how difficult it is to foot it with men in terms of professionaladvancement within Police” nor any apparent recognition of why it isimportant that women can advance alongside their male peers.Slow growthThe Minister said that while the number of women in policing wasgrowing, it was slow growth. Ten years ago, 14.8% of sworn police werewomen. In February this year, this percentage had increased to 16.5%.In terms of actual numbers, the percentages translate to 1,035 swornwomen staff 10 years ago, and 1,311 today, Ms Dalziel told conference.”In terms of the seniority of sworn women staff, there has also been a glacialimprovement. Ten years ago there were five women staff ranked inspectoror above and currently there are 14, contrasted to the approximately 250male sworn officers ranked inspector or above,” she said.COI report recommendationMs Dalziel referred to the specific recommendation in the Commissionof Inquiry into Police Conduct report, which recommended therecruitment of more women and ethnic minorities into Police in order• Lianne Dalziel, Minister of Women’s Affairs, addresses delegates..to promote a diverse organisational culture that reflects the communityit serves, and to enhance the effective and impartial investigation ofcomplaints.”It seems obvious to me that diversity is good for any organisation.International research into women in management and governanceshows that diversity is – as one study put it – not just the right thing– it’s the bright thing,” Ms Dalziel said.”Companies who have diversity in their board membership have beenshown to out-perform those whose boards are more homogenous intheir make up. This may be because they access a greater pool oftalent, but it is also probably because a diverse board is able to identifya greater range of opportunities and risks. I think the same principlesapply to community-focused organisations such as the Police,” MsDalziel added.SacrificesMs Dalziel said that hearing the first NZ women police officer to serve inAfghanistan referring to leaving behind her young children had remindedher so poignantly of the sacrifices that staff of both genders made toserve overseas.“We are never going to develop a commitment to shared parenting,nor fully acknowledge the importance of the roles and responsibilitiesof both parents in the lives of their children, if we don’t allow for thesechoices to be made,” she said.Ms Dalziel said that the NZ Government was committed to the coreobjective of finding a work-life balance in its Action Plan for NewZealand Women.The plan identifies three key aspects of New Zealand women’s lives,which provide a focus for her Ministry’s work. These are: economicindependence – which includes pay and employment equity andoccupational segregation; health and well-being - which includes108June 2007

New Zealand Police Associationmatters like sexual and reproductive health, and sexual and domesticviolence; and work-life balance, which addresses issues such asproviding quality out-of-school services for working families.Child-rearing responsibilities”I know childcare is not only a women’s responsibility and when familiesare surveyed about child-rearing and household responsibilities the vastmajority say, when both parents are working full-time, there should be equalsharing of household chores and childcare. When we ask them what they doin practice, they answer is quite different. It doesn’t even begin to look likeequal sharing. So this is a particular issue for women,” Ms Dalziel said.A work-life balance study, which was released last year, revealedthat over half of New Zealanders rate their work-life balance as goodto excellent. But 40% of workers said they have some or a lot ofdifficulty in getting the balance they want. This particularly applied tooccupational groups such as Police and nurses, who identified as havingthe most difficulty in achieving the right balance.Studies”There are plenty of studies that show that varied hours and rotatingshift work, that are the hallmark of these professions, place considerablestrain on family life. So there are always going to be challengescombining these jobs with family responsibilities and, bearing in mindthe reality of the greater role of women in this regard, that is somethingthe Police hierarchy has to remain alert to if it is going to recruit andretain women to its ranks,” the Minister told delegates.Ms Dalziel said that there are “all sorts of leadership roles in the NewZealand and Australian Police services”, and if women are encouragedto stay or return after having their children, then the direct result of thatwould be a growth in the number of women in those senior ranks.BarriersMs Dalziel said that one of the barriers in professional life for womenthat she had found from a personal viewpoint, and which many policewomen would relate to, was “maintaining the sense of empathy that wenaturally have for people, while at the same time managing to maintaina sense of professional distance.” She added: “Police and politiciansalike hear many tragic stories and, “despite what many commentatorsmay say or think, we do what we do because we want to make adifference. When we do make a difference, that’s what makes it allworthwhile and I hope that is your experience as well.”Ms Dalziel paid tribute to Canterbury District Commander,Superintendent Sandra Manderson, saying that she had had thepleasure of working with Sandra Manderson and found her an“extraordinary individual”. “Sandra has made a difference on every level.Helping to resolve individual constituency matters through to offeringleadership on whole-of-government initiatives. I mention this becauseshe may have been the first woman to hold this position in our district,but she will be remembered for her achievements not her gender.And that is the role of the ‘first’ women – to pave the way for futuregenerations of women to simply get on with the job,” Ms Dalziel said.• Randolph Wierenga (Tasmania) who stood in for PFA ChiefExecutive, Mark Burgess, and Tasmanian delegate SarahMansfield listen to Laila Harre’s address.• (At right): New Zealand delegates listen to Laila Harre’s address.June 2007109

PoliceNewsThe Voice of Police• “Machismo has sometimes been mistakenfor commitment to the job.”• “Am I on the right side of history or thewrong side of history with this?”• “80% of mothers are now in theworkforce.”Women have integral part to play in changingtheir working environment – Laila HarreBy Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsLaile Harre, the National Secretary of theNorthern Distribution Union, addressedconference and also conducted some workshopsfor delegates.The workshops were aimed at increasingparticipation in Police unions in order to enhancethe organisation and provide a level of service tocommunities through that involvement.Ms Harre said the workshops provided agood opportunity for women within the unionmovement to share insights and experienceswith other delegates.She said that she headed an organisation thathad a 60/40 split in male-female membershipand where “machismo had sometimes beenmistaken for commitment to the job.” She saidthat carried a risk of alienation from communitiesin which unions were entrenched.Confrontational environmentsWomen worked in a variety of organisations thatwere confrontational and the policing environmentwas one of those where there was a responsibilityto carry good ethics into the work involved.She urged the delegates to think about “alwaysdoing things that are consistent with your values”when thinking about a contentious or challengingissue. She said her personal benchmark whenconsidering issues was to ask herself thequestion: “Am I on the right side of history or thewrong side of history with this?”Ms Harre said that the current policing climatein New Zealand presented a significantopportunity for women within Police to beactively engaged in improving things. She saidthe writing of the Code of Conduct was onesuch example.Active role needed for changePolice leadership were engaged in trying toinstitute a healthy internal culture within Policeand women needed to play an active role inthat process.Ms Harre said that women, particularly inmale-dominated organisations, often missedthe opportunity to have their experienceheard and valued, leading to them beingmissing from key strategies. “We often talka lot about facts and figures and researchand analysis and we underestimate the realvalue that comes from just telling our storiesand building some strategies based on thoseexperiences,” Ms Harre said.