Police News Oct 06.indd - New Zealand Police Association

New Zealand Police Association“You should not lose your job” – Judge tells Mokauofficer who attended fatal accident after drinkingTaranaki police officer Jonathan Erwood,who was discharged without convictionafter a guilty plea to a drink driving charge,is waiting to find out whether he still hasa job.Erwood, the sole charge officer in the smalltown of Mokau, faced the charge afterattending an after-hours callout to a fatalroad accident in July in which two peopledied. He was breathalysed at the scene andfound to be 26 mg over the legal limit.He pleaded guilty to the charge when heappeared in court.The Police Association offered support toboth Constable Erwood and the officer whobreathalysed him. Association PresidentGreg O’Connor said that both officers were“merely doing their job”.DischargedIn discharging Constable Erwood JudgeLouis Bidois said in the New PlymouthDistrict Court last month that time was ofthe essence in Erwood’s decision to ferrylife-saving oxygen equipment to the scene.“You risked your career to attend thisaccident. There was nothing personal inthis for you and it reflects a commitmentto your job which you should be proud of,”Judge Bidois said in his summing up.Judge Bidois said that he was mindful thatany conviction would label Mr Erwooda criminal and that would besmirch adistinguished 16-year career as a policeofficer and would likely cost him his job.Judge Bidois said this would be “out of allproportion to the offence”. The judge chosenot to impose a disqualification periodon Mr Erwood, saying there were “specialcircumstances” not to do so.Commonsense decisionPolice Association President, Greg O’Connor,welcomed Judge Bidois’ comments as avictory for commonsense.“If you lost your job, your career wouldbe destroyed, the Police would have lost agood man and Mokau would be losing avery good police officer and a very strongmember of the community,” Judge Bidoissaid.The judge said that the situation highlightedcircumstances, which any sole-charge policeofficer, Fire Brigade driver or ambulanceofficer in the country could face at any timewhile off-duty.As this issue was going to press, Police werestill considering whether Constable Erwoodwould face internal disciplinary action.The Police Complaints Authority is alsoconsidering the matter.Difficult choicesPolice Association President, GregO’Connor, said that while the Associationdoes not condone drinking and driving,Constable Erwood’s decision to attend theaccident should be viewed in terms of thedifficult choices he faced and whether thosechoices should then cost him his job. “TheAssociation’s position has always been thatthis officer should not lose his job,” MrO’Connor said.“The Association is aware that opinion maybe divided on the matter but in this instancewe felt the extenuating circumstanceswere of such magnitude that it would bemanifestly unjust for Constable Erwood tolose his job for electing to try and save a life.We agree with Judge Bidois’ summation,”Mr O’Connor said. Following the courtcase, the Association had been in contactwith both Mr Erwood and the officerwho breathalysed him to offer its ongoingsupport.19 reasons for pause…1. When cheese gets it’s picture taken, what does it say?2. When someone asks you: “A penny for your thoughts”. And you put your two cents in, what happens to the other penny?3. If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn’t it follow that electricians can be delighted and musicians denoted?4. When someone is impatient and says, “I haven’t got all day.” How can that be? How can you not have all day?5. If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?6. Is a vegetarian permitted to eat animal crackers?7. What if there were no hypothetical questions?8. Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck.9. Some camping grounds have long waiting lists for camping reservations. When you have to wait a year to sleep next to a tree,something is wrong.10. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.11. Before they invented drawing boards, what did they go back to?12. Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday.13. Why do croutons come in airtight packages? It’s just stale bread to begin with.14. Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?15. If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2?16. Electricity is really just organised lightning.17. Women like silent men; they think they’re listening.18. “I am” is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that “I do” is the longest sentence?19. If fire fighters fight fire and crime fighters fight crime, what do freedom fighters fight?October 2006239