Police News May 07.indd - New Zealand Police Association

New Zealand Police AssociationAssociation welcomes Commission ofInquiry into Police Conduct reportBy Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsThe Police Association has welcomed thereport of the Commission of Inquiry intoPolice Conduct, which was released lastmonth by Dame Margaret Bazley.Association President, Greg O’Connor calledthe report’s publication “timely” and saidthat New Zealanders should feel “reassured”by its contents, in that it showed that“while some individuals have indulged ininappropriate and illegal behaviour in thepast, the NZ Police of today is focused onensuring exemplary standards of behaviourare maintained.”Mr O’Connor said that there had“understandably been a level of concernabout their police following recent negativepublicity and court cases.”He said he felt sure that those who readthe report would gain an understanding ofhow thoroughly Dame Margaret Bazley andher team had examined past and currentpolice practice. “Reading the report will helpreassure people that errant behaviour bypolice officers is vigorously investigated andstrictly dealt with,” Mr O’Connor said.Concerns about internal processes“Dame Margaret Bazley’s report, whileexpressing concerns about the adequacy ofsome internal processes, is generally positiveabout how Police deal with complaints ofalleged sexual offending by police officers andtheir associates,” Mr O’Connor said. “It willalso reassure New Zealanders that in today’sculture, sexual offending or misconduct isnot tolerated or ignored.”The Police Association was already workingwith Police to formulate a Code of Concoct,one of the Commission’s recommendations.“The unique nature of policing does need tobe carefully considered when implementingchanges, especially the situation where theCommissioner of Police is in the uniqueposition of being the employer and theprosecutor.”Natural justice“The Police Association has no interestin protecting police officers who commitcriminal offences or indulge in inappropriatebehaviour. However, officers deserve the rightto have the veracity of any allegations madeagainst them tested, before being acted upon.The principles of natural justice should applyto police officers too”, Mr O’Connor said.Recent public submissions contained in thePolice Act review had suggested that theCommissioner should be able to sack officerswho had been the subject of allegations and theAssociation totally rejected this suggestion.Police Commissioner Howard Broad saidthat he has “unreservedly accepted thefindings of Dame Margaret Bazley’s report”.Mr Broad said that Dame Margaret’s work“is propelling us to improve our systems,policies and processes.”RecommendationsPolice Minister Annette King said that ofthe 60 recommendations contained in theCommission’s report, 31 were already inthe process of being implemented and all ofthem would be completed within two years.She said the Auditor-General would auditthe work of Police in this regard to makesure that Dame Margaret’s recommendationswere completed within that timeframe.Prime Minister, Helen Clark, mirrored theviews of Ms King, saying that the Governmentwas keen to see the reports recommendationsimplemented. Ms Clark said that while therewere obviously “largely historical” incidentsthat had shocked the public, she could notimagine anything in the report would add tothat. She said it was “comforting” that suchevents were extremely rare.Ms Clark said that she viewed, as she thoughtmost New Zealanders would, the Police asan overwhelmingly professional organisationwho were interested in maintaining thehighest standards. While she said she waspersonally disgusted by the behaviour ofsome police officers, the Police was not“characterised by such behaviour”.Ms Clark said that victims could be reassuredby the report and those who complained inthe future should know that their complaintswould be taken seriously.Mayl 200777

New Zealand Police AssociationPeopleHardThis column is written by a frontlinepolice officer. It does not representthe views or policies of the PoliceAssociation.And it’s getting even messier! Now the system is nicking sick leave off us!What next and when will it stop? I hear our top HR boy in ‘Wayne’s World’ isso frustrated with this software that’s not delivering on the promises that hehas disbanded the team who put together this ‘new technology’Another INCIS I hear some cry? Words from a dark past that sent thecockroaches scuttling from the light.Best we put this one to bed quicker rather than later HR, as the word integritymight end up at your end of the court!Times are a changingAin’t that the truth. Our leader down here in God’s Own has decreed thatthere will be no more J#$ sessions (can’t say that three-letter word) from thisday forth. Apparently, on the back of some ‘not so discreet’ behaviour thatoccurred in a very public place and hit the press, though the scrutiny goesback close to when time began.Now from my ‘country boy’ point of view, we need to change with the timesand they certainly have in this lad’s 25+ year tenure. To be fair, these‘debriefs’ have been modified considerably over the years in line with thecommunity values and expectations...However, its clear we are entering anew era and change is a coming!In a country with a binge drinking culture it was always going to be reflectedsomewhere in the thin blue line. I even see our ‘Broad Sword’, when underthe media spotlight, admitted to having liked the odd ale. Thanks for beingso honest boss.‘Tuff’ timesNow we may be headed for a bumpy ride over the next few years but doesn’tya chest swell with pride with what the guys and girls are doing from CapeReinga to the Bluff? My beautiful Garden City is starting to look a bit like‘Homicide City’ at the moment but the team still keeps solving the crimes andputting the baddies where they belong.So keep the chin up team. With results like that maniac in the Hutt Valleygetting the Red Card for at least 26 years there is still hope and that’s worthfighting for.Good timesAnd if you Jaffas, Cake-Tinners and others want to bathe in sunshine comeon down to the sunny south. Reverse that drift north and come and belongto the worst kept secret in NZ. We are Canterbury, We are One, We are themighty Red and Blacks! (Editor’s note: Did he mean “We are one-eyed?”I wonder.)See Ya!by Ricky CollinsA Taste of SpainWe New Zealanders tend to stick to drinkingmainly New Zealand and Australian wine, butthere are some really interesting alternatives ifwe are prepared to experiment a little. Thanksto the efforts of some well-travelled local wineimporters, we now have a wide range of winesavailable from other parts of the world. I recently bought a selection ofunder-$20 Spanish wines to see how they compared to Australasian winesof a similar value.For centuries Spanish wines were largely made in bulk supply for localconsumption and were of relatively low quality. Things have improvedsignificantly over the last 30 years or so to the point where Spanish winesare now highly regarded internationally. The wines I’ve reviewed below arecertainly not from the top echelon of wines available from Spain, but theyrepresent good value for money and compare very favourably to what wecan buy at a similar price from New Zealand and Australian producers.Martin Codax Albarino 2005 RRP $20This dry white was a real surprise for me, as I didn’t expect such fruitforward characteristics. On the nose I got a definite whiff of almond, andon the palate there were bright apricot and peach flavours. The viscoustexture, matched with the crisp acidity makes this wine different to NewZealand whites. I’d describe it as similar to a blend of Riesling and Viognier,and very appealing. It’s a drink-now style of wine and would complimentany seafood perfectly.Carchelo Mourvedre Syrah 2005 RRP $17This Spanish red has been a favourite of mine over the years. The blendof varieties used to produce the Carchelo has varied vintage by vintage,but the resulting wines have always been excellent and great value formoney. The 2005 blend has excellent depth of flavour, with cherries andberryfruits showing through. Like many Spanish wines, there is a touch ofmusky, smoky spice in the mix, and the finish is slightly earthy. This is avery smart wine that belies its price point.Castano Monastrell 2005 RRP $16This is a fresh, silky young wine with lifted herbal aromas. There are sweetberryfruit flavours, supported by fine-grained tannins and vanilla oakinfluence. I’ve tried a number of previous vintages of this wine and theycan develop earthy, savoury characteristics that add to the complexity ofthe wine. There’s a lot going on in this wine for the price. Look out for thesmart but simple, modern new label.Dominio de Eguren Codice 2004 RRP $20This wine is produced from the grape Tempranillo, one of Spain’s mostfamous varieties. It has ripe raspberry flavours and a spicy edge on thepalate. It spent six months in a mix of French and American oak barrelsbefore bottling and that has imparted a firm, tannic structure and a smokyoak influence on the finish. Everything is in balance, and the result isa very smart wine. This has alreadypicked up a gold medal at the 2006Liquorland Top 100 Wine Show.You should find these wines at finewine outlets such as the Fine WineDelivery Company, Glengarry, VinoFino or Munslows Fine Wines.• The Spanish wines (picturedabove) represent value formoney.May 200779