“Fundamentally, trade unionism is aboutcollectively identifying issues and collectivelyagreeing on actions that we are going to take,in order to make the organisations that wework in more effective and to improve our ownexperience of working in them,” she added.Structural barriersMs Harre said that many organisations had“structural barriers” to women assumingleadership roles and unions were not exempt.“This is not because people have deliberatelydiscriminated or shut you out, it’s because therehaven’t been active opportunities for your issues,which may be the most important issues for youas a group, to be made into the most importantissues for your organisation.”“That’s why it took us donkeys’ years to get paidparental leave because women with children,for a long, long time were a minority in theworkforce and therefore our needs as mothersand workers were not priorities for anybodyreally,” Ms Harre said.Networking with othersMs Harre encouraged delegates to communicatenot only within their own policing networks butalso with community and other organisations, inorder to broaden their knowledge base of whatwas required to advance issues of importanceto them.Work cultures that were put in place decadesago no longer worked for the workers of today.“From the mid-1940s – married women withor without children represented 25% of theworkforce; now 80% of mothers are in theworkforce,” Ms Harre said.She said that current research showed thatstress would be the biggest killer in the worldof the future. “In the confrontational context inwhich policing operates, the risks are obviouslygreater,” she said. “We are the ones that needto act to solve these problems and challenges,”she added.We remember…Who passed away…KEOGH Margaret Dawn 17-Feb-07 Spouse of retired member Southport, BrisbaneTURNER Marie 26-Apr-07 Retired member MiramarLAWRENCE Geoffrey Peter 11-May-07 Member PapakuraSAWYER Barbara Anne 15-May-07 Member Wellington110June 2007

Budget sets Vote Police at $1.235 billionThis year’s Budget has delivered $1.235 billion to VotePolice and is appropriated as follows:• $1.822 million (0.15% of departmentalappropriation in this Vote) on Policy Advice andMinisterial Servicing;• $102.188 million (8.27% of departmentalappropriation in this Vote) on General CrimePrevention Services;• $95.157 million (7.70% of departmentalappropriation in this Vote) on Specific CrimePrevention Services and Maintenance of PublicOrder;• $369.726 million (29.94% of departmentalappropriation in this Vote) on Police PrimaryResponse Management;• $335.777 million (27.19% of departmentalappropriation in this Vote) on Investigations;• $72.650 million (5.88% of departmentalappropriation in this Vote) on Case Resolution andSupport to Judicial Process;• $257.731 million (20.87% of departmentalappropriation in this Vote) on the Road SafetyProgramme; and• $10,000 (0.001% of departmental appropriationin this Vote) departmental Other Expensesfor compensation paid to owners of firearmsconfiscated under the provisions of section 28(4)of the Arms Act 1983.Non-departmental appropriations:• Non-departmental appropriations sought for VotePolice in 2007/08 total $100,000. This is intendedto be spent as a contribution to the United NationsDrug Control Programme.Crown revenue and receipts• $76 million in Crown revenue in 2007/08, most ofwhich arises from traffic infringement fees.• The second tranche of extra frontline police officersand additional capacity in the Justice sector for theinitial flow-on effects (2007) $60.374m, (2006)$49.905m;• Continuing the New Zealand Police's contributionto the Regional Assistance Mission to the SolomonIslands and the Solomon Islands Police Force;• $2.4 million over four years to strengthen thePolice Complaints Authority so it can resolvecomplaints faster and further reduce its existingcaseload. New legislation is before the house.(Justice);• $1.3 million – Supported Bail Programme foryoung people on remand from the youth court.(Justice);• $1.4 million for intensive intervention programmesfor the most serious and dangerous youthoffenders. Investing earlier in programmesto address the causes of criminal behaviour.(Justice);• Construction of permanent premises for theSupreme Court, including refurbishment of thehistoric Wellington High Court (Justice);• Implementation of the Coroners Act, includingestablishing the Office of the Chief Coroner, nineCoronial offices around the country with fourteenfull-time Coroners and a new Coronial ServicesUnit in the Ministry of Justice. (Justice);• $700,000 to maintain support for youthprogrammes such as Project K and AIMHIand Turn Your Life Around (Ministry of SocialDevelopment);• $3.4 million over four years to boost support forschools dealing with gang issues in Counties-Manukau. (from MSDE);• Funding for two more judges – one High Court andone District Court;• $3.6 million for additional legal aid;• $2.4 million to increase the capacity of MaoriNew Zealand Police AssociationWardens (Te Puni Kokiri) – training to be developedby the Royal New Zealand Police College;• Funding for 200 community probation staff to runthe new home detention and community detentionprogramme. (Corrections); and• $1.475 million (22% of the total departmentalappropriation in this Vote) for the initial fundingof the Serious Fraud Office to operate the nonconvictionbased forfeiture provisions of theCriminal Proceeds (Recovery) Bill due to be passedin 2007.“Freedom is not worth having if itdoes not include the freedom tomake mistakes.”- Mahatma Ghandi (1869-1948, IndianPeace campaigner).“No person is your friend whodemands your silence.”- Alice Walker, (American writer).“It takes a lot of courage torelease the familiar and seeminglysecure, to embrace the new. Butthere is no real security in whatis no longer meaningful. There ismore security in the adventurousand exciting, for in movementthere is life, and in change.”- Alan Cohen (author).June July AugustPAIHIA............................................ 7,12-14,17-20,25-29 ....................................6,9,15-19,22-26,29-31 ...........................................1,2,4-9,13-16,19-31,STANMORE BAY ............................. 7,8,12-15,17-21,23-29 .................................1,6,9-11,14-20,22-31, ............................................1-3,5-31AUCKLAND ...........................................................................................................17,24,29-31, ...........................................................5-9,13,14,19-23,27-30WHANGAMATA ............................... 7,8,10-14,17-21,24-28 .................................1,8,13,15-31 ...........................................................1-30MT MAUNGANUI ............................ 7,8,14,20,21,25-28 .......................................8,15-19,22-26,29-31 ..............................................1-3,5-16,19-31OHOPE ........................................... 7,11-15,17-20,24-29 ....................................2,3,7-10,13-31........................................................1-31ROTORUA ...................................... 7,8,10-14,18-20,24-28 .................................8,15-20,22-31.........................................................1-3,5,7-17,19-25,27-29TAUPO ........................................... 