Police News March 05.indd - New Zealand Police Association

January/February 2005Police News The Voice of PoliceObituary:Travis Brent HughesEarly in the afternoon of 29 January2005, the Rescue Co-ordination Centrein Wellington received a signal from anaircraft locator beacon. Initial indicationswere that it was in the Central Otago Area,and the RCC initiated a response.At this time, Detective Travis Hughes,of Queenstown, and pilot Chris Scottwere in the area carrying out the fixedwingphase of the national cannabisrecovery programme. When rescuepersonnel arrived on the scene it becameimmediately apparent that the source ofthe signal was Travis’ aircraft.Travis’ colleagues were soon on the scene.Over the following days Travis’ friends andcolleagues tried to come to terms with theloss of a respected mate and colleague.Nearly 11 years in Queenstown • Travis Hughes.Travis had been at Queenstown Stationsince May 1994, having initially served in New Plymouthupon graduation. He had come to the Police from theDepartment of Conservation and the Wildlife Service.His early working life had been spent on Stewart Islandcounting various forms of protected wildlife and ridding theisland of unwanted pests. For most part these pests were ofthe introduced non-human varieties. Many a humorous storyfollowed him from his time on Stewart Island. When asked toexplain his role, he invariably referred to himself as a “cattrapper”,in the process selling himself well-short. He wasfond of relaying stories of his exploits as a penguin counter,and on one noteworthy occasion, whilst stationed in a remotelocation, he attempted to combine a serious home-brewsampling session with the recording of birds coming on shore.His assessment was that while most enjoyable, the resultswere possibly somewhat skewed.Travis was known for his dry southern wit, which often wentover the heads of the less perceptive. In spite of this, his goodnature meant that he would not exploit the opportunities thatthis afforded. He was a dogged, determined character, knownfor seeing a job through, inspiring confidence in those aroundhim, and his conscientiousness.Great enduranceStories of his physical endurance were the stuff of locallegend. There is more than one story of hunting partnerssecretly praying that he would call a halt to the day aftercovering what they thought was far more ground thannecessary. Travis just didn’t seem to notice.Having met his family, it is obvious where he got his charactertraits and his two young daughters show every sign ofcontinuing in the same vein.His determination was reflected in the way he approachedhis sport. In addition to his outdoor pursuits, he was a keenrugby player and multi-sporter. He completed the Coast-to-Coast on three occasions, and the Kepler Challenge. Hunting,diving, fishing and climbing were amongst his outdoorpursuits. His aptitude for golf and the throwing of any objectresembling a ball failed to reach the standards he attained inother areas, much to the amusement of his colleagues.Throughout his time in the Police, Traviswas actively involved in Search andRescue. The outdoor skills he broughtfrom the Wildlife Service and his ownpursuits were put to very good use.Police colleagues, volunteers, specialistsand helicopter pilots, with whom heworked, showed the utmost confidencein him. You knew that when Travis wason the job, the job was going to get doneproperly. He worked as a member of SAR(Search and Rescue) at New Plymouthand at Queenstown Lakes and was acrew member on the Taranaki rescuehelicopter. At Queenstown, he was knownto drop one or both of his daughters onunsuspecting neighbours as he made hisway out the door to crew a helicopterrescue mission sometimes with vagueindications of when he would return.More often than not, this was on his daysoff, or during annual leave.Just made detectiveBy January of this year he had qualified as a detective, aftertwo years of balancing his study, his SAR commitments, ayoung family, and a full-time workload including a couple ofhigh-profile investigations. At Queenstown he held the drugportfolio and every year he was involved with the cannabisrecovery programme. As a spotter, his hunter’s eye waslegendary. He seemed to be able to pick up things where therest of us could just see scrub on the hillside. Of course, healso kept an eye on the hunting opportunities at the sametime. Having completed his CIB study and recently bought afour-wheel-drive vehicle, he looked forward to more free timewith his family and time in the outdoors.Travis and his wife Fiona were married in April 1997 andhave two daughters, three-year-old Sarah and five-year-oldAmey. Travis enjoyed recounting the story of one of his andFiona’s first dates, which involved the two of them spendingthe night sheltering under a log in Arthur’s Pass National Park.This didn’t seem to deter Fiona, and was probably regardedas quite natural by Travis. He was a dedicated family manand with a view to helping to secure the family’s financialfuture, he was considering applying for the Solomons andAfghanistan - notwithstanding the fact that he had to go homeand ask Fiona where Afghanistan was.His father, Dave, served in the Police for a time in Dunedin and hisbrother Callum currently serves at Queenstown. Mother Naomi andbrother Chris work in the family business with Dave in Te Anau.Travis’ sister, Frieda, studies at the Dunedin College of Education andanother sister, Raewyn lives and works in Queenstown.Travis was accorded full Police honours and farewelled by 900people at Queenstown Memorial Hall on Thursday the 3rd ofFebruary. His casket was airlifted by helicopter to Arrowtownwhere he was laid to rest.His irreplaceable loss has left a gaping void that his family,friends and colleagues still feel keenly.There is still an air of disbelief and sorrow at such a tragedy.There will never be another Trav.- by Travis’ Queenstown mates and colleagues.30

New Zealand Police AssociationMarch 2005Police fundraisefor victims athome and aboardWellington Police, like many of theircolleagues around the country, raisedmoney in various ways for victims ofthe Asian tsunami that claimed 300,000lives on Boxing Day last year.In Wellington, the locals took on aFire Service team in a race pullingtwo large trucking rigs along LambtonQuay. Early on it looked as if the firepersonnel had the race won as theypulled away to a seemingly comfortablelead but as the race progressed itbecame evident that the Police hadtimed their run to a nicety andeventually they overhauled their FireService counterparts to win. The publicresponded generously when collectorssought donations from onlookers.In a solo effort, Constable Jason Maytook a high dive on a BMX bike intoFrank Kitts Park Lagoon recently.The dunking was a fundraising effortby Jason for the St John AmbulanceService during a weekend carnival heldin the capital.• Constable Jason May dives right into his fundraising effort high above Frank KittsLagoon in Wellington. - Photo courtesy of The Dominion PostImportant notice:Travelpac Insurance - notification of pre-existing conditionsPlease note that it is now a requirementof our insurer AIG that they be madeaware of all pre-existing conditions ofall Travelpac applicants, regardless ofwhether you are a Healthplan memberor not.If you are intending to travel andrequiring insurance cover pleaserefer to the Medical Section of theapplication form. Healthplan membersare asked to complete the top sectiononly (down to the first signature box)and non-Healthplan members willneed to complete the entire MedicalSection, which includes having theirMedical Practitioner complete and signthe form, before forwarding it to thePolice Welfare Fund General InsurancesLimited.Personal info requiredAny failure to provide requested personalinformation may result in the insurerrefusing to provide this insurance orrefusing to meet a claim or voiding theinsurance policy altogether.Due to the additional time requiredfor possible medical underwriting, it isessential that applications are receivedby Police Welfare Fund GeneralInsurances Limited at least 14 daysprior to travel.Should you require assistance orclarification when completingthis section, you can call the AIGMEDICAL LINE on 0800 367 244 andspeak with their medical professional.Thanks to Wing 221The Police Welfare Fund wishes tothank every member of Wing 221for the very generous donationof $932.21, which was madeavailable as a result of excess fundsfrom their social club at time oftheir graduation. The money willbe used to provide assistance tofuture recruits in times of need.Memorial WallOur sympathies to all our members’families for those who have passedaway in recent months...We remember… Who passed away…LAMONT Jeannie Margaret 26-Jan-05 Spouse of retired member AucklandBROMELL John 27-Jan-05 Retired member ChristchurchHUGHES Travis Brent 29-Jan-05 Member Frankton (South)TAYLOR Horace Clinton 1-Feb-05 Retired member Mt MaunganuiALDERSON Kathryn Fay 3-Feb-05 Spouse of retired member Cairns, AustraliaPERENARA Anne Marie 12-Feb-05 Spouse of retired member LevinMALONEY Marguerita Mary 19-Feb-02 Widow of retired member Christchurch31