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceSick Leave Bank myths and realitiesMyth:Reality:Myth:Reality:Sworn police have unlimited sick leave.Sworn police officers get 12 days sick leave per year, which can be accrued.Allowing, in most cases, sick leave of up to 60 days in any five year period. Anyadditional sick leave has to be applied for from the Sick Leave Bank (SLB).“I’ll just take stress leave.”There is no such thing as “stress leave” in the NZ Police. A member can eithertake annual leave or go on sick leave. Members should realise that being on“stress leave” is actually using up their annual or sick leave entitlement. Oncesick leave is exhausted a member can either apply to the Sick Leave Bank, useannual or another type of leave (e.g. shiftworkers’ leave), or possibly go onleave without pay.NZ Police established a Sick Leave Bank (SLB) in 1981. The SLB was set up to ensure swornmembers who were genuinely sick, orsupporting loved ones who were unwell,did not run out of sick leave. Each swornmember “donates” 0.5, or 1 day’s annualleave to the SLB, which is available to thosemembers who have run out of their ownpersonal sick leave.Over the years, sick leave and the SLB havenot been actively managed and a culture ofthinking they have unlimited sick leave hasbuilt up among many members of Police.In the sworn pay round negotiations in 2003the issue of the SLB was resolved. The NZPolice, in consultation with the NZ PoliceAssociation and the Police Managers’ Guild,set up a formal process to manage the SLB.As a result of this consultation, a Sick LeaveBank Approval Committee was formed. Thecommittee considers applications againstoperating principles and criteria, whichwere developed in consultation with theAssociation and the Guild. Peter Hayes,Manager Police Welfare Fund, is the NZPolice Association/Police Managers’ Guildrepresentative.Mr Hayes has set out some of the commonquestions he gets asked in relation to theSick Leave Bank. Peter can be contactedon 0800 500 122 or Police extension44446 if you have a specific query relatingto these issues.Questions and answers:Q: Why couldn’t sick leave remain asit was?A: A good employer is responsible formanaging sick leave so ill/injuredemployees are supported and thereare no abuses of sick leave. Police arenow taking a much more active rolein ensuring members who are on sickleave are supported and, if necessary,rehabilitation plans are put in place toenable a return to their fulltime role assoon as practicable.Q: Does this mean when I run out ofsick leave I won’t get paid?A: If you are suffering from an illness orsupporting a family member with agenuine illness and running out of sickleave you should make applicationto the SLB to access further leave. Invirtually all cases access to the SLBwill be approved if the applicant meetsspecific criteria.Q: What are those criteria?A: In order to make a full assessment of amember’s eligibility to access the SLB theSick Leave Bank Approval Committeeneeds the following information:• Diagnosis of medical/psychologicalcondition;• Treatment and/or rehabilitationplan;• Prognosis and likelihood to returnback to a career in Police; and• Other information: The SickLeave Bank Approval Committeewill also ask for the details of themember’s previous annual andsick leave history, or other relevantinformation about their conditionand/or circumstances.Q: How do I know how much sickleave I have?A: Members can check their leavebalances by contacting their local HRadministration.Q: If I have annual leave, TOIL ordeferred days off, do I have to usethese first, before accessing the SickLeave Bank?A: This is not always the case. Memberswill be expected to use a portion or all oftheir other leave if they require a lengthyperiod of time off work. The Sick LeaveBank Committee realises that membersshould have some annual leave inreserve for their ongoing wellbeing.Each case is judged on its particularmerits and it may be reasonable formembers to use some other type ofleave first or in combination with leavefrom the SLB.Q: How do I make an application?A: Members should contact their localHR Manager or Police Staff WelfareOfficer.Q: When should I apply?A: When you are aware that you are likelyto exhaust your sick leave. Don’t waituntil you have exhausted your sickleave.Q: Are applications to the SLBconfidential?A: Yes. All applications and supportinginformation will be dealt withconfidentially.Q: As the primary caregiver, can I usethe SLB to be at home with my sickdependants?A: Yes. The Sick Leave Bank ApprovalCommittee may approve access in suchcircumstances, but in addition to thecriteria set out above, they will alsorequire information to ensure that bothcaregivers (if applicable) are making anequal contribution to supporting thesick dependant. Police should not bemaking a greater contribution than anyother employer involved in a family’ssituation.Q: How long can I access the SLB for?A: The SLB Approval Committee approvesup to a maximum of 30 days access atany one time without re-assessing thecircumstances with updated medicalreports etc. Usually, approvals are forfive to 10 days. Longer periods of 50-60 days are very unusual. Members areable to re-apply for further leave if theyare still unable to return to work.Q: How often do I have to make acontribution to the SLB?A: The last contribution members madeto the SLB was in early 2005 whenmembers gave up half a day leave astheir individual contribution towardsthe SLB. It is likely a similar contributionwill be requested in 2008.80May 2007

New Zealand Police Association• Constables Ian Foster and Jo Moratti are buried in a sea of toys donated to Waikato Hospital by Hamilton Police staff.- Photo courtesy of The Waikato Times.Hamilton police staff rally around tosupply surplus toys to Waikato HospitalHamilton’s Lance Tebbutt found his officehad been inundated by hundreds of toysrecently, so many in fact that he was left toaccess his desk by climbing over the top ofit. But Lance didn’t mind one iota, since itwas all in the name of a good cause.Hamilton Police staff have rallied aroundto provide Waikato Hospital’s emergencydepartment with hundreds of toys, to helpchildren who come into the accident andemergency service for treatment.Blue Light projectHamilton North community constable,Jo Moratti, said the donation came aboutthrough the generosity of Police staff, whowere “only too happy to rally around insupport of the Blue Light project team”.Constable Moratti told The Waikato Timesthe response had been “fantastic”. Wordgot around Hamilton staff via noticesplaced in the lifts. “We asked staff todonate surplus toys that they may haveat home and the response was amazing,with hundreds pouring in over a twoweek period,” she said.So taken with the response were theorganisers that a repeat collection isplanned next year.Question: Name the capital of France? Answer: “F”More from the wonderful world of game showanswers. Last month we ran some ‘pearler’answers from game show contestants whoseemed to have disengaged the brain beforeanswering questions put to them on popularTV shows. These ones came from the popularUK game show “Family Fortunes”.1) Something a blind man might use? - Asword2) A song with the word Moon in the title? -Blue Suede Moon3) Name the capital of France? - F4) Name a bird with a long Neck? - NaomiCampbell5) Name an occupation where you might needa torch? - A burglar6) Where is the Taj Mahal? - Opposite theDental Hospital7) What is Hitler’s first name? - Heil8) A famous Scotsman? - Jock9) Some famous brothers? - Bonnie andClyde.10) Something that floats in a bath? - Water11) An item of clothing worn by the ThreeMusketeers? - A horse12) Something you wear on a beach? - Adeckchair13) A famous Royal? - Mail14) Something that flies that doesn’t have anengine? - A bicycle with wings15) A famous bridge? - The Bridge OverTroubled Waters16) Something a cat does? – Goes to the toilet17) Something you do in the bathroom? -Decorate18) Something people might be allergic to? -Skiing19) Something you do before you go to bed?- Sleep20) Something you put on walls? - A roof21) Something slippery? - A conman22) A jacket potato topping? – JamMayl 200781