8,10-14,17-19,23,25-28 ...............................1,15-20,22-26,29-31 ..............................................1,2,6,8,9,12-16,19-24,TURANGI ........................................ 7,9-19,21,25-28,30 .......................................17-19,29-31............................................................1,2,8,14,19,20,22-24,29,30NAPIER .......................................... 7,18-20,24-26. ..............................................14,19-21,24-26,29,30.............................................2,5-7,10,12-29PARAPARAUMU .............................. 10,17-19,26,27,.............................................2-5,8,9,15-18,22-31 ...............................................1,2,5-9,12-16,19-22,27-31GREYTOWN .................................... 7,10-14,17-20,24-27. ....................................15-19,22-27,29-31 .................................................1-3,5-9,12-30WELLINGTON ................................. 14,21,24,25,29. .............................................22,23,31..................................................................1,6,7,19-23,26,27,30NELSON ......................................... 11,18,20-28 ..................................................1,14,17-19,22-26,29-31 .........................................1-15,19-31HANMER SPRINGS ......................... Not available ..................................................2..............................................................................1,5,9,16,21-23,29CHRISTCHURCH ............................. 14,27, ............................................................8,10,12,15-18,25-27,30,31.....................................1,2,5-9,12,13,15,16,19-24,27-31TEKAPO ......................................... 7,18-21,24,27,28,..........................................1,8-12, ....................................................................7,22,23,WANAKA ........................................ 8-20,24,27,....................................................18,19,CROMWELL ................................... 20,22-29 .......................................................16,QUEENSTOWN ............................... 14,20,21,25-28TE ANAU ........................................ 7-9,11-30 ......................................................1-3,11-19,22-31 .....................................................1-4,6-31DUNEDIN ....................................... 7,10-13,17-21,26-29 ....................................15-17,19,20,23-31..................................................1,2,5-9,13-17,19-24,28-30June 2007111

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PolicePolice Act submissions:Don’t miss your chance to shapethe future of NZ policingDuring June and July, the rubber hits theroad with consultation on proposed changesto the near 50-year-old Police Act.All staff are encouraged to have a say onthe publicly-released discussion documenttitled ‘Policing Directions in New Zealand forthe 21st Century’.One immediate question is ‘what’s theimpact on me?’ The answer is plenty.A wide range of ideas are proposed in thediscussion document, including:• New powers for staff e.g. the ability toobtain biometric data such as fingerprintsat the roadside;• New protections, e.g. for undercoverstaff;• Better policing options, e.g. providing alegislative basis that the use of handcuffsis a reasonable use of force; and• Improving the way search powers can beallocated to staff.Simplified approachA further area of interest is a proposal for amore simplified approach to Police humanresources. This includes a common basisfor fixing conditions for all staff, ensuringonly those people fully qualified to holdconstabulary powers have such powers, anda Code of Conduct to apply to everyone inPolice.The discussion document outlines theGovernment’s proposals for the legislation,which governs how staff work and aremanaged on a day-to-day basis.The officer leading the Police Act Review,Superintendent Hamish McCardle, urgesstaff to express their opinions and maketheir views known, even if it’s just on oneaspect of the discussion document.“This is a once in a career chance to ensureNZ Police has the ability to better deal withthe challenges of modern-day policing,”said Superintendent McCardle.Please be aware that the deadline forresponses to the discussion documentclose on 31 July 2007.For ease of reference, the discussiondocument is broadly broken down into thefollowing areas:Principles:Establishing principles for policing, whichalthough implied now, are not stated in the1958 Police Act.• Maintaining Police impartiality;• Upholding appropriate standards ofconduct and integrity; and• Providing strong links with communities.Effectiveness:Bolstering Police effectiveness by:• Reinforcing clear command and control of Police;• Allowing faster identification of detained people; and• Enabling modern policing tactics to fight serious and organised crime.People:Ensuring Police has a modern workforce structure by:• Strengthening pre-employment vetting;• Creating a common set of employment conditions for all staff;• Introducing a single Code of Conduct for all staff; and• Tailoring the assignment of police powers to specific roles.Platforms:Improving the oversight and management of Police by:• Ensuring industrial action doesn’t affect policing;• Confirming Police's legal status and functions;• Clarifying the relationship between the Police and the Government; and• Strengthening accountability for Police performance.The future:Exploring ways to ‘future proof’ the legislation by:• Allowing for technology changes;• Potentially allowing greater use of infringement notices for lower-level offences;• Considering integrity testing to support ethical behaviour; and• Looking closely at cost recovery for special policing services (e.g. rock concerts).Have your say:Copies of the full discussion document are available in English from www.policeact.govt.nz orfrom police stations or public libraries.Copies of the full document and a shorter booklet version have also been sent to police stations.Police staff have been designated as district-based consultation managers. They are responsiblefor organising public meetings and are also a good source of information about the consultationprocess.The district consultation reps are:District Name Position EXTNNorthland Nicole Devereux Policing Development Manager 99145Northland Jan Johnston District Commander’s PA 99173Waitemata Kerry Kay Policing Development Manager 96324Auckland City Inspector John Mitchell Policing Development Manager 95874Amcos Charl Crous Policing Development Manager 92657Counties Manukau Inspector Jason Hewett Policing Development Manager 90655Waikato Inspector Lex Denby Complaints Investigation Manager 79403Bay Of Plenty Inspector John Canning Operations Manager 75611Central Senior Sergeant Richard Smith Policing Development Officer 65517Eastern Kris McGehan District Communications Manager 67086Wellington Inspector Dave Allan Complaints Investigation Manager 49442Tasman Inspector Brian McGurk Area Commander Nelson Bays 39050Canterbury Inspector Derek Erasmus Road Policing Manager 36417Southern Inspector Terry Richardson Operations Manager 33229RNZPC Phil Weeks Policing Development Manager 43272112June 2007

