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Police News May - New Zealand Police Association

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<strong>May</strong> 2004 <strong>Police</strong> <strong><strong>New</strong>s</strong> The Voice of <strong>Police</strong>Bronze merit award winnera hero in Georgia’s eyesFour-year-old Georgia Raynes thinks her Dad is prettyspecial and she’s right.Her Dad, Constable Mark Raynes of Gore, was recentlyawarded a NZ <strong>Police</strong> bronze merit award for his actionsin apprehending a drunk offender, who had kidnappedanother person and was making his getaway in a stolenbread van.The incident happened in <strong>May</strong> last year.Quick thinking and actions saw Constable Raynes jumpon to the truck’s running board and eventually he disabledthe vehicle by turning the ignition off. The drunken driverhad earlier avoided being stopped between Waikaia andGore despite the combined efforts of two pursuing policevehicles.Officer took controlAs the truck slowed to around 20 kmh near GlenarayStation, Constable Raynes saw an opportunity to takecontrol of the situation and did so.Constable Raynes, who has been in the job for four years,was modest in the extreme in accepting the award, sayingthat the driver had not put up much resistance due tohis level of intoxication. “The driver had his windowdown, which was really good,” Constable Raynes told theSouthland Times.A Gore man was later charged with kidnapping a 14-yearoldboy, unlawfully taking a bread truck, driving whiledisqualified, dangerous driving, failing to stop for policeand driving with an excess blood alcohol limit of 667mcg.He was sentenced to 2 1 / 2 years jail.• “Say cheese, Dad”...Georgia Raynes captures a specialmoment with her father, Constable Mark Raynes. - (Photocourtesy of The Southland Times/Barry Harcourt).<strong>Association</strong> makessubmissions regardingEmployment RelationsLaw Reform BillBy Leann Peden, <strong>Association</strong> Industrial OfficerRecently the <strong>Police</strong> <strong>Association</strong> made submissions on theEmployment Relations Law Reform Bill, which proposeskey changes to the Employment Relations Act 2000.The changes are designed to strengthen that Act’s keyobjectives of promoting:• Good faith;• Collective bargaining; and• The effective resolution of employment relationship problems.Proposed changes also protect employees in situationswhere there is a change of employer caused by the sale,transfer or contracting out of a business.This Bill will have little impact on sworn members becausetheir employment terms and conditions are set out in the<strong>Police</strong> Act.Non-sworn affectedThe proposed changes will, however, apply to non-swornmembers, as they come under the Employment RelationsAct 2000.The <strong>Association</strong> informed MPs that the EmploymentRelations Act does not apply to sworn members as swornmembers are still covered by a system, which is unfairlyloaded and restricts their ability to negotiate basic terms andconditions of employment (i.e. redundancy, breaks etc).Other groups of employees take this right to negotiate forgranted.The <strong>Association</strong>’s submission suggested changes, whichwould mean that the Employment Relations Act andany amendments apply to sworn members of <strong>Police</strong>. Inparticular, the <strong>Association</strong> sought changes that wouldallow it to negotiate all basic terms and conditions ofemployment, rather than being restricted to pay andallowance issues.The <strong>Association</strong> sought changes to the arbitrationframework, which would level the playing field by allowingit to take all employment-related issues to arbitration.Currently, the <strong>Association</strong> can only do this with theagreement of the Commissioner.The <strong>Association</strong>’s submission supported the changes, asit would mean that the Employment Relations Act couldachieve its objectives more effectively.Too busy waiting for the jackpotIt’s sad but it’s true...the operators of Casino Niagara (Niagara Falls, Ontario) told a local newspaper that customersurinating around slot machines had become a serious problem. Customers who believed a slot machine would soonpay off were afraid to leave the machines and either wore adult diapers, urinated into the plastic coin cups or simplyon the floor next to the machines.It’s sadder but it’s true...67-seven-year-old Arthur Mooney died of a heart attack in the Spirit Mountain Casinoin Oregon. No, he had not won the jackpot. But while Mr Mooney’s body lay on the floor for an hour, the othercustomers continued to play the slot machines.70

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