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceBlood/bone marrow donations sought fromMaori and Pacific Island police staffLast month former rugby star Eric Rush called upon New Zealandpolice officers to donate much-needed blood, as part of a programto raise national blood donor levels.Maori and Pacific Island police officers, inparticular, are being called upon to raise theirlevels of blood donation and are also beingasked to consider their suitability for bonemarrow transplantation procedures, becausetheir unique tissue types can help save thelives of matching Maori and Pacific Islandrecipients.Mangere-based Detective Constable DeanPatutama knows only too well the needfor donors. His daughter, Avary, a pluckyeight-year-old diagnosed with acute myeloidleukaemia is alive today because of theunconditional gift of stem cells from ananonymous donor.GeneticsWhat made it difficult to find Avary a donorwas her genetic make up. She is from NewZealand Maori/Cook Island Maori/Niuean/North European genetic heritage.“Every day four New Zealanders, both childrenand adults are diagnosed with leukaemiaand other bone marrow malignancies,” saidRaewyn Fisher of the New Zealand BoneMarrow Donor Registry.“There were then, and there still are, no adultdonors on unrelated registries throughout theworld that matched Avary.”“Being a child, Avary could receive a cordblood stem cell transplant, but had shedeveloped acute myeloid leukaemia as anadult, this treatment would not have beengiven as the cord blood unit would not havehad enough cells for her and there would havebeen no matched adult donor,” Ms Fishersaid.The gift of lifeA Canterbury-based senior sergeant, whogave life-saving bone marrow to a leukemiasufferer spoke recently to Police News abouthow he came to be involved in the process.“I’d been a blood donor for a few years andthe blood donor service asked if I wouldconsider putting my name on the Australasianbone marrow register and I agreed to that,”he said.“I got a call from the Auckland-based NZ BoneMarrow Donor Registry to say that they hadfound a potential match and I told them that Iwas prepared to go ahead with the procedureif subsequent tests confirmed things wereokay,” he added.The New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry(NZBMDR) is part of a worldwide network ofregistries of people who have volunteered todonate cells from their bone marrow, if theyare found to match a patient who needs abone marrow transplant.Even given the initial test results, therewas still only a 10% chance of the seniorsergeant’s bone marrow matching a potentialunrelated recipient. Unrelated matches arevery rare, so rare in fact that the Canterburyofficer was told that it was the first suchmatch in 10 years in Canterbury for a bonemarrow harvest.Good matchSubsequent tests showed the Canterburyofficer was a good match for the patient, whowas progressively becoming more unwell.“It all happened in a matter of weeks. Aspecialist here in Christchurch checkedthings out to make sure everything was okayand when they were sure it was, they wentahead with the harvest,” the officer said.The ‘harvest’ is the procedure whereby bonemarrow is extracted by removing it surgicallyfrom the back of the hips, with more takenfrom the sternum if required. The surgery isdone under a general anaesthetic and it takesabout 40 minutes. Once you have given bonemarrow you are not usually allowed to giveblood for 12 months.Police supportThe officer said that Police were really goodin supporting him through the procedureand giving him the extra day or two torecover from the operation. He did not knowwho the recipient was, as all donations areanonymous.“It worked out really well in the end. I wouldencourage other police officers to throw theirname in the hat if they are suitable. A lot ofpeople don’t even know about this other sideto the blood donation service. I know lots ofpolice officers give blood on a regular basisand that’s great but it would be great to thinkthat more would consider becoming involvedin the bone marrow side of things, as it is soneeded,” the officer said.Throughout the world there are over tenmillion donors on a bone marrow donordatabase. Eight million are European donors.Maori and Pacific Islanders have unique tissuetypes, and without the New Zealand databasethere would be very few donors for this group.The NZ database has 7,000 Maori and PacificIsland donors who are willing to donate toany patient who requires a bone marrowtransplant. Only one person in 1,000 will evermatch a patient in need.Stem cells are building blocksStem cells are the building blocks of thebody’s blood system and through a bonemarrow transplant can treat life-threateningdiseases such as leukaemia.Leukaemia occurs when the body beginsto accumulate ‘abnormal’ white blood cellsand symptoms include recurring infections,weakness, tiredness that lingers despiteperiods of rest, and bruising or bleeding withno obvious cause.Maori and Pacific Islanders wanting to helpPolynesians, like Avary, can find out moreabout the New Zealand Bone Marrow DonorRegistry by phoning 0800 80 02 56 or byEmailing NZBMDR@nzblood.co.nz or if youwant to find out where your nearest blooddonation centre is freephone 0800 GIVEBLOOD (0800 448 325).82May 2007

New Zealand Police AssociationHow your donated blood is usedA single blood donation contributes to the making of up to 12 products allserving a vital function to help others in need.Specific immunoglobulins: These protect against chicken pox, tetanus andHepatitis B in patients at risk from these infections.Red blood cells: These are required for treatment of anaemia and bleedingafter trauma or surgery.Cryoprecipitate: These contain blood clotting factors and are used fortraumas, cardiac surgery and liver transplants.Factor IX concentrate: This is used used for the treatment of an inheritedbleeding condition called Haemophilia B (or Christmas disease).Intravenous immunoglobulin: This is used to boost the immune system ofpatients with immune deficiencies.Fresh frozen plasma: This is used to treat patients who have clottingproblems often after trauma or liver transplant.Normal immunoglobulin: Mainly used for the prevention of Heptatitis A inpeople who are in at risk areas while travelling overseas.Factor VIII: Used for management of Haemophilia A. For people withHaemophilia, a simple injury may require a transfusion of this product,extracted from blood donations.Do you know who receives thered cells you donate?Crime stats:Police Minister encourages victims ofdomestic and sexual violence to reportthese crimes to PoliceConcerns about under-reporting of domesticviolence and sexual offences were the focus ofcomments by the Minister of Police, AnnetteKing, when the latest crime statistics werereleased last month.There had been concerns raised by variousagencies involved with helping the victims ofsuch crimes, that negative publicity aroundhistorical sexual cases involving former policeofficers, may result in such cases not beingreported to Police.Recorded sexual offences rose by 9.7% whiledomestic violence offences increased 3.4%.NZ Police said the increase in the total volumeof recorded crime is related to the technicalimplications of a changeover in 2005 to a newsystem of recording offences.Ms King said that she expected there wouldbe a rise in the statistics once the SNEN(single non-emergency number) trial wascompleted and the programme was eventuallyrolled out nationwide.Change to Travelpacpolicy processingIn the past we have allowed childrenwho are Health Plan members and stilldependant on their parents, to travel freeon the parent’s policy provided that theparent is also a Health Plan member.This was something we allowed as theadministrators of the policy and it wasnot defined within the policy wording.Please be aware that effective 1 May2007, children who are Health Planmembers and are travelling with a parentwho is also in the Health Plan, will nowbe charged at the Family premium rateand not the Individual premium rate.Police Minister, Annette King, said that shebelieved police efforts to encourage people toreport family violence was paying off. “We arenow seeing a truer picture emerging of a realcancer in our society. We can only succeed inmaking our communities safer if we know thetrue level of crime in society,” she said.Big rise“It is interesting to reflect that in 1996-97there were only 15,242 family violenceincidents reported compared with 37,112 in2006. That shows that not only are effortsto encourage New Zealanders to report suchoffences actually working, but that NewZealanders feel safe in approaching thePolice, and that they trust the Police to takeappropriate action,” Ms King added.$900,000 committedThe Government has committed $900,000through a Ministry of Research, Science andTechnology grant to fund a research project,led by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs inconjunction with the Ministry of Justice andNZ Police. It is aimed at encouraging adultvictims to report sexual violence attacks.Ms King said it was imperative that NewZealanders reported domestic violence andsexual offences to the Police. “I believe thereis trust among New Zealanders in the integrityand effectiveness of NZ Police, and I wouldexpect that trust to increase even further whenit is seen how NZ Police and the Governmentintend implementing recommendations in theCommission of Inquiry into Police Conduct,”she said.Have you moved recently?If you have moved or perhaps are about to,please let us know so we can update yourrecords.You can do this by:• writing to us at PO Box 12344;• calling us on free phone0800 500 122;• faxing us on (04) 496 6819; or• Emailing us at;membership@policeassn.org.nzYou need to let us know your membershipnumber, new address and if you’re aserving member - your new station.Mayl 200783