New Zealand Police AssociationJanuary/February 2005This column is written by a frontline police officer. It does notrepresent the views or policies of the Police Association.View From The BottomBy Constable Iam KeenI come back from getting rid of me long service leave(it’s taken me trouble and strife 4± years to finally getme to do it...she’s got all the brains) and we’re taking ahammering in the press again. I was hoping this year wouldbe like the Star Wars movies and there would be a “NewBeginning” episode but fiction is fiction I guess.Hell, some of them stories have even made me wince anddown at the local me mates are starting to raise a feweyebrows and asking a few questions that would even makesome of them slick politicians squirm a bit. But surprisingly(yeah right) some of them are not short of the odd daft word!Lotto numbersIt really is about the numbers. No matter how you want tofudge the facts and damn stats. Not only do we try bloodyhard and do well against our Aussie cousins but often wehave a dream run and beat them at everything and that’swith only 20% of their numbers.Well the stats are out and really confirm we are the poorcousins when it comes to the copper-public ratio.If Brashy Boy and his team can’t do something with these‘facts and stats’ in an election year then it’s time to give upthe Speights and start drinking that boutique stuff fromnorth of the Bombay’s. Aaahhh that’ll neverhappen!The seasonsWhat a change in the climate (and I’m nottalking politics inside or outside of Police).A real turn on with the sun in ‘God’s Own’that has restored me faith after last year.It’s left the sheep and I wondering what wewere in for this year.Great to see our boys and girls helping at international levelat one of those once in a lifetime events that can only bringreflection and empathy for those less fortunate. No amountof allowances can make up for the tragedy our staff witnessfirst hand. They continue to bring great credit to us whenwe are feeling the heat at home.Teamwork across the boardI see they came from all over the place to help out in themiddle of the north with a couple of gruesome crimes. Agreat example of going the extra yard for ya team matesand I’m sure that will make the difference and get the rightresults. I’m sure even a couple would have gone from thecastle to spread the load (?).Make sure ya Sky subs are paid and you’ve bought ya Red& Black supporters’ sox (not that we need any luck downhere) for the start of the greatest game in the world. I’mlooking forward to the AB’staming a few touring pussycats!- See ya.Home/contents/vehicle/boatinsuranceHome loansLife insuranceTravel insuranceFinancialplanningHealth coverHoliday homesLOVE THE HOLIDAY HOMESBUT WANT MORE?Support the Police Welfare FundProducts and Servicesand reap the rewards!Police Welfare Fund holiday homes are just one of the ways youbenefit from your membership with the Police Welfare Fund.At only $50 a night for a fully furnished home (not motel room), theholiday homes allow members to have affordable holidays or quickgetaways with their families and friends in top holiday locations throughoutNew Zealand.Recently several new homes have been purchased with dividends from other PoliceWelfare Fund products and services, in particular Staffpac Home/Contents/Vehicle and Boatinsurance.If you’re insured with Staffpac or have any other Police Welfare Fund products give yourselfa pat on the back for your prudent decision. The Police Welfare Fund not only works hard tobring members the best value for money, quality products and services we can, you also reapthe rewards from any profits or commissions earned from these products and services.Because ALL profits are invested back into providing you with better benefits you canenjoy, like lower premiums, more welfare benefits and new holiday homes to choose from.If you want:• Great value for money• Quality products• More benefits for you & your family • Excellent serviceSupport your welfare organisation - the Police Welfare Fund for your insurance, homeloan and financial planning needs.Call us for a quote on 0800 500 122, Police Network extn 44446, Mon-Fri 8am to 5:30pmor visit our website at www.policeassn.org.nz.33

March 2005Police News The Voice of PoliceORGANISED CRIME AND THE METH/P INDUSTRYGangs laundering money through a widevariety of legitimate business interestsNew Zealand gangs and organisedcriminals are laundering money throughbuying legitimate businesses allied tothe motor trade, the transport industry,motels and hotels, adult entertainment,brothels/massage parlours and manyother legitimate businesses.As one officer put it - “You name it,they’ve probably got or are going to havea share in it.”Police officers close to the gang scenealso suspect that, on a smaller scale, gangmembers are using casinos to laundermoney. Casinos (and banks) are obligedby law to report chip purchases ordeposits of over $10,000.They have also identified contra dealsbetween Asian crime syndicates and localgangs which involve trading paua for P(pure methamphetamine).Police sources have told Police Newsthat they have identified several gangleaders who have purchased legitimatebusinesses such as motels and hotels withgood cashflow, which allow the gangs tolaunder their earnings from drug sales.They are quick to point out though thatthere are individuals who are dealinglarge amounts of meth/P too who haveno gang or organised crime affiliations.“This isn’t confined necessarily to thegangs, although there is no doubt they areheavily involved, but there are individualsor small groups who we just haven’tcome across yet who are operating quitesuccessfully on their own account,” oneofficer said.Hidden wealth“These guys are hiding behind partnersor trust accounts,” said one officer, whois close to the gang scene. He said he wasaware of gang leaders who owned plantshops, tyre retail companies and a cabinetmaking business. “In some cases theyhave come out of doing several years injail and within weeks have walked intoowning their own business,” he added.Top police have confirmed that they areaware that organised criminals have beensteadily channeling wealth gained fromdrug trafficking into legitimate businesses.During one surveillance operation, Policediscovered the ‘targets’ (gang members)were in the casino every night of theweek. “One of them was spending $1000a day on P himself but he could stillafford to go to the casino every night,” theofficer said.Illegal earningsThe officer said that you don’t need tobe Einstein to work out that people whoin many cases have never done a day’swork in their life and who can afford tobet large amounts in casinos, who ownproperty and businesses and can pay cashfor the latest Harley Davidson motorcyclesare getting their wealth by illegal means.“Unfortunately, from a police perspective,there are areas where there aren’t anydrug squads or gang intelligence officersand so the gangs aren’t being policedthere,” he said.In 1990 Police started the first OrganisedCrime Squad in Auckland. Four yearslater New Zealand Police allocated 24gang liaison officers (now called gangintelligence officers) - two for each ofthe 12 policing districts. Today there arebelieved to be 15 but Police could notofficially confirm this.Police News was told that some of thosegang intelligence positions have beenconverted to other areas, depending onwhere a District Commander decides toplace resources to their best advantage.District Commanders have autonomy inthis regard and priortise their resourcesaccording to his or her own district’sidentified need.Policing organised crimePolice run several units, which havecrossovers into organised crimeintelligence - amongst these are theSIU (Strategic intelligence Unit), TAIU(Threat Assessment Intelligence Unit- international terrorism and domesticthreats), FIU (Financial IntelligenceUnit), NDIB (National DrugsIntelligence Unit), OCIU (OrganisedCrime Intelligence Unit) and the IIU(Identity Intelligence Unit).“Generally if someone is bringing drugsinto the country linked into that isidentity fraud and linked into that, inturn, is financial fraud. Drugs are justcommodities they deal with becausebasically they are traders and whateverturns a buck is what works for them- generally they are involved in lots ofdifferent illegal activities,” one officersaid.While officers who work closely withinthe drug intelligence networks havetheir own personal views on how bestto beat organised crime - on one thingthey are agreed - that increasing policeresources in specialist areas, which dealdirectly with breaking down organisedcriminal networks, is the key tounlocking the problem.34