New Zealand Police AssociationAssociation district representatives:The Association has representatives in each district, who can provide further advice on thePolice Act Review (see below).Name District Position ContactDerek Erasmus Canterbury Road Policing Manager 36417Glenn Williams Wellington Child Abuse Team Manager 49495Mark Revill-Johnson Counties/Manukau Response Manager 91513Rachael Whear Counties/Manukau Emergency Response 91545Ricky Collins Southern Business Manager 33170Dave Evans Southern CIB 34564John Canning Bay of Plenty Operations Manager 75611Bill Gregory Eastern CIB Supervisor 67022Tyrone Chaffey Eastern Iwi Liaison 68004Shane Page Waitakere Detective 97662Tusha Penny Wellington Child Abuse Team Manager 47617Frontline representatives:A group of frontline representatives has also been involved in the review of the Police Actsince the project began in March last year. These staff (named below) provide a further pointof contact if you have any questions:Name Station ExtnSenior Sergeant Tim Anderson Takapuna 97742Senior Sergeant Moera Brown Gisborne 69001Senior Sergeant Mike Cook Alexandra 34405Inspector Andrew Coster Harlech House 92663Detective John Craig Hamilton 79465Detective Sergeant Gregory Dunne Dunedin 33222Sergeant Stephen Gibson Palmerston North 65846Sergeant Steve Hawkins Whangaparoa 96500Sergeant Terry Johnson New Plymouth 62025Sergeant Craig Madden Tauranga 77014Inspector Brian McGurk Nelson 39050Constable Nigel Ramsden Tauranga 77021How to make your views known: Online responses:The Association will be makingsubmissions, but members are encouragedto make their own comments/submissionstoo.See the consultation form on the Police Actwebsitewww.policeact.govt.nz/consultationPublic meetings:A series of public meetings will be heldduring June and July 2007. These will beadvertised locally.Written comments:Written comments can be made by post,fax, or Email. Send Emails to:policeact@police.govt.nzSend faxes to (04) 474-2342 and/or postresponses to:Police Act ReviewPolice National HeadquartersPO Box 3017WELLINGTONAny questions?If you have any questions about thediscussion document or the consultationprocess you can send an Email topoliceact@police.govt.nz or ring a Police ActReview team member on (04) 474-9499.Use of 0800 TenNine phone lineAssociation representatives maintain thistelephone line (0800 8366 463) on a 24-hour basis.It is to be used ONLY for matters thatcannot be deferred, such as Policeshootings, fatal pursuits or deaths incustody.Important and immediate industrial andlegal advice can then be arranged throughthe Association networks.Please do not phone this line for nonurgentmatters.1 2 3 4 5 6 7Clues:Across:1. Drug search (4)3. Post note at end of book (8)9. Honest; truthful trait (7)10. Gives account to (5)11. Some wrong in a statement perhaps (12)13. Breaks up a crowd (6)15. Small dried grape (6)17. Banishing war, leads to mind tampering (12)20. A process through ones life (5)21. Nicest; helping hand (7)22. Tampering with (8)23. Horse farm amongst udders (4)Down:1. Takes back (8)2. Internally (5)4. Lives or resides in (6)5. Leaving red faced (12)6. Omits from (7)7. Missed in foggy skies (4)8. Truckers stop here when asked (12)12.Became a Sir in the old scheme (8)14. Limits on paper maybe (7)16. Aroused (6)18. Clumsy (5)19. Green pastures for example (4)89 101113 14 151617 1812May answers:Across:1. Plea3. Appealed9. Message10. Poses11. Hallucinator13. Entrap15. Fiasco17. Continuance20. Amber21. Calibre22. Overdose23. BegsDown:1. Pamphlet2. Easel4. Poetic5. Emphatically6. Lessons7. Dish8. Manufactured12. Bouncers14. Trouble16. Knocks18. Imbue19. Halo1920 2122 23June 2007113

POLICE COUNCIL OF SPORTTo contact the Police Council of Sport, call Alison Murray at the RNZPC. Ph: (04) 238-3139Lawton shows skill at NIGolf ChampionshipsThe Palmerston North Police Golf Club recently hosted the Police AssociationNorth Island Golf Championships.The tournament was played over two days (72 holes) with a field of 124players competing.With a strong wind building during the course of the first day, conditionsproved to be testing, especially for those who drew the afternoon session.On the second day, however, conditions improved markedly with perfectconditions for golf and this was reflected in the good scores carded.Prizes were awarded for the best stableford scores on each of the fourrounds. The overall nett and gross scores were awarded on the combinedfour round totals.Results were:North Island Champion (best combined gross score): Rob McCaskie (299).North Island Champion (best combined nett score): Grant Lawton (273).Senior division: Best Gross: Adam Bicknall (302), Bruce Millar (310),Clinton Codyre (312). Best Nett: Ash Johnstone (291), Allan O’Donnell (296),Pat Handcock (297).Intermediate A: Best Gross: Brian Nicholas (331), Terry Johnstone (337),Matthew Campbell (337). Best Nett: Tony White (290), Jason Perry (290),Fame Troy (295).Intermediate B: Best Gross: Pater Mahar (345), Mike Owen (349), SteveRyburn (355). Best Nett: Jay Ferguson (282), Ron Scott (292), Graeme Hill(292),Junior: Best Gross: Don Lee (364), Glenn Saunders (375), Kevin Anstis (380).Best Nett: Derek Webb (282), Win Van Der Velde (291), Steve Becker (294).The organisers would like to thank the staff of the Palmerston North GolfClub for their support and assistance, local organisations and companies thatprovided financial support and prizes, and the Police Association and Councilof Sport for their support.• Rob McCaskie (left) receives the trophy for the best overall grossscore from Police Association Vice-President, Stu Mills.• Grant Lawton (left) receives the trophy for winner of the overallbest nett score from Police Association Vice-President, Stu Mills.Police triathlon team compete at National ChampionshipsThe National Triathlon Championships were held in Wellington on 31 Marchin squally conditions and as part of a new Council of Sport initiative, a Policeteam was selected to compete after the recent National Police Triathlon.The previous day, the weather was looking promising with clear skies andvery little wind. However on raceday Wellington certainly lived up to itsreputation as the ‘windy city’.Racing got under way with the men heading off two minutes ahead of thewomen. Choppy waters made the swim very tough and things didn’t get anyeasier, the head winds around the bays making the biking very hard work.Short courseThe pick of the disciplines was the run around Oriental Parade, not onlybeing flat but shortened due to a misunderstanding by race marshals.Bruce McLean (Wanaka) was first home of the team with Donalda Cromb(Wellington) finishing strongly to be first of the women’s team to finish.It was a great opportunity for the team to represent the Police in theirchosen sport and there was a fine team spirit on the day.Team Manager, Mike Oxnam, did his usual sterling job and the teamappreciated this and and the outstanding support they received from boththe Council of Sport and the Police Association.Results:Men:WomenBruce McLean 2.02.47 Donalda Cromb 2.37.34Jeff McGrath 2.11.19 Nicky Spicer 2.37.51Glenn Turner 2.16.56 Cheryl McGrath 2.44.22Matt Stone 2.17.56 Carolyn Martin 2.50.50Neil Holden 2.28.23 Janine White 3.01.24Visit www.policeassn.org.nz for updated contact details for the Police Council of Sport management committee,District Sports Officers and the latest schedule of events.114June 2007