PoliceNewsThe Voice of Police• The photo that many New Zealanders relate to the Mt Erebus crash, the smudge in the snow that represented the end of 257 lives when FlightTE 901 hit the northern face of Mt Erebus in Antarctica.Erebus revisited:Police staff acknowledgedfor their outstanding serviceBy Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsSome were reflective, some had that touch of sadness from memoriesthey thought they might have long since put to the back of their mind.Tears welled, old acquaintances were renewed but all were proud –and well they might have been – as their names were called to receivethe New Zealand Special Service Medal (Erebus) at a special ceremonyon 22 March at Parliament’s Grand Hall.They had waited 27 years to receive this Individual awardshonour. One, Mark Peck, had come across the In terms of the Erebus disaster, thereglobe from New York, to collect his.had not previously been – apart from theThe New Zealand Special Service Medal individual MBE’s awarded to Inspector R. S.was instituted by the Government in 2002 to Mitchell, leader of the body recovery team“recognise service or work for New Zealand in and Inspector Morgan, leader of the Disastervery difficult, adverse, extreme or hazardous Victim Identification (DVI) team - any groupcircumstances that fall outside the boundaries recognition of personnel for their work in theof what individuals could normally expect as aftermath of the crash.part of their routine duties or work.”The recipients of the Erebus medal were theIt was last awarded in 2005 to recognise New men and women of the NZ Police, who did theZealanders, including many police, who were Police and indeed the nation proud, as part ofinvolved in rescue, relief and rehabilitation the body recovery and identification teams setefforts in areas devastated by the Boxing Day up in the aftermath of the fateful flight of Flight2004 earthquake and tsunami.TE901, a McDonnell Douglas DC 10 carrying237 passengers and 20 crew on a one-daysightseeing trip to Antarctica.All 257 perished when the aircraft crashedinto the northern face of Mt Erebus at 12.49pm on 28 November 1979.World’s fourth largest air disasterIt was, at the time, the world’s fourth largestair disaster and still ranks as New Zealand’sbiggest.It was also one of those defining moments forpeople of that generation – akin to where youwere and what you were doing when PresidentJohn F Kennedy was assassinated.Minister of Police, Annette King, then aschool dental nurse, remembers that she wasout walking with a friend in Hamilton at thetime she heard the news. Commissioner ofPolice, Howard Broad, was in a hotel at thetime; though he is quick to point out he wasworking, not drinking.Operation OverdueThe operation to recover the bodies, OperationOverdue, took several weeks. The 60 peoplewho worked on the ice in freezing conditions84May 2007

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceCommissioner’s tributeCommissioner Howard Broad paid tribute tothis work in his speech at the medal ceremonyon 22 March. “Vitally important was thepolice liaison with families of victims - someof whom were unaware that their relative hadbeen on the flight.Where possible, families were dealt withby a single officer so rapport was built up,enabling the hard questions to be asked toaid identification if this became necessary,”he said.For those who could not be identified, adedication service and communal burial ofthe human remains took place at Auckland’sWaikumete Cemetery, on 14 February 1980.Seventeen current serving members were onhand in Wellington to receive their awards andother ceremonies followed around the countryto honour others.• Commissioner of Police, Howard Broad, and Minister of Police, Annette King, presented theErebus medals.- Photo courtesy of R B Thomson, Antarctica NZ Pictorial Collection.Reason for great prideCommissioner Broad said that at a time whenPolice were coming in for criticism he tookheart from the fact that: “We have always had,continue to have and will in the future havevery fine people who, by their actions, withoutfear of favour, go well above and beyond thedemanding call of duty.”Minister of Police, Annette King, said shewas “honoured and privileged” to present themedals to “a group of people whose service inthe wake of Erebus was so outstanding.”“Your professionalism, commitment andthe co-operation of everyone involved wasremarkable,” Ms King said.The MountainI am here beside my brother, Terror.I am the place of human error.• A memorial service to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Mt Erebus air disaster washeld on the northern slopes of Mt Erebus recently. (Left to right): Dean of Christchurch, theReverend Peter Beck, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Phil Goff, Antarctica NZ CEO,Lou Sanson, and Antarctica NZ chairman, Paul Hargreaves.I am beauty and cloud, and I am sorrow;I am tears, which you will weep tomorrow.I am the sky and the exhausting gale.I am the place of ice. I am the debris trail.I am as far as you can see.I am the place of memory.And I am still a hand, a fingertip, a ring.I am what there is no forgetting.I am the one with truly broken heart.I watched them fall, and freeze, and break apart.- Bill Manhire.• Proud and well they might be – NZ Special Service Medal (Erebus) recipients in Wellingtonafter having received their awards.86May 2007