New Zealand Police AssociationMarch 2005Association calls for Commission ofInquiry into gangs/organised crimeThe Police Association has called for aCommission of Inquiry into organised crime.The call was made in the light of the growingtrade in methamphetamine and clear linksto organised crime within that industry. MrO’Connor said meth had turned the gangsinto powerful, well-organised criminalorganisations.Police Minister, George Hawkins originallydeclined to comment but in a jointstatement with Justice Minister, Phil Goff,later reiterated that while organised crimewas a problem around the world theydoubted whether a formal inquiry wouldadd anything to the government’s currrentknowledge of the problem. They saidthey were open to discussions with theAssociation on the issue.The statement said that the government“takes the threat of organised crime veryseriously, and we have introduced a range ofmeasures to suppress it.”Asset seizure legislationThe Ministers made reference to theimpending Proceeds of Crime Bill, whichallows for the seizure of assets of peoplebelieved to have benefitted directly orindirectly from crime. No specific criminaloffence need be proved, and once the Courtis satisfied that a case has been made forrestraining assets, the respondent then has toprove their property was legally obtained.The joint statement said that thegovernment had put “significant resources”into combating organised crime, throughadditional funding in this year’s BudgetAsian crime gangs using ‘scattergun’approach with drug couriersOrganised Asian overseas criminals withlinks to New Zealand gangs are using a‘scattergun’ approach to get ready-madecrystal methamphetamine through NewZealand’s borders.Asian crime syndicates are sending upto 10 drug couriers on one flight in theknowledge that only a certain percentage ofpassengers are subject to search. They figurethat if eight of the 10 couriers get through,then that’s a very bankable risk.But, in a sinister twist, which reflectsthe greed of drug traffickers and theexpendibility of drug couriers, Police Newshas learned organised drug syndicates aredobbing in some of their own couriers toNew Zealand authorities as soon as thecourier boards a plane in Asia bound forNew Zealand.FocusThe courier then becomes the subject ofCustoms and Police interest and the gangsQuality of rock crystal meth differs greatlyLast month Police News carried astory about a new form of crystalmethamphetamine known as rock crystalmethamphetamine, which was beingspecifically manufactured in China for theNew Zealand pipe smoking market.A source said that ‘rock’ crystal methwhich saw staff numbers increase from13to 31, at the National Interception Centre(NIC) as well as supplying a third six-personsurveillance team plus additional technicalsupport for the Auckland Metro CrimesServices Group.The Ministers cited various changes tolegislation, which they said had strengthenedthe Police’s hand in dealing with organisedcrime - including interception laws, counterterrorism legislation and changes to the lawspertaining to association with a criminalgroup.Longer sentencesJudges have now been given the power tohand out longer sentences for trafficking inmethamphetamines and there is additionallegislation in the pipeline in the upcomingMisuse of Drugs Bill, which would legislateagainst the importation of precursors such aspseudoephedrine.“The Police clan-lab teams have detected andclosed down hundreds of such laboratories,and there is some evidence now thatmanufacturing in New Zealand is in decline,”the Ministers’ statement said.But Police News sources say that this ignoresthe fact that gangs have merely movedto direct importation of ready-mademethamphetamine from overseas suppliers,as their local supply of precursors has begunto lessen for local manufacture.This is born out by the fact that Customsseizures of ready-made methamphetamineat New Zealand’s border have skyrocketed.Significant drug seizures rose by 89% (fromcontains two additional ingredientsdesigned to make it more addictivethan ‘ice’ - or methamphetaminehydrocholride, commonly known as P.However, Police News has learnedthat early shipments of product beingdelivered to New Zealand gangs are of28 in 2002 to 53 last year) while theamount of crystal meth seized by Customsincreased by an incredible 4174% (from17.5 kilograms in 2003 to 748 kilogramslast year. One million eight hundredthousand capsules of precursor productwere seized last year.Market “alive and well”One Drug Squad detective, told PoliceNews: “The methamphetamine market isalive and well. There has been an increasein imported methamphetamine but thathasn’t caused the local market to decrease.And it’s still controlled by the gangs,” he said.Assistant Commissioner Peter Marshallsaid New Zealand Police were workingwith international law enforcementagencies to combat organised crime. Hesaid Police felt the proposed asset seizurelegislation would be useful.“However, it should be remembered thatorganised crime feeds on markets fordrugs and stolen property and this is thechallenge for society as a whole, not justPolice, to address.”The Drug Squad detective, spoken to byPolice News, said that while Mr Marshallhad acknowledged the link between drugsand other crime the detective felt organisedcrime was “low focus”. “The name ofthe game for District Commanders isvolume crime but what doesn’t seem tobe getting through to some of them isthat meth is the catalyst for much of thatvolume crime,” he said. He predicted thatif Police could put more focus on breakingdown the methamphetamine industryand the involvement of organised crimein its distribution then there would be asignificant fall in volume crime as a result.reason that this may preoccupy and distractlaw encforcement authorities away fromother couriers on the same flight.This method enables the importation ofboth precursor pills and ready-made crystalmethamphetamine into the country.One detective told Police News: “Thesepeople get rich by being smart. They areclever, career criminals and they are alwayslooking ahead for another angle to beatthe system. They will go to any lengthsto distribute their product because it’s bigbusiness. Couriers are mere pawns in thetrade and are looked upon as dispensable.”fairly low quality and this is leading to agreat disparity in the value it will have inthe larger marketplace.Early batches are said to range from “quitepotent” to a form which has even lessefficacy than crystal meth being producedin clan labs in New Zealand.35