New Zealand Police AssociationThis column is written by a frontlinepolice officer. It does not representthe views or policies of the PoliceAssociation.by Ricky CollinsA look at MartinboroughOne of New Zealand’s most popular winefestivals is held each year at Martinborough, asmall boutique wine region in the Wairarapa. InNovember each year, thousands take the trip fromWellington over the Rimutakas to spend the dayenjoying the region’s wine and food. So far I’venever made it up to this showpiece of the region,but I recently spent a few days at the Association’snew holiday home at Greytown, so took the opportunity to visit a fewMartinborough vineyards and taste a few of their recently released wines.Martinborough wineries are well known for their superb but often pricey PinotNoir. On this trip I was keen to see what other varieties did well there, andhopefully find some interesting wines at everyday drinking prices. So, here aresome notes on three, $20 or under wines, I really enjoyed, plus one slightlymore expensive but stunning Pinot Gris.2006 Te Kairanga Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc RRP $17I often struggle with the big, pungent gooseberry flavours of MarlboroughSauvignon Blanc, but sometimes find the more subtle tropical nature ofHawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc a little ho hum. If you can relate to that, thengive this Martinborough example a try. It has vibrant tropical aromas, andintense passionfruit and gooseberry flavours. The palate is crisp, withoutattacking your taste buds, and there is good length. This is definitely my kindof Sauvignon Blanc.2006 Palliser Estate Martinborough Riesling RRP $18I’ve been a keen follower of this wine for a number of years, and this latestvintage didn’t disappoint. It has its traditional spicy, citrus nose and cleanlemon and lime flavours. There is enough acid there to carry it for some years,and it has excellent length. It’s an off dry style of wine that should appeal toboth dry and medium Riesling followers. Pair this up with an Asian stir-fry toget the best out of the wine.2006 Ata Rangi Lismore Pinot Gris RRP $28I’m not normally a big fan of Pinot Gris, but this wine is one out of the box.It has enticing aromas and luscious nut and tropical fruit flavours with a hintof spice on the finish. It has a beautiful creamy palate, with no suggestion ofalcohol heat. It’s a seamless wine that I would rate as the best example of NewZealand Pinot Gris that I’ve tried. Be warned, once opened it won’t be goingback in the fridge.2006 Burnt Spur Russian Jack Pinot Noir RRP $20It was great to find a number of examples of Martinborough Pinot Noir aroundthe $20 price bracket, although a number were quite simple and light bodied.However, this wine from the Burnt Spur Vineyard is a very appealing wine. It’sa medium bodied Pinot, deep crimson in colour and with a vibrant hue. It hasspicy plum and berry fruit flavours and fine tannins on the finish. While it’sprimarily a fruit driven wine, there is enough oak there to add complexity. Itoffers more than the price suggests and is well worth a try.Ar#e about face!!!We’ve witnessed more tragedies over the last month or so with madmen(generically speaking) behind a steering wheel committing atrocious offences and,on occasions, killing themselves or others in the process.Maybe it’s time we reviewed some of the vehicles we let our youngsters drive?Maybe we should also have a look at who the focus should be on and where theblame really lies as they do in many international jurisdictions?Now, I’m not saying we don’t need to be careful but the law obliges you to stop forthe Red and Blues and if you don’t and cause some carnage along the way it isthe offender who should be held accountable and feel the full weight of the justicesystem. It’s the driver’s decision to run, for whatever reason, and I am hopeful(forever) that we will soon see the courts saying enough is enough!What’s in a measurementWell everything really. I see and hear (particularly from the north) we still havesome of our commanders not wanting to engage resources in gangs, drugs andbugging the villains as it doesn’t fit their performance criteria. Now I can see veryeasily why you wouldn’t focus on the aforementioned if you don’t get measuredon it, so this says to me (and a few of me mates, not all being constables either),that we need to have a wee squizz at what we are measuring.One for the ‘Broad Sword’ and his holiness ‘The Pope’ methinks. They are bothgood southern men who have been around the block often enough to know thesethings matter in our crime fighting and the odd rumour would suggest that some ofthese things can drive other crime – “Ya don’t say!” - I hear a few of you yell.A sad dayWell, you heard it here first folks. Looks like this fella is going to have to sit downwith the Mrs and discuss the ‘power imbalance’ in our relationship. No guessesfor which way it goes fellas!Anyway, with me soulmate a rank or two above (thank goodness as someone hasto bring home the real bacon) then prohibition is on the way. Tongue-in-cheek youmay think but let’s hope someone with commonsense gets hold of this one!!!Storm warningDon’t ya get the feeling that our friends from Africa are starting to up the ante withthe oval ball. The first step was some outstanding performances in the Super 14and now we are gearing up for the Tri Nations. She’s gonna be a very interestingmonth or two. And never write off the Ockers. Maybe they should get the Pontingboy on the field to sort out a few issues and that would make them a tricky hurdlecome September.Either way, it all makes for a delectable sixmonths. – See ya!New SAR and SSGallowance ratifiedSearch and Rescue members along with Specialist SearchGroup members, recently ratified a variation to the sworncollective agreement.A superable allowance equal to 3% of total remuneration isnow payable. A superable allowance of 1.5% can be retainedif a member leaves his or her respective squad with fouror more years service and remains available to assist whererequired. Members welcomed the change by solidly votingin support of it.June 2007115

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceMaking themost of yourhard work.Ever wish there was someone who could step into your world,take your whole financial reality and organise it to your bestadvantage to fast track your goals? Goals like home ownership,buying a new boat or investing for retirement?Are you wanting to better manage your cash resource andput it to work more effectively, looking to identify the bestsavings or investment strategy to meet your objectives, toborrow funds for a residential or commercial property, to funda business? Do you need help to identify how your insuranceprotection fits with your overall financial set-up, are yourfamily and your assets adequately protected? - effectivestructures help you take control of your financial future andcan deliver a greater sense of financial security.Call the Police Financial Planning Enquiry Line 0800 ON BEAT(0800 662 328) to meet with one of our expert financialadvisers in a complimentary no-obligation consultation aboutlong-term financial planning or for specific advice on cashmanagement, investment strategies, debt (mortgages andother loans), insurance protection, tax, financial structures,estate planning, specialist advice on your GSF and PSSmembership and other benefits.A not so lucky leprechaun costs speeders a pot of goldSP1230 Police CS v2.indd 1 15/5/07 4:26:43 PMPolice in Orlando, Florida, hit upon a novel idea ofcatching speeding motorists recently – they dressedan officer in a leprechaun outfit and had him danceon the side of the road with a notice warning driversto slow down.Motorists who chose to ignore the warning signsoon found that there was no pot of gold behind thedancing roadside leprechaun, only speeding tickets,according to a recent Associated Press report.Useful Information & ContactsNew Zealand Police Association:For immediate industrial & legal advice(on matters that cannot be deferred such as Policeshootings, fatal pursuits or deaths in custody)ring 0800 TEN NINE (0800 836 6463)– 24 hour/seven days serviceThe Orange County Sheriff’s Department officer wasdressed in a green leprechaun outfit with a hat, tightwhite knickers and a fake red beard. He held a signdeclaring: “Watch your speed or it will cost you yourpot of gold.”Warning not heededEven despite the lucky green man’s warning, manymotorists chose to ignore the sage words of adviceand were clocked exceeding the speed limit andissued with tickets by motorcycle officers who wereparked nearby.Officers ended up issuing a ticket a minute at theheight of the traffic ‘sting’.Orange County officers had tried a similar ploylast Christmas – with an officer dressed in an elf’soutfit. Speeders complained that being stopped bya deputy in costume was entrapment but