New Zealand Police Association• Mark Peck, who came all the way from New York to receive his medal, pictured with Canterbury District Commander, Sandra Manderson(middle) and Minister of Police, Annette King.- Photo courtesy of The Dominion Post.Debate still rages about why Flight TE 901 crashedControversy about the cause of the accidenthas raged in the intervening 27 years.All large aircraft carry two ‘black boxes’: adigital flight data recorder, which monitorsaltitude, speed, direction and enginefunction, and a cockpit voice recorder(CVR). They can help determine the causeof accidents. The content and significanceof the first transcript of the CVR from theErebus DC10 is still hotly debated.Access to the original tape has been barreduntil 2049.The words “Go-round power, please...” arethe last known human utterances from thatfateful day in 1979.Air accident reportChief Air Accident Inspector RonChippendale’s report was published inJune 1980. It explained that at the timeof the crash, the aircraft was flying atabout 450 metres above sea level in‘whiteout’ contiions where visibility wassuch that the pilots would not have beenable to differentiate between the skyand the ground. The plane flew into theicy mountainside soon after the groundproximity-warning beacon had sounded.Mechanical problems were ruled out.The report said Air New Zealand had beenat fault because its pilot briefings wereinadequate, including a late flight-pathalteration that was not mentioned to the crew.The Civil Aviation Division also came in forcriticism for not monitoring Antarctic flightsmore rigorously. However, the main blamewas reserved for the pilots, especially thecaptain, who was criticised for descendingto a low altitude when he was unsure of hisposition and the surrounding terrain couldnot be seen. Some people strongly opposedthis suggestion, saying it was a slur on theprofessionalism of the pilots.“Orchestrated litany of lies”A Royal Commission of Inquiry, headed byHigh Court Judge, Peter Mahon, also lookedinto the circumstances surrounding thedisaster. Judge Mahon’s report, released in1981, reached a different conclusion. It foundthat Air New Zealand was primarily to blamein changing the flight plan without tellingthe crew, with the result that the plane flewtowards Mt Erebus instead of down McMurdoSound. The report stirred up furthercontroversy, particularly in its condemnationof Air New Zealand, with Mahon sayingthat the airline and intentionally misled theinquiry through an “orchestrated litany oflies”.The airline subsequently sought a judicialreview of the judgement. A Court ofAppeal judgement in December 1981decided that Mahon had exceeded hisTerms of Reference in suggesting criminalconspiracy, and in October 1983 the PrivyCouncil upheld this decision.Debate continuesThere were clearly several factors thatcame together with such devastatingconsequences on the 28th of November1979 but whether it was pilot error or thefault of the airline is still a matter of intensedebate.The Police played a final role when PoliceCommissioner Bob Walton, after consultingwith the Solicitor-General advised theGovernment against criminal prosecutionof any of the other parties named in JusticeMahon’s report.May 2007 87

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PolicePolice spokesman hasclose ties with policingThere are some interesting coincidentallinkages between the current Policeadministration, the Police Minister andNational Party’s Police spokesman, ChesterBorrows, a former police officer.Mr Borrows and current Deputy PoliceCommission, Rob Pope, were members ofthe Joe Saunders 19th Cadet Wing at theTrentham Police College, in January 1975.Small world that it is, Chester recentlydiscovered that he is also a distant cousin ofcurrent Police Minister, Annette King.Mr Borrows was appointed National’s Policespokesman when John Key took over asNational Party leader from Don Brash. Hewon the Whanganui electorate in the 2005election. He was a police officer for 24 yearsand then worked as a lawyer before hiselection to Parliament.PostingsOn graduation he was posted to Auckland,then Wellington and Nelson before shiftingto Lower Hutt to train as a detective. He leftthe Police for a short time to work as a farmlabourer in Wellsford, north of Auckland,before rejoining and working in Pätea,Hawera and Stratford, firstly as a constableand later as a detective and detectivesergeant.He was awarded a Queen’s Commendation forBrave Conduct in 1979 after an armed incidentat Miramar. He says his most satisfying rolesin the Police were as a sole-charge policemanin the South Taranaki town of Pätea and lateras detective sergeant at Stratford.“Investigating serious crime in the countrystations is a team game, but the team is alwayssmall,” he says. “It involves long hours, butgood working relationships are formed andendure, and the satisfaction of success is allthe sweeter.”Transferable skillsThe sometimes aggressive nature ofpolicing, community responsibility and theaccountability of modern policing are threeattributes he says that have served him wellin political life. He says that skills learnedin court are also proving valuable in thepolitical sphere.“The Police have always done the businessand shot straight from the lip - the publicfind this pretty refreshing in politicians.”“I guess after 24 years in the Police, againsttwo and a half years as a lawyer, means I’mmore of an ex-cop than an ex-lawyer, so Iam hoping strong bonds formed over manyyears in the Police will be helpful in thisnew role.”• Chester Borrows, pictured in uniformduring his days as a police officer.• Chester Borrows, as he is today, as aNational Member of Parliament withresponsibility as Police spokesman.88May 2007

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceDistrict committees – theAssociation’s backboneBy Amanda Craig, Industrial OfficerThe district committees are the backbone ofthe NZ Police Association.They are made up of sworn and nonswornmembers from each district. As theyare at the ‘coalface’ of policing, they canprovide help and support to members andgive valuable feedback to the Association’sNational Office.From the Association’s viewpoint, trainingfor committee members is an imperative andan extremely worthwhile investment.In October 2006 and again in March this year,the Association held a two-day training coursefor the Association’s committee members.Megan Wilson (another industrial officer)and I went on a nationwide tour deliveringthe training to 130 representatives.Training offered nationwideTraining was undertaken in Aucklandtwice (with representatives from Whangareiattending the second course), Tauranga,Wanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurchand Dunedin. Committee members fromthese districts and surrounding locationscame together to learn more about being aneffective Association representative.The local Field Officer and Regional Directorsably assisted with the training coursesby sharing their wisdom and experience.Industrial Advocate, Greg Fleming, wasable to attend the first day of the course inWanganui, where he shared information andanswered reps questions on a wide variety ofissues.The input of Senior Sergeant Mark Davidsonand Sergeant Steve Ryder of Wellington DogSection, who starred in our home grownvideo production of “How to – or how notto – help a member facing performanceissues”, was greatly appreciated. They gaveOscar-winning performances (but there isno truth to the rumour that they are now inPeter Jackson’s latest film or likely to appearin Shortland Street).Thanks to all the representatives who tooktime away from their work and personallife to focus on their Association work.We were all impressed by the calibre ofthe representatives who attended and feelconfident in their ability to fulfil their roles.Course contentThe course covered:• The Association’s structure and how itworks;• The committee member’s role;• Handling common questions andproblems;• The disciplinary and employment systemand how to deal with problems; and• Dealing with health and safety issues.Using your Association representativesOne of the main aims of trainingrepresentatives is to equip them to helpmembers with their individual or worksection issues. We encourage you touse your local representatives to answeranything from your minor query to: “I thinkI’m in the @#**! What do I do?”E-Bail for offenderswho skippedbail sends the“wrong message”Two offenders who have failed to answerbail have been given electronic bail underthe government’s new electronic bailprogram.Greg O’Connor, President of the PoliceAssociation, said that made a mockery of thebail system. “The message that this sends tooffenders is that if you fail to turn up for bailthen you get to stay at home,” he said.Eight offenders were granted E-bail ina phased pilot programme held in theNorthern Region between late Septemberand Christmas last year. Offences forthose granted E-bail involved a rangeof crimes, including manufacturingmethamphetamine, possession of classA and B drugs for supply, driving whiledisqualified, burglary, receiving, unlawfullytaking a motor vehicle, reckless driving andfailing to stop.Bay of PlentyPolice chaplainappointmentThe Reverend Tom Poata has beenappointed as Police chaplain for theBay of Plenty District.Tom took up his position on5 March.1 2 3 4 5 6 7Clues:May 2007Across1. Leap broken for a guilty or no-guilty indication (4)3. Attractive to one who questions verdict (8)9. Switch noting via the old Wanganui system (7)10. Stand still (5)11. What a drug may be (12)13. Net par combined may catch one (6)15. Mayhem (6)17. Never-ending of the same thing (12)20. Light run by many a motorist (5)21. Type of sizing for weapon (7)22. Take too much of (8)23. Pleads (4)April answers:Across3. Nightclub8. Alps9. Obscured10. Airgun13. Clips14. Decamps15. S.A.S16. Dieting17. Agile21. Abrupt22. Attempts22. Stun24. EmbarrassDown:1. Pamphlet2. Easel4. Poetic5. Emphatically6. Lessons7. DishDown:1. Newsletter (8)2. Stand of some kind (5)4. Type of justice (6)5. Without doubt (12)6. Classes (7)7. An attractive dog bowl? (4)8. Made some drug (12)12. Kangaroos at the door (8)14. Wrong doing (7)16. Upsets; hits over (6)18. To dye something (5)19. What some defendants pretend tohave in front of a Judge (4)8. Manufactured12. Bouncers14. Trouble16. Knocks18. Imbue19. Halo89 101113 14 151617 181920 2122 231290May 2007