March 2005Police News The Voice of PolicePolice considering simplification of offence codesBy Steve Plowman,Police are looking into a simplificationof offence codes and standardisation ofrecording practices in order to reduce thepotential for differences in the way similaroffences are recorded and cleared andthereby reflected in crime statistics.Police are currently working with theMinistry of Justice and Australian policeto develop standards that will achievethese objectives. Implementation ofthese standards will be considered whenresources become available after themigration from LES (Law EnforcementSystem) to NIA (Police National IntelligenceApplication) is completed this year.The Police Association has fielded severalcalls, Emails and letters from police staffover the manner in which offences arecleared. Some of that correspondencerelated to an impression amongst some staffthat in some instances districts might codecrimes differently. Some officers felt this ledto a skewing of statistics in that cases werebeing noted as ‘resolved’ when no one hadbeen identified as a suspect or charged.Some alleged that custody clearances,where multiple offences can be cleared byinterviewing people in custody, even thoughno charge may be proferred against them,was misleading when all those offencescould then be recorded as resolved.District differencesWith the crime stats due out as this issuewent to press, and some doubts beingexpressed about the veracity of those stats,Police News decided to take a look at theway offences are recorded as resolved. Whatwe learned is that there are differencesbetween the way districts record and clearstats and that the accurate recording ofoffences as cleared often relies on an officer’sexperience.Police National Statistics Manager, GavinKnight (OoC, Organisational PerformanceGroup) said that Police are aware of thesedifferences and acknowledge that thereisn’t a formal and prescriptive set of rulesaround what constitutes a clearance on anationwide basis. These differences relateto the autonomy of each district and theassociated flexibility afforded to DistrictCommanders that enables them to makechoices about how to best meet theobjectives for their districts. Police operateon quite a distributed policing model,which endeavours to empower DistrictCommanders and make them individuallyresponsible for their ‘patch’. That modelworks well on many fronts but can belimited when it comes to informationmanagement.Coding correctly has its challenges. Differentcodes may be used at time of dispatch,upon investigation and resolution. Thisis because, as more information comes tohand, an incident may turn out to be differentfrom what was originally reported to Police.As each case is different, the factors that decidewhether a case is recorded as “resolved”,can be complex and can present a challengeto achieve consistently. Police are currentlylooking at how this consistency can beimproved through developing a simple set ofstandard principles that should make the taskeasier for staff.So when is a clearance a clearance?Police News posed the question to MrKnight. “Currently (and for a number ofyears now) we’ve opted for a fairly simplerule - if an offender was identified and iseither arrested, cautioned or their statisticswere entered onto a file, statistics will showthat offence as resolved. Now just to checkthat is not done inappropriately, Sergeantson Section are required to actually checkwhat their constables are putting in andsee that that is appropriate and check thatthe evidence and facts are consistent,” MrKnight said.“I have frequently seen them [Sergeants]challenging and coaching constables tomake sure that’s happening,” Mr Knightsaid. “Police audit files on a sample basisand in some districts audit every single fileand have a ‘gatekeeper’ role just to checkthat they are getting consistency across thedistrict,” he added.The real test of whether the case can berecorded as ‘solved’ is not whether Police areable to prove a case ‘beyond reasonable doubt’in a court of law, but whether the balanceof evidence clearly shows that the allegedoffender was responsible for the offence.Historical offencesPolice produce crime statistics yearly. Forstats to be counted they must be recordedwithin 14 days of the end of that period.Clearances of historical offences, whichare sometimes solved years after the crime- such as the Theresa Cormack murderinquiry from 1987 - never get into the crimestats as the 1987 stats are a closed book.Codifying offences can be quite complexbecause of the similarity of possible charges.The human element of interpretationis always at work. Here are a couple ofexamples: Police get a call to say therehas been a fight in the street. Units aredispatched but on arrival at the scene thereis no one there - no offenders, no witnessesi.e. no ongoing information. Thereforeit may be difficult for attending officersto determine what, if anything occurred.Subtle differences in what was reported toPolice or what is discovered at the scenemay result in different classification.A good example of the complexity incorrectly classifying an offence is when avehicle is taken unlawfully. There are threecodes that can be used but each has itsown ‘test’ in terms of criminal law. That testrelates to intent. “Unlawful taking” relatesto the taking of a vehicle where the offenderdid not intend to permanently deprive theowner of the use of the vehicle (e.g. afterjoy riding). “Theft” relates to taking thevehicle with the intention of never returningit while “conversion” relates to taking thevehicle and using it for a purpose beyondwhich you were authorised to use it. (e.g.a company car used for illegal activities).Police may never know the intent of theoffender, particularly if that offender is neverapprehended, so must use evidential cues,specific to that instance, such as if and howthe vehicle was recovered. It is not an easytask but staff have to get it right.Human elementThis is where the human element ofinterpretation by the police officer handlingthe file comes into play. Mistakes can easilyoccur because the officer may not be ableto prove the ingredient of intent. If thecase goes to court, the stricter “beyondreasonable doubt” scenario then comes intoplay. For example, a charge for unlawfultaking may be proferred over theft becausepolice may not be able to prove intent.Mr Knight said Police are considering waysin which they can make things easier forstaff. “An opportunity may arise after wemigrate onto NIA (National IntelligenceApplication), which is a newer IT systemwith greater functionality than the ageingLaw Enforcement System (LES).”Mr Knight said that, although Police statisticshave been very stable over time, particularlyat a high level, Police were looking at simplerrules for stats purposes in future, which wouldenable more consistency nationwide andbetter comparability in terms of crime trendsover time.Police Association President, GregO’Connor, told Police News: “Police areundergoing a culture change in relation tocrime stats. In years gone by, districts withhigh crime got more funding and resourcescome Budget time. The culture in manydistricts was to report everything as a crimeto get more resource. The reward for lowcrime was often less funding. Now theresource is population-based so that nolonger applies. However, the culture changeto ‘less is best’, which has been imposedon District Commanders, has been slow tofilter down into the organisation, which iswhy the districts are spending so much timeand resource auditing their figures. Also,staff are naturally suspicious of the changes,as they believe they are being led out of theOffice of the Commissioner.”Various state Police jurisdictions in Australiaare currently working on developing astandardisation of rules and the NewZealand Police is keen to lever whatever ofthis work is appropriate for New Zealand.36

New Zealand Police AssociationJanuary/February 2005Rainbow Warrior reunionbeing consideredThis year is the 20th anniversary of the sinking of the Greenpeaceflagship, Rainbow Warrior. French agents bombed the vessel atits moorings and a crew member, Fernando Pereira, died as aresult. After an intense police investigation, two French SecretService agents, Alain Marfat and Dominique Prieur, were arrestedand eventually sentenced to 10 years’ jail after pleading guilty tomanslaughter and wilful damage.Their guilty plea ensured that the facts of the police investigationwould never be made public. In June 1986, in a political dealpresided over by the United Nations Secretary-General, Javier Perezde Cuellar, France agreed to pay compensation of NZ$13 million(US$6.5 million) to New Zealand and ‘apologise’, in return for whichMafart and Prieur would be detained at the French military base onHao atoll for three years.Saboteurs freedMuch to the indignance of many New Zealanders, the two saboteurswere freed in May 1988 after serving less than two years on the atoll.This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Rainbow Warriorbombing and one of the officers involved in the police investigationof the tragedy, Steve Jewkes, is currently working towardsascertaining