a policespokesman said that was “ridiculous”, adding: “Theelf didn’t force anybody to speed.”Police Network 44446 Website www.policeassn.org.nzFreephone 0800 500 122 Police Home Loans 0800 800 808Police Health Plan/Police Fire and General Insurance Police Credit Union 0800 429 000Quotes & information 0800 500 122 or (04) 472 9645or Fax (04) 496 6819 Credit Union www.policecu.org.nzPolice Fire and General Insurance claims 0800 110 088 GSF information 0800 654 731All enquiries (04) 496 6800 PSS information 0800 777 243Vice PresidentsRichard Middleton (027) 277 9846Stuart Mills (027) 268 9416Field OfficersNorthland and Auckland Districts: Stewart Mills (027) 268 9407Waikato, BOP and Eastern Districts: Eric Newman (027) 268 9408Central and Wellington Districts: JJ Taylor (027) 268 9409Tasman and Canterbury Districts: Dave McKirdy (027) 268 9410Southern District Dave Steel (027) 268 9427Regional DirectorsRegion One Steve Hawkins Whangaparoa (027) 268 9419Region Two Mark Leys Papatoetoe (027) 268 9413Region Three Mel Ridley Tauranga (027) 268 9414Region Four Luke Shadbolt Hastings (027) 478 9001Region Five Ron Lek Wellington (027) 268 9417Region Six Craig Prior Sydenham (027) 268 9412Region Seven Tracey Maclennan Invercargill (027) 268 9418116June 2007

New Zealand Police AssociationWrite 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 be published unless there is a goodreason for anonymity. The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or decline letters without explanation. Email to: editor@policeassn.org.nz orwrite it to the Editor at PO Box 12344, Wellington. Letters under 400 words are preferred.SRBA delays untenableMy colleagues and I are stunned by how theissuing of the SRBA body armour has becomesuch a complete farce. After almost 18 monthsof waiting (slightly longer than the initial 10weeks we were told), Canterbury staff are nowfollowing the North Island and having theSRBA delivered to them (kind of). On day twoof the roll out in Canterbury, almost half of thestaff on my section alone ended up not havingthe vests issued to them because they had runout of their size already.I was one of the few that did have SRBA issuedbut I’m as infuriated as the staff that missed outon the lack of vests in their sizes, as they weretold it could be another six months for themto get issued. If 10 weeks can be stretched to18 months, how many years can six monthsbe stretched out to? Flashback 18 months, andthe question is just why did we bother havingthose initial measurements done?Surely, having the measurements wouldhave given Police some idea of how manyare needed of each size (you would think).Even if suppliers changed, I’m sure they couldinterpret the measurements supplied to suittheir style of vest. We have all heard the excusestrumped out to us about supply problems,lack of fabric etc, but shouldn’t these mattershave been addressed at the time of the tender?Isn’t that why tenders are put out? None ofus care about these excuses anymore; nothingcan justify these delays continuing for so longat this late stage.How many of the staff responsible for thiswill fall on their swords when some poor copwho has not been issued SRBA falls on someoffender’s knife (none I am sure)? It’s getting abit old having all these senior officers pattingthemselves on the back about how great theyare for improving the safety of staff when all weare continuing to get are excuses and delays. Ido applaud the Police for getting the vests butare very disappointed in the way their deliveryhas been handled. Police have survived foryears without vests. But once a new safety itemis offered it should then be the Police’s toppriority to deliver them quickly and efficientlyin order to keep staff safe, not just talk abouthow great it will be when it happens. Theexcuses need to stop, and someone has tostand up, show some leadership and stop thisdebacle.Carl Christensen(Christchurch)SRBA delays put staff at riskI have just seen on the news another staffmember was stabbed in the North Island. Iunderstand that he had not been issued hisstab-resistant body armour (SRBA) but stilltook the decision that the majority of us take- to go to work without the equipment that wedeserve and require, in order to come homesafely should things go pear shaped!This might not mean much to the 9-5, threebreaks a day, office dwellers that sit in thetowers and don’t deal with offenders. Theconstant wringing of their hands apologeticallyabout the SRBA delays, blaming process,manufacture, design, sizing and any other issuefor their inability to manage this situation hasachieved nothing. I guess that was the idea, passthe parcel always was a great game to play.I want to know where does the buck stop?If I make a mistake on the street I am rightlyheld accountable for that decision. Who isaccountable in this situation? I don’t want ageneric policy or process answer, or an excusethat this is the biggest purchase. Who is goingto say sorry for all this?To date, I can recall three officers that havebeen injured (two in Auckland and the mostrecent event) as a direct consequence of thesedelays. I suspect more incidents exist but theyhave not reached that attention of the nationalmedia.Four years ago, I bought my own vest from theUSA. I filled out a simple measurement chartwith about 8-10 measurements. It cost $2500and it arrived in eight weeks, fits perfectlyand I have worn it every shift since then. It isamazing to me that a single customer receivedthat level of service from a manufacturer. Whatwould they do in order to obtain a 6,000 unitorder?I never had to be “fitted” by some specialist(which is one of the reasons for the delays).It either fits or it doesn’t. If all else fails, lookon the Intranet under Online Library/SSST/Defensive Tactics/SRBA...there’s a whole bookon SRBA. Just read it, follow the instructionsand off you go!To fellow staff members, I applaud yourwilling decision to go to work in the currentenvironment knowing full well the dangeryou are putting yourselves in. To theadministration, who rely on that willingnessknowing full well that staff are at risk, I don’tknow how you can look at yourself in themirror.Ryan Mitchell(Oamaru)Take their patches andnegate their powerAnyone who thinks that not banning thewearing of gang patches and colours is a goodidea obviously hasn’t read the very excellentbook “Angels of Death: Inside the Bikers’ GlobalCrime Empire” (pub. 2006) by WilliamMarsden and Julian Sher, nor their equallyexcellent“The Road to Hell: How the Biker Gangsare Conquering Canada” (pub. 2003.)In particular, Marsden and Sher note thathow, in the early 1990’s, representatives ofopposing gangs had a sit-down in Paris “…toprevent all-out war (amongst themselves) andto make a peaceful division of the continent.Both clubs wanted to avoid Police andgovernment countermeasures that could slowtheir expansion…”Marsden and Sher go on to state that “..inGermany, Hamburg officials had alreadyoutlawed the wearing of the Hells Angelspatch, grounding the club and renderingit practically invisible (emphasis mine). AnAngel without his patch was clipped. Thebikers wanted to forestall more of that kind oflegislation…”Part of the whole ethos of having a patch,having a colour, is to be able to wear it.Remove the opportunities to flaunt it and, inpart, some of the “power” of the gang, and ofthat individual, is removed.After all, if the gangs themselves don’t like notbeing able to wear their patches why shouldthe good folk in society do otherwise?Trevor W.A. Morley(Wellington)Gang patches - a casefor media censorshipI have mixed feelings about the banning ofgang regalia. However, if the media could bepersuaded to blank out the identifying logoswhen they report incidents, then this wouldhave the effect of not giving a particular gangany publicity. Afterall, it is quite noticeable,especially when there are cameras present, thatwe get displays of intimidating behaviour.By all means show the behaviour. But do notidentify the actor’s gang. Keep up the goodwork.Geoff Benge(Waikanae)June 2007117