POLICE COUNCIL OF SPORTTo contact the Police Council of Sport, call Alison Murray at the RNZPC. Ph: (04) 238-3139Nominations being calledfor annual sporting awardsCricketer Shane Bond did it; netballer Jenny-May Coffin and rugby player JohnGallagher also did it. All of them, plus many others, have won the Council ofSports’ top award.Cowboy Action Shooter, Tracey Ball, from Nelson, was last year’s winnerof the Police Association Sportsperson of the Year. It was the first time ashooter has won the award, even though previous winners have come from17 different sports.Nominations are now being called for this year’s Sportsperson of the Yearaward. The nominee should have displayed outstanding abilities during theperiod from 1 December 2005 to 30 November 2006. This could be as arepresentative of a New Zealand team, someone who has been consistentlyplaced at a regional level or anything in between.The Council of Sport awards two other trophies for Sports Official of the Yearand Administrator of the Year. Police members make up a huge proportion ofofficials and management across a wide variety of sporting activities, and nowis the time to acknowledge them.In some previous years there have been an abundance of outstandingcandidates and deciding the award winner has been extremely difficult, so ifyou have been unsuccessful in the past please give it another try.If you are unsure about nominating yourself or another please feel free tocontact Alison Murray at the councilofsport@xtra.co.nz or call onextension 43139. Nomination forms are available from Alison at the Councilof Sport.• Wellington’s Glen Turner had a good day out when finishing sixthin the National Triathlon Series (M45-49 section) of the Cup heldin Wellington recently, as part of a national Police team competingin the event. Police results from the race will be published in thenext issue.National pistol shooting champsin Auckland on 23 JuneThe Police National Pistol Champs will be held in Auckland on Saturday,23 June.Having recently returned from the World Police and Fire Games, organiserCyrus Robinson, said that: “Internationally, pistol shooting is a hugesport. At the Games we were competing against hundreds of shootersfrom all over the world. I am already looking forward to attending the2009 Games in Vancouver.”The national champs are open to sworn and non-sworn members, currentand past members of Police and their partners. Experienced and novicepistol shooters are welcome.Contact Cyrus Robinson via Lotus Notes if you are interested incompeting or taking up pistol shooting as a sport.“The right to search for the truth also implies a duty:One must not conceal any part of what one recognisesto be the truth.”- Albert Einstein.“Then, without realising it, you try to improve yourselfat the start of each new day; of course, you achievequite a lot in the course of time. Anyone can do this;it costs nothing and is certainly very helpful. Whoeverdoesn’t know it must learn and find by experience thata quiet conscience makes one strong.”- Anne Frank.“But the fact that some geniuses were laughedat does not imply that all who are laughed at aregeniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed atFulton, and they laughed at the Wright brothers. Butthey also laughed at Bozo the Clown.”- Carl Sagan.Visit 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.May 200791