whether there is interest in a reunion of officers whoworked on the case.Steve has compiled a database of those known to have been involvedin the inquiry (including the French ones) but several retiredmembers’ locations are not known.If you were involved in the Rainbow Warrior inquiry and areinterested in attending a reunion Steve Jewkes would appreciatehearing from you. He can be contacted by Email on jewkes@xtra.co.nz or by phoning (09) 362 7950 or 027 247 8842.Police chaplains appointedThe following people have been been appointed as PoliceChaplains in the following districts:Captain Allen DeaneGoldsack (Northland)75 South RoadKaitaiaMajor Susan Lesley Ellis(Counties-Manukau)P0 Box 38126HowickReverend Maua Buster Sola(Counties-Manukau)94 Kivell CloseMangere, AucklandReverend Stephen TaraiTema (Counties-Manukau)P0 Box 58Pukekohe, Auckland.Two SPECIAL Term Depositrates from the Police andFamilies Credit Union.9 months 6.85%pa12 months 7.25%paOther terms are available.Minimum deposit $500. Maximumdeposit $250,000. For further details andan application form call 0800 429 000.A copy our Investment Statement isattached to the application form, or viewit on our website www.policecu.org.nzPolice and Families Credit Union is a Credit Unionand not a registered bank.Keen On Wineby Ricky CollinsI always look forward to tasting wines thathave been produced by small or familyowned wineries. Recently I tasted the latestlineup of wines from two of these vineyards, one Australianand one New Zealand. They produce wines in their owndistinctive style. Below are my notes on the standout winesfor me from both producers.Zilzie Estate is a recently established producer from theKaradoc Region in Victoria, although they have beencontract growers for over three generations. The wineryopened in 1999 and came to notice in New Zealand whentheir 2003 Viognier won a gold medal and trophy at the2003 Liquorland Top 100.The 2004 Viognier (RRP $17) is slightly different in styleto the previous vintage but still very appealing. It hasa lovely viscous mouthfeel, with spicy ginger and driedapricot flavours, good length and a nice clean finish. Wellworth trying if you’re looking for something different. Ifound that Zilzie Estate really excel in producing full-bodiedreds at extremely reasonable prices.The 2003 Merlot (RRP $17) is deep crimson in colourwith a vibrant sheen. It has a delicious blend of wild berry,plum and chocolate flavours together with a spicy coconutfinish, which is attributed to the blend of French andAmerican oak used during the ageing process. The subtletannin structure suggests this it is probably a good wine todrink reasonably young.The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (also RRP $17) is slightlycooler in style with some herbaceous characters comingthrough to compliment the smoky oak driven tannins andberryfruit and chocolate flavours. It has good structure andis certainly value for money.Pegasus Bay winery, which is located in the Waipararegion of North Canterbury, has been a long time favouriteof mine. They consistently produce high quality wines,often in their own distinctive style.The 2004 Sauvignon/Semillon (RRP $25) is quitedifferent to the classic Marlborough model. The portion ofSemillon blended into the Sauvignon Blanc has been agedin old oak barrels. This gives the wine more weight andinterest. It has a hint of gun-smoke or wet wool on thenose and the palate is rich with tropical fruit flavours. It hasgreat balance and length and is definitely a serious wine.The 2004 Riesling (RRP $24) continues the greatreputation built up by previous vintages of this wine. Thekey is its purity of flavour including distinctive notes ofmandarin and apricot, with a splash of white pepper. It issimilar in style to German Riesling from the Mosel Region,being slightly sweet with lovely freshness. This is a beautifulwine.The 2002 Merlot/Cabernet (RRP $28) is one of thebetter Bordeaux style wines I’ve tried from a South Islandproducer. I enjoyed it more than the higher pricedMaestro (their Reserve Merlot/Cabernet blend). It haslovely blackcurrant flavours, a well-balanced blend of acidand tannin, and excellent mouthfeel, with the Merlotproviding the wine with a sweet, full mid-palate. Made tobe enjoyed with food.37

January/February 2005Police News The Voice of PolicePOLICE COUNCIL OF SPORTSPORTS NEWSTo contact the Police Council of Sport, call Alison Murray at the RNZPC. Ph: (04) 238 3139John Clare Memorial 5km run proves popularBy Donald CosterOver one hundred staff took to the 5 kilometre coursewith enthusiasm. The John Clare Memorial run is anannual cross-country event, which is run at the Auckland Domain.We all know that photographs do not lie, well, I have photos ofMark Leys ahead of John Hughes; Rod Salt walking up one ofthe hills; Gavin Jones blowing hard as he was being passed bythe first female runner, Caron Lynn; Grant Cann, who generallycruises the course, looking a bit haggard towards the finish andthe major news is that Mislei (Ray) Fa, was seen leading a verylarge group of competitors.There were one or two interesting side bets too. Chris O’Brienhad to buy the pies at Auckland Prosecutions as Inspector PhilMalloy showed him that some of us old dogs can still move.Downtown triumphDowntown was the first Police team in the mixed section withBexley CIU winning the men’s team event. Graham Moore fromCustoms won the men’s open grade with Don Henderson chasinghard for second to keep the NZ Police colours to the fore.Last but not least was the Auckland women’s walking team, madeup of Annette Freese, Lou Stephenson, Denise Tizard and LexCompain who won the team’s walking event, even after receivingseveral warnings about over-vigorous talking and being remindedthat it gets dark at 8 o’clock!Next year’s event is scheduled to be held by Counties-Manukauso some of you country boys and girls may like to ride in to townto challenge us city slickers.These events are great to enter as you often get to reacquaintyourself with old friends and colleagues, see a different side ofpeople who you work with and generally have a good time,although some might suggest this is debatable when you’repuffing so hard.Rotorua trout fishing tournament in AprilThe 23rd annual Rotorua Services Trout Fishing Tournament is tobe held from Sunday 3 April to Wednesday 6 April.The entry fee per person is $55. Entries received before 15 Marchqualify for entry in the Earybird draw for a substantial prize.A briefing will take place at 6.00pm on 3 April with fishingbeginning the following day. The competition ends at noon onthe 6th. Awards will be presented at the CITZ Club from 6.00 pm.There are a couple of new challenges this year - a “Who cansmoke the best trout?” challenge (judged by major sponsors) and“The team shirt” competition, which will be judged by all theanglers attending.This year also sees the introduction of “The Jackass movie”AnglerName:• Competitors head off at the start of the John Clare Memorial5K race at Auckland Domain recently.• Three of the stalwarts of police running over the years (fromleft to right) Tim Marsters, Gavin Jones and John Hughes.segment, which will feature some of the anticsof anglers on the final night.Organiser, Maxine (Mad Max) Griffiths reportsthat the Rotorua lakes are in pristine condition and the weather attime of writing was superb. Max says she is “quietly confident” itwill stay that way.All anglers will be required to present a current fishing licencewhen uplifting their starter packs. This is a requirement ofFish and Game.Please fill in the entry form below and post to MaxineGriffiths, c/o Rotorua Police Station, Private Bag 3044,Rotorua with your entry payment. Please make your chequepayable to “Rotorua Services Trout Fishing Club”.Contact details while attending the competitionAddress:Home Address:Phone:Phone:Boat Name:Make:Police Contact Name:(Tick appropriate box)Retired Police Police Staff SponsorSize:VHF:CB:Cellphone:We urge you to have a radio for this competition for safety reasonsVisit www.policeassn.org.nz for updated contact details for thePolice Council of Sport management committee, District Sports Officers and the latest schedule of events.38

