Police and civilian receive bravery awards for their - New Zealand ...

New Zealand Police AssociationA vested interest masquerading as a moral principle?I have never written a letter to the Police News before but I feel I mustrespond to the comments of Neville Higginson (ex-police officer andnow criminal lawyer) in the July issue.Mr Higginson felt compelled to qualify himself at the start of his letter.Let me then now qualify myself also by saying I am still a serving policeofficer with over 36 years service and, like him, this includes service asa detective, detective sergeant and also as a Police prosecutor.As a result of Dame Margaret Bazley unearthing the truth (and whatmost cops knew to be the truth) about the legal aid gravy train, we findthat the train has now stopped at the station. Many legal aid lawyerscan no longer get on that train and boy are they squealing. FollowingDame Margaret’s report, the Government gave the legal aid fraternitytime to ‘get their house in order’ but they simply did not heed thewarning and tried to call the Government’s bluff (and lost).A recent (May 2011) High Court decision (Afakasi and others v TheRegistrar of Manukau District Court) clearly rejected arguments thatnot being able to choose your own legal aid lawyer and issues aroundfull taxpayer funding of legal aid was a breach of the Bill of Rights. Thedecision said there was no such breach nor was it contrary to severalother international rights tribunal decisions.For Mr Higginson to claim that Dame Margaret had used a “pathetic,generic and, politically-advantageous label”, I suggest demonstratescomment of an unprofessional nature. He goes on to say that the PublicDefenders Service (PDS) is worse than the current legal aid system anddestroys accused rights. This is an insult to the professionalism andintegrity of the PDS. The public (i.e. taxpayers) and the Governmenthad had enough of the legal aid lawyers ripping them off and sochanges had to be made.I can tell you that, contrary to Mr Higginson, I suspect a lot of policeofficers have come across legal aid lawyers electing trial by jury (onrelatively minor matters), causing court delays for self righteousreasons and refusing to discuss matters in issue prior to defendedhearings (following prosecution attempts to streamline hearings, avoiddelays and also cause unnecessary distress to victims).The absolute final insult to me, and every current serving policeofficer, comes in Mr Higginson’s final paragraph when he says that“any frontline officer who believes that anyone facing criminal chargesdoes not deserve the best independent representation is in the wrongjob and living in the wrong country.”I can tell him that I still love my job and my country and his commentsare insulting when he writes to our magazine in such a tone. Perhapshis comments would be better directed to the Law Society magazinerather than Police News because I suspect that if it’s a sympathetic earhe is looking for he won’t be getting it within these columns.Colin Rudd(Wellington)Did you know?……before you travel overseas on holiday, you can set up a freeemail account with a provider like gmail or Yahoo and email acopy of your documents, including a copy of your passport, Visacard, travel documents and travel insurance to this account. Thismeans if anything happens when you are overseas, you will haveimmediate access to a copy of these documents. It is also a goodidea to leave a copy of these at home with someone you cancontact easily if you lose any of them. For cost-effective travelcover see ‘Products and Services’ at: www.policeassn.org.nzUseful Information & ContactsNew Zealand Police Association:For immediate industrial & legal advice(on matters that cannot be deferred such asPolice shootings, fatal pursuits or deaths incustody) 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/Police Fire and General Insurance Police Credit Union 0800 429 000Quotes & information 0800 500 122 or (04) 472 9645or Fax (04) 496 6819 Credit Union www.policecu.org.nzPolice Fire and General Insurance claims 0800 110 088 GSF information 0800 654 731All enquiries (04) 496 6800 PSS information 0800 777 243Vice PresidentsStuart Mills (027) 268 9416Luke Shadbolt (027) 268 9415Field OfficersAuckland District: stewart Mills (027) 268 9407Waitemata and Northland Districts: Steve Hawkins (027) 268 9406Waikato, BOP and Eastern Districts: Graeme McKay (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 Jug Price Whangaparaoa (027) 268 9419Region Two Dave Pizzini Counties-Manukau (027) 268 9413Region Three Wayne Aberhart Waikato (027) 268 9414Region Four Emmet Lynch Napier (027) 268 9415Region Five Craig Ticklepenny Wellington (027) 268 9417Region Six Craig Prior Sydenham (027) 268 9412Region Seven Brett Roberts Dunedin (027) 268 9418August 2011211