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceNZ Police Council of Sport & Police AssociationCross-country champsWednesday, 30 May 200714:30 hrsFrancis Douglas Memorial College,Tukapa Street, New PlymouthEntries close on 24 May.Timetable:13:30-14:00 hrs - Registration at venue.14:15 hrs - Briefing at venue.14:30 hrs - Race start.17:00 hrs - After-race refreshments will be held at the New Plymouth PoliceStation canteen, Powderham Street.18:00 hrs - Prizegiving (including spot prizes and finger food).Course description: The course is on the FDMC school farm, and featuresundulations and flats, a traditional cross-country course! Each lap will be3km, and the number of laps to complete is determined by your category.Race categoriesA Open Male (18 – 40 yrs) 9 kmB Vet Male (40 yrs +) 9 kmC Open Female (18 – 35 yrs) 6 kmD Vet Female (35 yrs +) 6 kmE Draught Horse (95 Kg +) 6 kmF 3 person Relay (3 x 3 km) 9 kmThere will probably be an M50 grade if sufficient entries dictate, but this willbe at the discretion of the organisers on the day.Selectors will use the champs to select a Police team to go to the North Islandcross-country championships at Taupo on Saturday the 30 June.Race rules:1. Shoe spikes can be worn.2. Obey all directions of the course marshals.3. Run within one metre (either side) of course markers. If there are twocourse/ground markers side-by-side, competitors are to run betweenthem.4. Individual members may not enter as part of the relay5. All disputes are to be directed to the race committee.Individual entry formName: __________________________ QID : __________ Council of Sport member Y/NCategory:Address: __________________________________________________________(Police members – home station only required)Phone: ________________ E-mail : ______________________________Entry Fee: $ 10.00 (enclosed) Non Council of Sport member $20.00Race committee:Relay entry formCheques should be made payable to “Police Cross Country”c/- Jeff McGrath, P.O. Box 344, New PlymouthJeff McGrath, Matt Stone, Tony BrownriggName/s:: 1. __________________________ QID : _______ Council of Sport member Y / N2. __________________________ QID : ______ Council of Sport member Y / N3. __________________________ QID : ______ Council of Sport member Y / NCategory: FAddress: __________________________________________________________(Police members – home station only required)Phone: _____ ___________ Email: ______________________________Relay event: Each member will run one lap (3 km) and will start with the main group of runners.Team members must wear the wristband supplied. The Team Captain’s name is to be displayedon the top line.Entry Fee: $20.00 (total) (enclosed). Non-Council of Sport member $40.00.Cheques should be made payable to “Police Cross Country”c/- Jeff McGrath, P.O. Box 344, New PlymouthTeam competition entry formTeam name: _________________________________________________________Name/s: 1. __________________________ QID : _______ Council of Sport member Y / N2. __________________________ QID : ______ Council of Sport member Y / N3. __________________________ QID : _______ Council of Sport member Y / N4. __________________________ QID : _______ Council of Sport member Y / NAddress: __________________________________________________________(Police members – home station only required)Phone: ________________ Email: ______________________________Note: This form must be submitted with individual (single runner) entry forms.Team competition descriptionWhy your Revocable Nomination Form should be up to dateOn the event of your death, whom would you likeyour life insurance paid to?This is the question that haunts Police Welfare FundInsurances for all those members who have notprovided us with a Revocable Nomination Form.If you or your partner/spouse have any of thefollowing:Sworn Group LifeNon-Sworn Group LifeSupplementary LifeThen you need to make sure that Police WelfareInsurances holds a current Revocable Nomination Formfor each policy.What is a Revocable Nomination Form?A Revocable Nomination Form allows you to decidewho will be the beneficiary of your life insurancepayout in the event of your death. If you have a NewZealand Police Sworn Group Life policy, it also asksyou to provide the details of your spouse/partnerwhose life will also be insured under the SpouseDeath Benefit.Why should you complete a RevocableNomination Form?This form is held independently from your willand estate. The policy owner (Police Welfare FundInsurances Limited) will pay any benefit to whomeveryou specify on the form, instead of your estate.If we do not hold a form, any benefit under the Policywill be paid to your estate. In the absence of a will at thetime of death (if you die intestate), it can take some timeto finalise estate issues. Police Welfare Fund InsurancesLimited will not be able to assist with any initial deathbenefit payments to your surviving spouse/partner.Not sure if you have completed a form?Easy. Call our our Member Service Centre on 0800500 122 and speak with one of our representativeswho can check if we hold a completed form foryou. Alternatively you can go to the Members Onlysection of our website on www.policeassn.org.nzwith your membership number and password andyou will be able to view whether we hold a form foryou.If you haven’t already filled one in and lodged it with us,we are able to Email the forms to you upon request.A team is made up of four individually entered runners representing a station, section or group.Relay runners are not eligible to compete in the team’s event.Teams can be formed from any combination of categories or age. The team with the least aggregateplacing points will win the National Team Trophy. The Team Captain’s name is to be displayed onthe top line.Texting teenager kills milkmanThe perils of texting while driving were no more inevidence than in Dorset, England recently when ateenager, who was distracted while using his mobilephone, killed a milkman in a hit-and-run accident.A passerby found milkman Christopher Losperlying near his milk float in West Moors shortly afterteenager Tony Revell, 18, had struck him with hiscar after receiving a text message on his phone andthen replying. The accident occurred on Losper’s60th birthday.The Bournemouth Crown Court heard that Revell’svehicle had been travelling in tandem with anothervehicle, containing some of his friends, at the timeof the accident, according to a report carried by theBritish Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).The teenager was sentenced to four years in ajuvenile facility.Melbourne police are also investigating the possibilitythat the recent Burnley tunnel accident may havebeen caused by a truck driver talking on his mobilephone. Three people died in the accident, includingAustralian Commonwealth Games gold medal cyclistDamian McDonald.92May 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.Politics and a modernday Salem witch huntIs it a myth that the New Zealand Police are anindependent organisation free from politicalinfluences?I suggest that recent news media statementsmade by the Prime Minister indicate this isnot the case anymore. For example during thelast 26 years the Police have employed manythousands of men and women in their ranksfor various periods of duty – to indicate to thepublic that about 300 complaints of sexualcomplaints against 200 members over thattime is part of a “Police culture” is a completefabrication.It has been acknowledged that there is noevidence of any “cover ups” and that isa compliment to the Police investigatorsconcerned.To put political pressure to lay sexual chargesagainst serving and non-serving members orto have the members found “not guilty” by ajury speaks for itself.It is with some concern that the same politicalovertures are made, which would allow juriesto be told of “previous convictions” and for itto be inferred by our political leaders that theyeffectively made the wrong decision strikes meas nothing less than a modern version of theSalem witch hunt of the 1700’s.To brand the culture of the Police because ofthe disgraceful actions of a few officers is justan example of a mass media over reaction.As JB Priestly once said: “Who is to judge themedia or the press when they themselves controlsuch freedom of news and believe themselves to beanswerable to no-one!”Murray Dearlove(Auckland)“Keep doing theexcellent job you do”As an ex-member of the New Zealand Police Iwould like to make a few comments regardingDame Margaret Bazley’s Commission of Inquiryinto Police Conduct report. I was sacked in1970 for committing the terrible offence of‘getting married without permission.’ TheCommissioner did this unceremoniously.I appealed, as was my right, and waspromptly told by the Appeals Board that theCommissioner was right. Goodbye. The pointabout this, and I don’t know how much haschanged, is that to be judged by your own isnot very pleasant, to say the least. Fair hearingsall round? I don’t think so.Anyway, time has passed and I don’t hold anygrudges. I am a very staunch supporter ofthe Police to this day and will always be so.How the public will ever be convinced thatthe Police do ‘self-police’ themselves, and doit extremely vigorously, I will never know.The Police will always be on the back footwith any complaint - as the media will ensurethis happens. There are some bad eggs in thejob; that is inevitable. It is getting rid of thema.s.a.p, which is the problem. Surely, theQueen’s Regulations can do this job withoutsome fancy new piece of legislation? As Irecall, these are pretty powerful tools for theCommissioner to have.The other thing that really annoys me is theconstant referral to the ‘Police Force.’ As Irecall the name was changed around 1965/70to the New Zealand Police. The thinkingbehind this was to remove the idea that thePolice were a ‘Force’ in the sense of the Armedservices, etc.You will continue to get my support and, Iknow, the majority of ‘thinking people’ wouldfeel the same way.Keep smiling and continue to do the excellentjob the majority of you do.Peter McAlley(Napier)Appreciation for Police serviceOccasionally, I pick up the Police News in mylocal library and I always find something ofinterest in it. My interest comes from familyconnections to policing overseas. I thought Iwould write to tell you how proud I am of themen and women of the NZ Police. In the faceof recent criticisms, there will undoubtedlybe those in society who judge everyone bythe actions of a miscreant few. That is humannature.But rest assured that most right-thinking NewZealanders do not tar the whole of the NZPolice with the same brush because of a fewbad apples. I thought the poem you publishedlast month “I am the Man” by Bob Venus,captured the present situation so well. Howmany people in the street would trade placeswith the average police officer? Very few, Iwould hazard a guess.I know there will be those within Police thatfeel aggrieved by all this media attention butit’s the old story, if you have nothing to hideyou should have nothing to fear.So don’t make the mistake of blaming themessenger, the media in this instance, foryour troubles - just pull yourselves up by thebootstraps and fix the problems that have beenidentified by the Bazley report.But let us remember that the underlyingstrength of the NZ Police has been andcontinues to be its men and women who gothe extra mile for everyday Joe Bloggs like me.Please let them know through your publicationthat they are appreciated by millions of NewZealanders who they serve well and keep safeevery day.Perhaps those who are so quick to throwstones from the safety of their glasshousesshould reflect on the society we might inheritwithout the Police behind it. The answer istotal anarchy. Keep your heads held high andkeep up the good work. You are still tops inmy book.A MacDonald(Auckland)A time for leadershipI’ve been retired from the Police a long time,having proudly served for 16 years during the70’s and 80’s. It’s understandable that manyserving officers, not only from the earlier era,but also the younger ones must be feelingabsolutely gutted at the damage done to thereputation of their service by just a handful ofpeople.I remember the era fondly: of men andwoman working tirelessly in an effort tomake a difference; essentially doing the hardyards protecting the community, locking upthe bad guys and doing everything else thatwas too hard or too dirty for other agencies.Fast forward 20 years, I’m sure that theoverwhelming majority of serving membersare there for the same reasons and are equallycommitted but face a quantum leap in theissues. Like the majority of the public at large,I don’t envy your work, but I have the greatestrespect for you all (except the bloke thatpinged me on the Desert Road last year).It’s time now for the Commissioner to frontup personally, show some leadership, movethe department forward and give you back thepride you thoroughly deserve.Roger Fleming(Auckland)Banning gang patchesI just wanted to add a different perspectiveto the proposed legislation to outlaw gangpatches.I admire Wanganui mayor Michael Laws’attempts to rid his town of this problem. Inote the Police Association has lent its supportMayl 200793