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceRefreshing view of President,as one of usPage 95 of the May issue of Police Newsgives a refreshing photo of our President,Greg O’Connor. Normally, we see photosof Mr O’Connor giving a speech somewhereor presenting an award to someone forsomething. This photo is different. It showshim one finger typing, it shows him with thekeyboard at arms length which indicates heneeds new glasses, it shows him unsure as towhich button to push next, it shows him undergreat strain, not smiling like he normally is. Iguess he is just like the rest of us.Dave Dunbar(Papamoa)Thanks Dave. Yes and with a bit of effort wemight get him up to two-finger typing, whichmight mean I get his President’s columnearlier. We live in hope. – Editor.Time to toughen up penaltiesfor failing to stop?Any death on our roads is a tragedy. However,once again we are in the media over Policepursuits/Police driving.In light of recent media coverage and bias Ithink the question is this: Are the reasons wehave so many pursuits due to the minorway the offence is dealt with?Failing to stop on its own is only a $10,000fine (maximum) and is often the first chargethat gets dropped in a plea deal or is treated asa conviction and discharge.Is it time Police took the first step andpushed for a law change? Is an increase inthe penalty needed to suit the risks to thepublic and ourselves? Do we need a term ofdisqualification and a term of imprisonmentfor offenders?I’m not sure what the answer to the problemis but I do know that the present fine-onlysystem does not work.The other area of concern is that offendersknow our policy and will do anything to getthe pursuit called off. We know that afterstopping our cars to abandon the pursuit, theoffender does not just slow down and say:“Good they stopped so I can slow down”. No,they continue to drive as they were to get outof the area and the risk continues.This is one area that the Police will alwaysbe between a rock and a hard place but theready critics should not lose sight of the factthat the people behind the wheel, who chooseto run from Police, must bear the overallresponsibility for their actions.G Hartley(Counties-Manukau)Support was greatIn June 2004 I was involved in a policeshooting. The Police Complaints Authorityinvestigation and report is now completeand my wife and I can get on with our life.I’d just like to say a big thanks to the PoliceAssociation for their financial assistance andsupport and the support of my peers duringthis time.“Very grateful”(Name and district withheld for reasons of privacy)Support in trying times appreciatedI am writing this letter on behalf of my wifeand I to say thanks to the many people whogave their time and assistance to us as theresult of an incident I was involved in threeyears ago.A normal midweek late shift erupted into asituation whereby I had no choice but to use afirearm to protect staff and myself. This matterhas finally run its course in the criminal courtsand the PCA.Firstly, I would like to extend my thanksto those staff who attended the scene in thefirst instance and to those who did the hardyards afterwards. Having worked on a coupleof these myself, I know the amount of workrequired and the close scrutiny of the media,the public and Police HQ. There are too manypeople to mention by name but I would liketo make special mention of Misty, Marty andthose attending frontline staff, who I have nodoubt prevented a loss of life occurring on thisoccasion due to their actions and subsequentcare at the time.I would also like to thank the Glenfield CIUstaff and Takapuna CIB late shift that tookcharge of what must have been a chaotic scene,to say the least. It was very surreal to see it froma different point of view. I haven’t forgotten Iowe a few beers to various people and hope toswing by the office someday soon.I must also thank Tony Lindsay, who hasrecently retired, and his associates fromthe Police Association and Police WelfareFund, who swung into action right from thebeginning. The support was appreciated andno doubt facilitated my early return to work.This has been my second time in my short butexciting career to date in which I have had legalassistance from the Police Association. At a timewhen financial concerns should be the least ofmy worries, I was grateful I was able to put thataside and deal with the matter at hand.I would also like to thank those who went outof their way to make my wife feel included inthe process - she was a rock during this timeand I know she appreciated being involvedwhere she could.Finally, thanks to all those who came and sawme during this time – your belief and supportof my actions, before having to see where theinquiry went and the subsequent decisionsaround that, means more to me than any courtdecision or tribunal decision.“Mr and Mrs A”(Name and district withheld for reasons of privacy)Merit awards criteriaI am writing this subsequent letter in reply tothe information supplied by Natalie Thornton(PNHQ) after I wrote to Police News about thecriteria for merit awards.I thank her for referring me to the GeneralInstructions (GI’s), which tell me what sortof awards are available, but that doesn’treally answer the question. I don’t knowwhat Constable McLaughlin’s Area Controllerand District Commander wrote in the reportbut how can a person who is in charge of afile rate a higher award than a person whophysically risks their life to apprehend anarmed offender?Having read G.I. M052 Royal Honours forGallantry, Bravery or Meritorious Service, I’dhave thought this selfless act in apprehendingan armed offender whilst unarmed wouldhave fallen into that category rather than aninternal order.I am saddened by this response as it showsa real lack of support and attitude of givingcredit where credit is due. It would appearthat the merit system has been usurped bysome among our hierarchy, just like theTen One magazine, in order to push theirown agendas and promote the work of theirfriends. This clearly shows that it doesn’tpay to put your life on the line for this job,as Police management will not show you theproper recognition for your actions. I cannotsee how under any circumstances being theO/C of a file (regardless of the seriousnessof the matter investigated) rates a gold meritwhen the actions by Constable McLaughlinonly get a bronze merit award.I have been in similar situations to ConstableMcLaughlin in the past, only to have my areacontroller throw out the reports written by mySenior Sergeant. Maybe my face didn’t fit. Inone incident I was written up for recognitioninvolved an offender armed with a bow andarrows. The offender had attacked his elderlymother and was destroying the house. Iclimbed a small wall to see where the offenderwas when he appeared at the window andtook aim at me with the bow. A sergeant andI were on the opposite side of the house to thesergeant’s vehicle and firearms. The sergeantwould not go back to the vehicle to get thefirearms as it meant crossing the front of thehouse. I took his keys and made the tripmyself, issuing firearms to arriving staff, so wecould contain the offender until the ArmedOffenders’ Squad (AOS) arrived. After theincident was resolved and the offender wastaken into custody with the aid of a Police dog,we went back to the scene and found that theoffender had fired three arrows at the pointon the wall where I had been standing. I waslucky that I moved and the arrows missed.In another situation, I was O/C WaitakereTPU and had started developing proceduresin shield use to arrest violent offenders. We118June 2007

