Police News Nov 08.indd - New Zealand Police Association

The Voice of PoliceVOLUME 41 • NUMBER 10 • NOVEMBER 2008No piece of cakebut history madewith Policing Act■ BRYONY BROWN – ONE TOUGH ‘WESTIE’■ POLICE REMEMBRANCE DAY MARKED NATIONWIDE■ EULOGY GIVES POIGNANT REMINDER OF THE EVILS OF DRUGS

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceThe Voice of PoliceVOLUME 41 • NUMBER 10 • NOVEMBERER 2008248MEDAL FOR MUSEUMNZ Police Association Police News is the magazine ofthe New Zealand Police Association and incorporates theNew Zealand Police Journal fi rst published in 1937.Editor: Steve PlowmanNovember 2008, Vol. 41, No.10ISSN 1175-9445Deadline for next issue Monday, November 17, 2008.Published by the New Zealand Police AssociationP.O. Box 12344, Willbank House, 57 Willis Street, Wellington.Phone: (04) 496 6800, Facsmile: (04) 471 1309Email: editor@policeassn.org.nzWebsite: www.policeassn.org.nzPrinted by City Print Communications, Wgtn.Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of theAssociation.COPYRIGHT: NZPA Police News must not be reproduced inpart or as a whole without the formal consent of the copyrightholder - the New Zealand Police Association.ContentsFrom the President 243Bryony Brown determined to come back from ‘outrageous fortune’ 244/5Remembrance Day services honour police killed on duty 246/7Coppers crossword 247NZ Police Roll of Honour 1886-2008 248Vehicles not guns the major ‘line of duty’ killer in USA 248Association donates medal 248252SHOULDER HIGH WE BRING YOU HOME254IN FOREIGN FIELDS• Front page: Police Minister Annette King cuts acommemorative cake to mark the historic passing of thePolicing Act, the first major overhaul of policing legislationsince the passing of the Police Act 1958. The ceremony washeld at the Royal NZ Police College recently. Police WelfareFund Manager Pete Hayes watches on in the background.Memorial Wall 248Policing Act 2008 officially enacted on 1 October 249Pay round update 250Frontline staffing issues cross international borders 251Poignant reminder of evils of drugs from Don Wilkinson’s mother 252To an athlete dying young 253Memorial honours NZ police officer’s work in Afghanistan 254/5Pilot scheme sees nurses placed in Manukau and Christchurch stations 255Keen on Wine 257Holiday home availability 257View from the bottom 258Sports News 260/1Letters to the Editor 261/2RTDs blamed for surge in alcohol-related deaths 263Special accommodation offer for members visiting Wellington 263Useful information and contacts 263Pilot scheme aims at helpingmental health consumers – p255242November 2008

New Zealand Police Association“However, what we really need is not a partywhich is promising high profile vote-catchingpolicies, but one that promises to give Police theresources and powers to actually investigate andlock up criminals.”The thing I enjoy about pay roundsand pay ratification meetings is theopportunity to visit every corner of thecountry to meet up with the troops. Thisyear was particularly interesting, as ourvisits to the meetings had been precededby a plethora of emails, mostly negative,about the offer.It’s a case of welcome to the e-worldwhere information, and more significantlydisinformation, can travel quicklyand efficiently, well ahead of the facts.It means that people arriving at aratification meeting to vote for or againstratifying a pay settlement will havereceived vastly differing information.So it becomes extremely important thatour presentation of the facts be just that:facts.It is why a group of members taskedwith designing a new ratification modelwhich will involve secret ballots and aminimum 60% for ratification, amongother things, also reiterated that membershad to attend meetings to vote. It’s nota perfect system, but then we don’t livein a perfect world. We hold multiplemeetings in most centres to ensure thosewho want to have the opportunity tovote, can.So it was good to see those people whodid get to the meetings to vote. Let’s faceit, as we see the economy now receding,the pay rise we all got this year starts tolook pretty reasonable.By the time you read this, the electionwill be over and we will know (or havea fair idea) who will form the nextgovernment. Since law and order hasbeen high on voters’ radars, all the partiessought to create policies that soundedand looked good to the electorate. Wepublished all the parties’ law and ordermanifestos last month and that shouldgive an idea of what we can expect fromthe next government.However, what we really need is not aparty which is promising high profilevote-catching policies, but one thatpromises to give Police the resources andpowers to actually investigate and lockup criminals. In other words, take thehandbrake off Police and other justiceagencies like Corrections that dealdirectly with criminals.As I pointed out on a recent Sundayinterview, hamstringing Police fromtaking decisive and direct action againstthose who verbally abuse officers on thestreet has inevitably led to those samepeople believing they can physicallyassault us. As we take an increasinglymulti-agency approach to controllingcrime, I can’t help thinking that the oneagency which is out of kilter with the restis the judiciary. It was they who decidedpolice had to take abuse as part of thejob. This is hardly a decision conduciveto building respect for the body taskedwith maintaining order in society.There’s something wrong with a worldwhere taggers are more afraid ofbeing caught tagging a gangpad than a policestation!Watch outfor theseJust as the pub was closing, a policeofficer noticed a man leaving the bar sointoxicated that he could barely walk.The man stumbled around the parkinglot for a few minutes while the officercontinued to observe quietly from hisparked patrol car just up the road.After what seemed an eternity in whichhe tried his keys on five differentvehicles, the man managed to find hiscar and fall into it. He sat there for a fewminutes as a number of other patronsleft the bar and drove off. Finally, hestarted the car, switched the wiperson and off, even though it was a finesummer night, flicked the indicators onand off a couple of times, honked thehorn and then switched on the lights.He moved the vehicle forward a metreor two, reversed a little and thenremained still for a few more minutesas some more of the other pub patrons’vehicles left.At last, when his was the only car inthe parking lot, he pulled out anddrove slowly down the road. The policeofficer, having waited patiently all thistime, now started up his patrol car, puton the flashing lights, pulled the manover and administered a breathalyzertest. To his amazement, the breathalyserindicated no evidence that the man hadconsumed any alcohol at all!Dumbfounded, the officer said: “I’llhave to ask you to accompany me tothe police station. This breathalyzerequipment must be broken.”“I doubt it,” said the truly proud patron.“Tonight I’m the designated decoy.”A new Olympic sport – putting your foot in your mouthWell, the Beijing Olympics are over and,by all accounts, both spectators andcompetitors had a good time. There isno doubt (judging by the commentsbelow), however, that some sportscommentators and one competitorwould sooner forget these Games, giventheir comments below:Dressage commentator: “This is really alovely horse and I speak from personalexperience since I once mounted hermother.”Paul Hamm, gymnast: “I owe a lot tomy parents, especially my mother andfather.”Boxing analyst: “Sure there have beeninjuries, and even some deaths in boxing,but none of them really that serious.”Softball announcer: “If history repeatsitself, I should think we can expect thesame thing again.”Basketball analyst: “He dribbles a lot andthe opposition doesn’t like it. In fact, youcan see it all over their faces.”Soccer commentator: “Julian Dicks iseverywhere. It’s like they’ve got 11 Dickson the field.”Tennis commentator: “One of thereasons Andy is playing so well is that,before the final round, his wife takes outhis balls and kisses them…Oh my God,what have I just said?”November 2008243