New Zealand Police AssociationMarch 2005Darts Championship to be hosted by Lower HuttThe Annual NZ Police Association-sponsored National Dartstournament is to be held over three days from the 18-20March in the Wellington seaside suburb of Petone.The tournament will be held at the Petone Workingmen’sClub. As Lower Hutt is hosting the event, we all know thatDonna Hooper will be organising it. (Stan’s just the face of thecampaign!) This will undoubtedly guarantee another successfulPolice Darts Championship.All past, present, sworn and non-sworn staff are welcome tocompete. Fours, pairs and singles titles will be contested.Please indicate the award to which this nomination refers:New Zealand Police Association NZ Police Sportsperson of the Year.New Zealand Police Referee/Umpire of the Year.New Zealand Police Sports Administrator of the Year.There are some good prizes on offer and thetournament is usually great fun. New playersare most welcome.Registrations will be taken up to 11thMarch. For more information contact:Donna or Stan at (04) 577 8623 or Stan atthe Naenae Police Station (04) 577 8623.Note: Could anyone who has trophies please arrange for theirreturn to us in time for this year’s tournament.NOMINATION FORMNEW ZEALAND POLICE COUNCIL OF SPORT (Inc) Sports Awards 2004Nominee’s list of achievements and sporting highlights:(1 Dec 2003 to 30 Nov 2004 - include all regional, national andinternational achievements)Nominee DetailsSurname:First Name:Rank:Station:PCoS Member:Yes / No (please circle)QID:Service to the community:(in a few brief sentences comment on sporting involvement in the community)Nominee’s Signature:Proposer’s details:Surname:Other information (optional):(in a few brief sentences comment on why this person should receive the award)First Name:Rank:QID:Station:Proposer’s Signature:Please attach additional pages if required and any other supporting materialincluding current sporting curriculum vitae.ChecklistForm signed by nominee and proposer. Current sporting curriculum vitae attached. To be received by Police Council of Sport by 15th April 2005.New Zealand Police Council of Sport (Inc).The Royal New Zealand Police College, Papakowhai Rd, Private Bag 50906, Porirua. Phone (04) 238 3139 Fax (04) 237 1571 Email councilofsport@xtra.co.nzCanterbury Police Golf Clubto celebrate 40th anniversaryLater this year the Canterbury Police Golf Clubwill celebrate its 40th anniversary.Exact dates are not known at this stage, butearly considerations are being given to datesaround September/October. A decision willbe made shortly. In the meantime, the clubis endeavouring to locate as many past andpresent members as possible.It’s also intended to produce a book on thehistory of the club. Information from past,and present members is welcomed. The clubhistorian, John Dwyer, is compiling informationfor the book, and would like to hear fromanyone who can offer relevant information orphotographs.Please contact Dave Stapley (retired member)by phone on (03) 352 6987, Fax (03) 352 5079,Email: davestapley@xtra.co.nz or mailingaddress: P.O.Box 5286 Papanui, Christchurch.Police who represented New Zealand in sport during 2004.Nicola Auckett - Surf lifesavingMarie Ireland - Surf lifesavingLeigh Jenkins - Martial ArtsBrent Murray - Rugby RefereeSiaosi (George) Fa’alogo - OutriggingDiane Limbrey - Martial Arts (Judo)Lee Warden - Martial Arts (Aikido)Deidre Lack - TriathlonRoseanne Rix - Dressage (Management)William Phiskie - Eventing (Official)Bruce McDonald - TouchLynda West - HockeyMichael Forrestal - Skiing (Management)Jeff Waldron - Martial Arts (Aikido)Wayne Stapley - Soccer RefereeMichelle Nunn - Wheelchair BasketballCraig Jenkins - Indoor CricketJohn Galliven - BodybuildingHaydn Webb - Athletics (Management)Pat Hellier - Scottish Games39

March 2005Vanishing hat case finally solvedSherlock Holmes would have been soproud.The case of the missing floral hat,which had stumped some of the finestpolice minds in the country, was finallyresolved at the reunion of the 9th Policecadet intake, the Gordon Howes Wing,held in Blenheim from the 28th to the30th of January.The distinctive headgear, whichbelonged to Paul Smith, the organiser ofthe 2000 reunion, had vanished at theend of that event and was subsequentlyphotographed in various spots aroundthe world, including London, Paris,Hollywood, New York and East Timor.Poirot to the rescueThe legendary Detective InspectorHercule Poirot solved the mysteryfollowing a welcome from MayorAlistair Sowman.Inspector Poirot deduced the hat“accidentally” fell from a balcony intoformer hut commander Rod Larkin’sbag. Years of bungled attempts to returnthe hat to its owner followed, duringwhich it circled the globe.The hat was finally returned to MrSmith in fine condition, with the onlysign of its travels being a New SouthWales Police badge, which had beensewn onto it.The reunion was a great success,according to organiser Steve Taylor,with more than half of the surviving42 cadets and their spouses attendingthe reunion. Some travelled from as faraway as the United States and Australia.Three former instructors also attended.EntertainmentActivities included a trip to FurneauxLodge, with Detective Richard Roltonfrom Op Tam team, and a vineyardtour and barbecue, with music over theweekend restricted to songs from 1965and 1966.“A highlight was a formal dinnerat Woodbourne with former cadetsmarching to dinner in fine style, even ifFarewell for Glen RonaldAll current and former police and theirpartners are invited to attend a functionto farewell Sergeant Glen Ronald atTemuka Golf Club, Domain Avenue,Temuka on Friday, 1 April 2005 at7.00 pm.The charge is $15 per person to coverthe cost of supper and the venue hire.Should you wish to make a contributiontowards a gift for Glen, please addwe did look a little bit like Dad’s Army,”Mr Taylor said.The cadets were inspected by theirformer instructor, Dennis Scott andlater photographed as a group. Thenext reunion is scheduled to be held inSydney in 2010.• Paul Smith wearing “The Hat”the appropriate amount to your ticketpayment.RSVP is required by Friday, 25 March2005.Please send payment (with numbersattending) to Annette Hewitson,Watchhouse Officer, Temuka Police,P.O. Box 7, Temuka. Annette can becontacted by phoning: (03) 615-0060(ext. 35260) or by Email on LotusNotes.Police News The Voice of PolicePlanningfor yourlife afterwork.Are you a member ofthe GSF or the PSSand nearing retirement?If so, it is important youunderstand yourchoices and the impactthese could have onyour financial future.Getting advice on howmaximising your PoliceSuperannuationentitlement can benefityou, and your family,both now and in thefuture, is critical.To arrange a free noobligation consultationwith a Police FinancialPlanner call0800 ON BEAT or0800 662 328.40

New Zealand Police AssociationMarch 2005Criminology Conferenceheld at Victoria University• Pictured from left to right at the opening of the Australian andNew Zealand Criminilogy Conference held at Victoria Universitylast month are: Professor Philip Stenning (Head of the CriminologyProgramme at Victoria University and Conference Chair), DameSian Elias (Chief Justice), Greg O’Connor (President of the NZ PoliceAssociation) and Professor Pat Walsh (Vice-Chancellor of VictoriaUniversity).Copper’s CrosswordMarch cluesAcross:1. Talk about some shoe brand (8)5. Inquires (4)9. Shortened compulsory Holiday (4)10. Aural SOS hurts feelings perhaps (8)11. Farms these types (5)12. James Bond’s favourite drink (7)13. Ann’s prattling leads to relocating(13)18. Undo nine and form gossip (8)19. Title (4)20. Locking lips together (7)21. Omens (5)22. Slide along amid drug change over(4)23. A descend can also answer how oneclimbed (8)By Constable CunningDown:2. Away to exit from room, notinside? (7)3. Pep pill? (7)4. A delicious breakfast treat forsome (9,4)6. A type of language; Li wails. (7)7. Finding out, (slang) (7)8. Sprinted clear of (6)13. Fooled or duped (7)14. Seaman I forget because of anaccident maybe (7)15. Vista like (6)16. Sonnet I broke because it wastoo tight (7)17. A tabled award prospect (7)1 2 3 4 5 6 789 1011 1213 14 15 16 1718 1920 2122 23January/February answers:Across:9. Forbids1. Seminar 10. Eve5. Scrum11. Illogical8. Ensue13. Belief14. Snores16. Amnesties17. Amp19. Opossum21. Edits22. Sushi23. LasagneDown:1. Suede2. Miscellaneous3. Neediness4. Raffle5. Sir6. Reincarnating7. Muscles12. Gangsters13. Beacons15. Dismal18. Posse20. SkiHOLIDAY HOME AVAILABILITY– for bookings see: www.policeassn.org.nzMARCH APRIL MAYPAIHIA 4-6, 10-11 1-4, 16-17, 19, 22, 23-26, 29-30, 30-31STANMORE BAY 9,10,13,20,21-22, 22-24, 30-31 3-7, 10-13,14,15- 22, 25,27,28,30 1-5, 8-13,15-19,22-31AUCKLAND 13,24 5,23 1-4, 9, 17, 23-24,31WHANGAMATA 15-17 6-8 8, 15-31MT MAUNGANUI 5 1-5, 8-10,9-19, 22-31,OHOPE 21,28 4,6-7, 10, 17-19 5-7,10-12,16-23,27-31ROTORUA 17, 19-20, 24, 30 3-5, 10, 13-14 1-5, 8-12, 15-19, 22-31TAUPO 21, 24, 28-30 4, 8, 9, 10, 28 1-5, 8-12, 15-19, 22-26, 29-31TURANGI 8-10, 14-17, 18, 20-21, 22-24 28-31 2-15, 17-19, 20-22, 29, 30 1-5, 8-31NAPIER 28 10-12, 17-19, 26 4-5, 8-12, 15-19, 22-26, 29-31PARAPARAUMU 8-10, 15-17, 10-14, 21, 1-5, 8-11, 15-19, 23-26, 29GREYTOWN 23-24 5-7, 28 2-4, 8-12, 16-17, 22-26, 29-31WELLINGTON 17, 24, 28-30 6, 10, 13-15 1, 19, 22-26, 29-31NELSON 20 14, 18-19, 24 2-5, 9-19, 23-31HANMER SPRINGS 19 4-5, 22-25, 30-31CHRISTCHURCH 4, 7, 15 9, 11-12, 15-16, 18-19, 22-26, 29-31TEKAPO 15-16 26-28WANAKA 9, 23-24 2-3, 7-8, 8-13, 19, 22, 23-26, 27-31CROMWELL 12 11, 17, 23-24 1-12, 15-22, 27-31QUEENSTOWNTE ANAU 9, 16, 18, 21-22, 24, 30 8-10, 11-14, 30 1-6, 9-13, 18-31DUNEDIN 16, 30-31 18, 27 1-5, 16-18, 23, 29-3141