New Zealand Police Associationwere called to assist section staff with a knownarmed violent offender who had assaultedhis wife and barricaded himself in the house.The offender was a regular customer and wasusually dealt with by AOS due to the weaponsissue. On this occasion, AOS refused to attend.After three hours of trying to negotiate withhim I had discussions with the Senior Sergeantpresent and my team. As a result, we decidedto try and arrest the offender using our newprocedures. We forced entry and found thatthe offender had hidden in a roof cavity. Therewas a strong smell of petrol in the house andwires could be seen where the offender washidden. Further negotiations took place butthe offender refused to surrender. We got theFire Service to attend due to the fire risk. Ahole was punched in the roof and with the aidof thermal imaging the location of the offenderwas pinpointed. A fire hose was put throughthe roof hole, which the fire crew assured uswould stop any fire from starting. Two ofmy staff volunteered to go up to the roof andarrest the offender.These guys risked their lives to arrest thisoffender. I wrote a report and forwardedit through my supervisors to our DistrictCommander. Nothing happened. I sent itthrough again and surprise, surprise stillnothing. I kept pushing for two years beforethe guys got some recognition - a simpleDistrict Commander’s Commendation fromthe new District Commander.Our hierarchy needs to be more loyal to thestaff and show more appreciation. I can sayI’m pretty lucky at the present time in that Ihave a very good Area Controller in InspectorKnowles and a very good District Commanderin Superintendent Manderson. Both arewilling to show their appreciation for the workthat the frontline staff do. I think with the newCode of Conduct that the old ‘buddy’ systemfor recognition needs to be replaced witha fairer one. From what I have heard of theCommission of Inquiry, I believe that it saidthat the Police Act and G.I.’s were antiquated.I think that says it all.In relation to Amanda Craig’s reply fromthe Association about stab resistant bodyarmour, this sounds like something I wouldhave expected from the department not ourAssociation. Uniformed officers are requiredto wear the SRBA overtly, in other words, overtheir shirt not under it next to the skin, so thereasoning behind two covert covers (pardonthe pun) doesn’t sit well. If I am wearing itovertly then it is outside my uniform shirt andnot coming into contact with my skin.Jim Currie(Christchurch)A big thanks for anenjoyable 22 yearsBy the time members read this letter of ‘thanks’and ‘goodbye’ I will be approximately twoweeks from leaving the greatest job and peopleI have had and known during my workingcareer in NZ and the US.After over 22 years at the Royal New ZealandPolice College I have decided to retire on my60th birthday. During this time, I have metsome great people who do an excellent job ina very professional manner.Many of you I have met when you came to thePolice College to do a course and advance yourskills. In particular, the Instructors’ Course,which enabled you and I to work to developyour skills to be an effective trainer/instructor/presenter. What satisfaction I derived fromseeing you on day one and then by the endof the course with the confidence and skillsto meet any challenge out there in the ‘real’world. I’d like to share with you all my last‘story’ of the cave, to warn you about what youcould encounter out there.When I think about what has kept my passionfor policing, I must admit it’s been the peopleand work variety. A long time ago I realisedif I was going to maintain my sanity I neededto go with the times. I’ve always felt that fromworking in partnership with sworn membersfor the same common goal. Many of you,through the years, have asked my advice andopinion on issues e.g. interviewing factors ofboth verbal and non-verbal communication.I’ve found it very satisfying that you respectedmy opinion, just as I respected your opinionsand positions. Working behind the scenes ina minor way and seeing you have success wasextremely rewarding for me. I also appreciatethe members who gave me feedback as I wasdeveloping various interviewing strategies.Your real life experiences made these strategiesmore creditable.The New Zealand Police have been excellent inrecognising my skills and sending me overseasin the early stage of my career to advance theseskills. I’m truly indebted to them.I would like to recognise the excellentwork and relationship I have had with thePolice Association over the years. When theopportunity for non-sworn to join up arose Iwas one of the first in the line at the Collegeto do so. Through the years, I have servedon the committee and of more recent yearsbeen the chairperson of the College branch.Letters and the public domainThe relationship with National Office andthe College has been great, working togetherto resolve situations. I’ve always felt theAssociation has been fair and professional.I always felt that the field officers, industrialofficers and the President respected ouropinion and were genuinely interested infeedback.The benefits are outstanding. You get holidayhomes of such quality at great prices.I would like to say thanks to the Police HealthPlan team for the excellent work they do.Recently, we had a major illness in our familyand the PHP staff were outstanding, beingsupportive and flexible during this time. Isalute all of you with the utmost respect andheartfelt thanks from my family.Well, it is time to pack up those memories andmove on to the next phase of my life. I havebeen so lucky to have known you during theyears and wish you all the best in the future.I pray you will have as much satisfaction as Ihave had through the years.Horst Erich Maczuga(Royal New Zealand Police College 1985-2007)Christmas holidayhome ballotA ballot will take place for the holidayhomes over Christmas-New Year, due tothe huge demand for the homes duringthis period.Every sworn and non-sworn member ofthe Welfare Fund will be sent an Email tohis or her Police Email address. The Emailwill contain a link to apply on-line.The ballot runs from 29 December 2007until 1 February 2008. Entries are limitedto one per member. Ballots are for sevennights and apply to all holiday home units.All entries must be received no later that13 August 2007 and winners of the ballotwill be notified by the end of that week. Ifyou require any further information pleasecontact the Member Services Centre on0800 500 122 or extn 44446.Writers of letters should be aware that the Police News goes into the media, political andpublic forums and is available in public libraries throughout New Zealand.Recently, the Association has become aware of one reporter in particular who has beenringing writers of letters to Police News trying to illicit further comment from them onpolicing matters. While we are fully aware that it takes time and effort to put pen to paperor Email letters and that often these reflect strongly held opinion, we think it timely toremind members that, if in doubt, as to how to handle media inquiries please feel freeto say “No comment” and refer them to the National Office of the Police Association (04)4966-826 or the President for comment.June 2007119

SUPPLEMENTARY LIFE INSURANCEProtect your family’s quality of lifeSupplementary Life Insurance provides very competitivelypriced life insurance to Police Welfare Fund members.Designed to supplement the Group Life Insurance for swornand non-sworn members, as well as providing great valueinsurance for retired members and their partners.Supplementary Life Insurance offers cover to ensure yourfamily’s quality of life is protected in the event of your death.We also offer Vital Care coverage that helps you to avoidfi nancial stress should you develop a critical illness.For more information, contact the Police Welfare FundCustomer Services Centre toll-free on0800 500 122www.policeassn.org.nzEnhancing the wellbeing ofPolice and their families