PoliceNewsThe Voice of Policeto the proposal. Irrespective of any so-called‘breach of civil rights’ issues, I personally havea differing view and want to raise a few issuesto throw into the mix.As you will no doubt be aware, policingof modern gangs, either ethnic or OutlawMotorcycle Gangs (OMCGs), is becoming moredifficult as they become more sophisticated.This is certainly the case in the bigger centres,although the smaller areas such as Wanganuiand Whakatane are just a little slow to catchup but it’s only a matter of time.It is becoming more difficult to identify who isa member of a gang, thus creating difficultiesfor Police to ‘police’ them. There was a timewhen local cops knew all the gang membersin their town but that is no longer the case.Over the last five to six years, the emphasishas shifted away from policing of gangs, withmost centres not having any specialist gangIntel officers at all, and the gang life becomingmore attractive to criminals.There is certainly a trend where gang membersdon’t want to be recognised, especially by theauthorities. This way they can continue to‘take care of business’. Gang operations, suchas their hold on the drug distribution business,are covert in nature.Very seldom do we now see members ofcertain gangs out and about on the streetswearing their ‘colours’.The Hells Angels administration (for want of abetter word) are none too impressed with theprofile certain members of their club receivedover the Wanganui incident/s. The last thingthey want is negative publicity! Their aim isto gain public acceptance for their behaviourand existence.But now we have a knee jerk reaction to acouple of gang brawls in Wanganui and MrLaws and Chester Borrows (a National MPand former police officer), supported by thePolice Association, want to outlaw the wearingif gang patches.Do you think this will really solve theproblem?All this will do is make it harder for police toidentify and subsequently police the gangs.There are many ways to identify gangmembers, not just by a patch on their jacket.What about the red/blue bandanas? Whatabout the red/blue t-shirts? What about theleather vests with their ‘badges of honour’ onthem? What about the tattoos on their faces/arms etc? Will any legislation extend to those?I think not, otherwise we will have the powerto prosecute half the population of some ofour smaller towns!Why are we even considering making it harderfor gang members to be recognised. It won’taffect their behaviour one bit.I say that we should encourage these criminalsto wear all the gang insignia they can. It willmake our job of policing them easier.Wouldn’t it also be better for law-abidingmembers of the public to know who gangmembers are so they can ‘avoid’ them if theyneed to?Outlawing the wearing of gang patches inpublic places sounds like a ‘nice, warm, fuzzy,vote catching idea. Thought up by someonewho wants to give the impression he’s a tough,no-nonsense law maker but I have seriousdoubts that it will make an ounce of difference,and in fact will only work against what thepolice, in general are trying to achieve.Lets look at other ways of making life harderfor gang ‘criminals’, not easier. I don’t thinkwe should be supporting any such legislation.Darryl Brazier(Tauranga)Thanks for your letter Darryl. This is aninteresting debate within Police circlesas well as within the public sphere. TheAssociation has supported the proposedlegislation. The reality is, as you rightlypoint out, that many gangs are not wearingpatches in public anyway. Police bosses havebeen slow to acknowledge the gang problem.The Association has been flabbergasted todiscover that there is the odd Police bossthat won’t even admit there are gangs intheir patch. The law that is being proposedis a foil to the other point you raise – that ofthe public’s right to walk their streets free ofintimidation. Members of the public say thatthey should not have to ‘avoid’, as you put it,gang members on the street, whether theyare patched or not. – Editor.SRBA delaysI picked up the November 2006 IPA magazineand read an article stating that staff wouldbe issued with stab resistant body armourapproximately 10 weeks after measurementafter the vests had got the thumbs up from thestaff who had tested them.Well it has now been 13 months and I stillhaven’t had one issued to me. I had beenmeasured up for one early last year but whenit came time to have the fitting in March 2007I had grown two sizes and the armour was toosmall. I doubt I had grown at all and it appearsa mismeasurement had occurred. It seems Iwas not the only one that had grown. Moststaff in this district could not get their bodyarmour, as our first measurement was wayout. I was then told that I would be gettingthe appropriate size within two weeks and thatwas in mid-March.Well, I am still waiting. On asking other staffif they had any knowledge about their SRBAthey too said they had not been told about apossible arrival date.Not that I am too sad about this. I hear theyare hot, clammy to wear and in the bay’s heatI am not exactly looking forward to that. Iwould also like to know how they work in wetweather when I am required to put a raincoatover the top of the vest. I have now heard thatthe powers that be are thinking they shouldhave put gel packs inside so we could placethese in the fridge and then place the packs onthe inside of the SRBA to assist with cooling.Apparently, this happens in Australia.Why did the NZ Police not consider this at thebeginning? Maybe they did and thought aboutthe dollars and said: “No”.So why has it taken 13 months to get properlyfitting SRBA? Why have I not heard a thingmore of any arrival date for them? Why is itmost staff I have spoken to that have one, saythey are hot, heavy and can be uncomfortablein the car, which differs from what we weretold they would be like in the IPA article andinitial promos about them?Neal Phillips(Papamoa)Yes it has been quite an exercise. Fromproduction difficulties to measuringproblems. This has caused delays withissue. Our focus has been to identify theproblems and make sure Police are dealingwith them, as they arise. We knew therewould be a heat issue but safety couldn’t becompromised. We’ll check on the gel packsfor future use.– Amanda Craig (Industrial Officer)A fine tradition continuedMy father Bill Roughan died on 4 February2007.He was a sworn member of the New ZealandPolice from 19 March 1938. He served on theWest Coast and as a detective in Aucklandbefore and during World War II, and as aconstable in the Wairarapa. He retired in1972.He was an escort for Eleanor Roosevelt whenshe visited New Zealand and was the lastsurviving police officer of those involved inthe Stanley Graham tragedy.During his retirement, he travelled extensivelyand took up competitive wood chopping as ahobby.Although it is almost 35 years since he servedas a police officer he remained to the end proudof his service in the Police and particularly thecommunity policing nature of his work in theWairarapa.I am deeply grateful to the Police Associationfor continuing to send my father the PoliceNews magazine and for honouring him at hisfuneral by:• Having a police officer present;• Supplying the New Zealand Police flag todrape over his casket; and• Providing a helmet to place upon thecasket.You are maintaining a fine tradition and havemy gratitude and respect.David Roughan(Whangarei)94May 2007

New Zealand Police AssociationAnd the winners are…• Police Association President, Greg O’Connor, prepares to hit the key that will randomly generate the winners of the Police and Families CreditUnion prize draws recently. One lucky member from Papatoetoe won a 40-inch Bravia LCD TV valued at $4,000 while another from Howickwalked away with a DVD/HDD recorder valued at $1,000.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 servicePolice Network 44446 Website www.policeassn.org.nzFreephone 0800 500 122 Police Home Loans 0800 800 808Police Health Plan/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 9418Mayl 200795