March 2005Police News The Voice of PoliceLetters to the Editor Write it here! Letters to the Editor are welcome.Signed letters are preferred, but in all cases the writer’s name and address must be supplied.Names will be published unless there is a good reason for anonymity. The editor reserves theright to edit, abridge or decline letters without explanation. Email to: editor@policeassn.org.nzor write it to the Editor at PO Box 12344, Wellington. Letters under 400 words are preferred.A Minister, some vestsand a ‘waste’ of inkI would like to respond to issues raised inthe January/February edition of Police News.1. With regard to Police Minister, GeorgeHawkin’s comments about Priority One jobresponse times, specifically “...officers needto focus on the incident rather than wastingvaluable time contacting Comms to log theirarrival”. There are two issues here. Firstly,if arrivals are not logged, how are responsetimes to be measured? Secondly, thisludicrous comment flies completely in theface of staff safety, an issue so often touted asbeing a priority. This sort of thinking tendsto suggest that the Minister is on anotherplanet regarding being in touch with therealities of policing today.2. I see the trial of stab-proof vests getsanother mention. Haven’t these been“trialed” for long enough? I doubt thedelays in providing the vests are due totrialing times, rather an unwillingness tospend the dosh, or perhaps an on-goingsearch for the cheapest option - so much forstaff safety being paramount.3. To those of you who think writing to theEditor to complain about ongoing poorfunding, lack of resources and misguidedmanagement is hopefully going to bring aboutsome miracle..........we’re just wasting ink!Jeff Welch(Nelson)Thanks for your letter Jeff. Let me assureyou that you did not waste any ink inconveying your comments, for they are asrelevant as the next person’s. A letter tothe Editor may not get something doneovernight, or maybe even at all, but thisforum affords members, often with verydifferent views on issues, a chance toexpress those views without fear or favour.Letters also have another value - theyprovide the Association with a snapshot ofmembers’ concerns and in that way thesemay then be acted upon. It may seem likea mere ripple at the time when you putpen to paper but ripples can sometimesbecome floods and knock down themightiest walls. The concern of CommsCentre workers was just one such examplewhere the views of members, expressed tothe Association directly and through PoliceNews, led to a long-overdue review ofPolice Comms Centres. - Editor.STU’s dedicated officersRecently, Road Policing staff has beensubjected to ill-informed comment andtargeted criticisim - no doubt part ofsome orchestrated campaign. I accept itselection year and no doubt more will come.However, letters such as J Currie’s (Jan/FebPolice News) should not go unchallenged.Canterbury STU (Safety Traffic Unit) worksclosely with GBD (General Duties Branch)staff and the relationship is very good. Thisis illustrated by the accolades I regularlyreceive from GDB supervisors regardingthe support from STU. We also supportthe district in all manner of events, such assporting matches and large public events aswell as providing scene guards. As recentlyas a fortnight ago, STU guarded a largecentral city fire scene for four days.Every one of the five GDB sections suppliesa member for a six-month rotation throughSTU. So, at anytime, there are five GDBmembers doing rotation through STU.What is perturbing, however, is ill-informedcomment by members, including somesupervisors (who I thought should knowbetter) regarding the nature of STU work.To suggest that STU are out revenuegathering is complete nonsense. In April2002, the Auditor General clearly dismissedany notion of a link between road policingactivity and revenue gathering. Somecomment from members has been sofar removed from reality that I am led toquestion their motives.Frankly, the Canterbury STU staff andsupervisors are a dedicated groupcommitted to reducing road traumaand have my full support. If there is a“perceived” problem with staff the mattershould be addressed with the respectivesupervisor. Every sworn member, no matterwhat their core function, has a responsibilityand indeed a duty, to uphold the rule oflaw. Their core functions are secondarywhen it comes to attending Priority Onejobs. So is helping your mates - basic stuff.Comments by some uninformed members,sometimes hiding behind the veiled cloakof anonymity, and in effect causing staffdissension, surely brings into question theirown professionalism and loyalty.Trevor Pullen(O/C Canterbury STU)Charging tourist doesus no creditIn January 2005 I read that Police haddecided to charge a 64-year-old Germantourist with careless use of a motor vehiclecausing death. He had reversed his vehicleout of a motel carpark in Fox Glacier andsubsequently ran over his wife. This wasa tragic situation and once again we haveshot ourselves in the foot as far as publicrelations go by not using any discretion indeciding to prosecute this tourist.Don’t you think this man has beentraumatised enough by killing his ownwife? But, no, he has to be prosecuted andwe have to make an example of him. Whatare we trying to achieve here? I note thatproceedings won’t be initiated unless hereturns to New Zealand, so that precludeshim from ever visiting here again.I think the fact that he was responsible forhis wife’s passing is punishment enoughand to further incriminate him does ourreputation no favours at all. The day thisdecision was made was not a proud one forthe New Zealand Police.Neil Barton(Auckland)The people make the jobDue to a health issue I recently left thePolice a bit earlier than I ever intended. As aresult I had to attend a final interview withCes, my boss. One of the questions was:What did I most enjoy about my time in thePolice. I answered that it was the people Iworked with.This is not a letter about tickets, policy orany of those other serious issues.But I would like to take the opportunity topublicly acknowledge my colleagues of thelast 14 years who have left me with greatmemories of my time in the NZ Police.Firstly, thanks to my wise older brother,Martin, whose footsteps I followed into theNZ Police. I will always be grateful to him.And thanks to Bruce Woodley (taught himeverything he knows), Scotty (when dowe get to drive these buses?) and GeorgeStaunton (King’s Head Pub, England) all ofWing 122.Thanks also need to go to: All of NewPlymouth Section 4 from Sept 1991 to Sept1994 including three excellent Sergeantsin Mike Letica, John Thorne and GrantCoward. The Dog Section throughout thattime, yes even you Roman. Oh yeah, and AlMunro and DA Geraghty.The Hawera CIB 1995 to 2000, HardballHermann, Frodo McRae, Isaacson, Barnes,Karen and D/Sgt’s Lysaght and Sutton. Red,Lids, Trev, Kahu and Kerry “Purple Death”Lane, Dave Laumatia, Sears, Dan Dickison,Andy Saunders, Steve “Kurow, Kurow, Kurow”Baddock, Greg Sutherland and Karl of Kaiapoi,Graham Dunn, Ted and Trev. See you at “TheMount, Great Custard Pie Eat Off”, 2006.All the boys at Richmond, I enjoyedcovering your patch from Wakefield, PeteCarmody who schooled me on the finerpoints of Road Policing, and in turn Itutored him on the important stuff.The Nelson CIB office, especially thosereprobates Prentice, Nally and Adlam (heywhat did you have for dinner last night?).Ces McCoy (larger than life), and a specialthanks to Kevin Tiernan for transport towork throughout 2004 and Crazy Kaveney.Milton and Maitland of the coast andthe team at the Blenheim CIB and. TimJohnston of Queenstown.42

New Zealand Police AssociationMarch 2005Lastly, a big thanks to my old friend SteveDunn of Taupo, a truly good bastard in thePolice and my best man in ‘98 and a goodmate.Thanks everyone. See you round.Pat Tunley(Nelson)When will the Policehonour ALL their dead?In December of 2003, United States BorderPatrol Agent, James P Epling, was on dutyat the Colorado River outside of Yuma,Arizona. Epling was married, with threeyoung children.During the night, Agent Epling and otherofficers found a group of Chinese nationalswho were trying to illegally enter the UnitedStates by crossing the Colorado River. Hehelped to pull a woman from the fastmovingwater. Then he moved off intothe darkness to continue searching. Hedisappeared and his body was not found forthree days. A post-mortem revealed he diedfrom accidental drowning, and that therewas no foul play involved.So why am I telling you this story?Simply because Agent Epling’s death “inthe line of duty,” where he put his ownlife at risk to help others, and irrespectiveof the fact that he did not die through theunlawful act of another, still means thathis passing was honoured at the annuallaw enforcement memorial services inWashington, DC in May 2004 and his namewill be permanently engraved on the LawEnforcement Officers’ Memorial.If a member of the New Zealand Police diedunder similar circumstances their namewould not be memorialised on the “HonourWall” at the Royal New Zealand PoliceCollege. And I have to ask - why not?Without diminishing the supreme sacrificeof those members whose names appearon that wall, why is it that only those whodied by an unlawful act are remembered onthe wall and not also those who, absent of“unlawfulness,” still gave their lives in thelawful execution of their duty?Last year marked the 63rd anniversaryof the murder of four police officersby Eric Stanley George Graham atKowhitirangi (formerly Koiterangi) nearGreymouth. District Commander GrantO’Fee, ably assisted by staff - and withnot inconsiderable input from the PoliceAssociation - ensured their deaths are morefittingly honoured at the scene. Needless tosay, the names of Sergeant William Cooperand his staff are recorded at the College.In the USA, and in most Australian states - toname but two foreign jurisdictions - the Policehave seen fit to centrally record, and honour,all staff who die during the course of theirduty. In belatedly honouring those Hokitikamembers who were slain, why not also choose2004 as the year to honour all members ofthe New Zealand Police who have died in thelawful execution of their duty?Trevor Morley(Wellington)A little bit of commonsensegoes a long wayFunny story…about two years ago aneighbour of mine, Steve, a former policeofficer had problems with a “villain” from upthe road. Let’s call him Mr D. This particularyoung man, for whatever reason, chose togo down a long driveway to throw rocks atSteve’s house. Steve came out of his house andfollowing a confrontation; the Police arrivedand arrested Mr D for disorderly behaviour.He was subsequently bailed, with conditions,to appear at a later date.During the ensuing days Mr D attempted tointimidate Steve on a number of occasions andeventually smashed up his letterbox. He was,as a consequence, committed for assessmentpursuant to the Mental Health Act, whichsaved the local cops from binning him again.I thought I had remained somewhat distantfrom the whole thing, which seemed toresolve itself with the troubled youth gonefrom our sleepy little street...well, all untilI was contacted by Professional Standards,requesting an interview in relation to acomplaint they had received about me, fromthe boy’s mother – who at that time I hadn’t met.I learned that she worked at my localsupermarket.An investigator subsequently interviewedme [I understand the process of a PCAand the necessity to do so] and during theinterview, I learned that the boy’s motherhad complained about my behaviour at thesupermarket, whilst off duty. It transpired thatshe alleged that I had filled a shopping basketwith stuff [probably cop food…doughnuts,chocolate biscuits, chippies and beer] anddropped it aggressively on the conveyor beltat her checkout…so loudly it sounded like agunshot! She further cited the September 11terrorist action as a mitigating factor to herbeing ‘jumpy’.Allegedly, I then made various threats inrespect of getting her son.Naturally, I had no recollection of the incident asthe only fear I normally create at a supermarketis to the lollies in the pick ‘n’ mix bulk bins. Is $8on lollies too much? – …I digress.I certainly didn’t threaten Mr D’s mum – fora number of reasons, mostly because atthat time I didn’t know who she was. I alsolearned that she had complained about anumber of other police officers for variousother things as well.As for the terrorist activity with a shoppingbasket….well it’s got me stumped, but to befair, maybe there were Afghans in with thedoughnuts, beer and chippies.Anyway, following the interview, I heardnothing more until recently – two years after.Professional Standards advised that the file hadbeen reviewed in Wellington and a numberof issues still remained… such as the womanbelieving that I was a dog handler. One ofthese was whether I was a dog handler. Nowwhere would that come from – because, as amember of the CIB, it is evident I am cultured,well-mannered and can operate a knife andfork?It also seemed that the reviewing officer inWellington, was unhappy with the expressionsof concern that the original investigator hadabout this woman’s mental health. I amleft wondering what happened to applyingcommonsense in summarising an investigation- or have we become too politically correct forcommonsense?Get that man a pie!Glenn Baldwin(Auckland)Time consuming timesheetsCan someone please explain to me therelevance and necessity of filling in timesheets each day?I am sure that their mere existence keeps100 non-sworn in employment and makesfor nice bar graphs at management meetingsbut I am also sure that this time could bespent more effectively in roles that actuallysupport frontline officers and work towardsour core responsibilities.I have never seen one criminal caught, orone crash prevented by someone with hisor her nose in a timesheet book looking forsome obscure code.In this age of technical wizadry (andWanganui) everything we do and everywherewe go is recorded. With AVLs, our every movecan be recorded and with ICAD the amountof time we spend dealing with incidents isrecorded. The number of arrests we make andtickets we issue is available at the touch of abutton. The number of court files, doclocsand every other piece of paper we submit isrecorded somewhere.Why do we have to duplicate or triplicatethis information on to timesheets? The AMScode sheets, which get bigger each year,are a perfect example - there are codes foreverything under the sun. Someone who ison a deployment to the Solomon Islands hasa code. Everyone knows that the officer is inthe Solomon Islands, so why does it need tobe written down on a timesheet?Road Policing units have to note down everyvehicle that they stop and how many IONsand TONs they issue. You know how manytickets they have issued, they have to handthem in! To top it off, at the end of the month,the Road Policing officers have to complete amonthly return. This involves going throughall of their timesheets, adding up everythingthat they have already written down, andputting this onto another piece of paper. If youran a business in this fashion it would havegone bankrupt years ago.If the bosses really need to have pie chartsand bar graphs for their meetings, how abouta compromise? For a two-week period everyyear (or two) we perform time and motionstudies. We record what we have done andthis is used as a representative sample. Thissystem works perfectly well in most otherparts of the policing world.We could utilise all of the time that is freed up,for both sworn and non-sworn, by spending iton policing tasks, not administration.What is the timesheet code for ‘going insane’?Mark Fleming(Auckland)43