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceBryony Brown very determined to comeback from her ‘outrageous fortune’By Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsHelen Keller, who overcame deafness,blindness and the ignorance of otherpeople to become an inspiration toso many by virtue of her indomitablespirit once said: “Keep your face tothe sunshine and you cannot see theshadows.”Bryony Brown, a West Auckland policeofficer, who had her own brand of‘outrageous fortune’ when almost killedby a drunk-driver in early August, hasjust such an attitude. She is engagedin a lengthy battle back to health aftera series of operations to repair severeinjuries she sustained when crushedbetween her own and the drunk driver’svehicle.The accident happened less than twokilometres from the Henderson PoliceStation where she works on section.Laughter the best medicineBryony hasn’t lost her sense of humour.“I’ve come to realise if it wasn’t me, itmay have been someone else and theymay not have been so lucky to have hadsuch a big bottom like mine, which tookmost of the impact, and they may havebeen in a far worse predicament thanme,” she said shortly after the accident.She said that her body felt as if it was“popping and cracking like plasticbubble wrap” when she was pinnedbetween the two vehicles. She remembershearing sirens, apparentlycoming from every direction. Manyof her colleagues were soon on handto offer words of support or in somecases, prayers. “One of the comfortingthings was seeing blue everywhere asmy colleagues arrived on the scene,”shesaid.Even facing the prospect of not knowingwhether she would walk again, Brownretained a sense of humour in the faceof appalling adversity. At the scene sheasked for a rum and coke and quizzedthose present if reparation could besought for her cigarettes, which hadbeen crushed in her back pocket.She is making steady progress – progressthat has, nevertheless, astounded themedicos. Originally, it was expectedthat she could be in a wheelchair untiljust before Christmas. But Christmas hascome early for Bryony by virtue of herown determination to make rehab workfor her and she has traded in the confinesof the wheelchair for crutches and is as“pleased as Punch” to be walking again.She triumphantly announced to PoliceNews during a recent interview that shewas looking forward to “throwing awaymy crutches by Christmas too”. Lightduties, she says, beckon.18 months out of CollegeBryony, who graduated from PoliceCollege some 18 months ago, sayspolicing is a job she should have done“much earlier” and despite undergoingseveral surgeries and facing a long boutof rehabilitation she remains upbeatabout making a full recovery.Brown, 30, is involved in an intensive24/7 rehabilitation programme, whichconsumes many of her waking hours.Her total focus is on getting back towork. She lives and breathes policing.“Every time I hear a police siren go by Ithink to myself ‘that should be me outthere,’ ” she said.Her Section 6 workmates and her otherPolice colleagues at Henderson havebeen hugely supportive. “They call meBroken-arse Bryony,” she jokes, addingthat they have been “awesome, hugelysupportive, not only now but duringmy first 18 months in the job too.”Her reliance on painkillers is diminishingwith time. “Except on the baddays when I may have tended to overdothings a bit with the rehab.”RehabRehab consists of “heaps of acupuncture,hydrotherapy, osteopathy, water walkingand physiotherapy.”The long-term prognosis is lookinggood. There will be the inevitable achesand pains of course, but the rehabspecialists say that Bryony should makea full recovery in 12-18 months.Jaeden, Bryony’s youngest son, wasdue to have his second birthday partythe week that Bryony was crushed butthat had to be delayed until last month.Brown had missed his first birthdaybecause she was training at the PoliceCollege at the time but, was determinednot to miss his second. Jaeden and histhree and a half-year-old brother Kaigewere somewhat perplexed to find thatthey suddenly had to visit Mum inhospital.“It threw them for a bit seeing mein a hospital bed but they loved thewheelchair and they love the crutchestoo,” she told Police News. “When I wasin hospital they went a bit funny andwere very upset and stand-offish butnow they’re fine,” she added. As if toreflect the fragility of a child’s thinkingon such serious matters, Bryony admitsthat if she is not there to pick them upfrom day care then they immediatelyassume she is in hospital.ProgressWhile progress may be as much as onesmall step for Bryony, such events areone giant step for Kaige who is hugelysupportive of his Mum’s progress.Recently, Bryony managed one smallstep to get to her bed and Kaige quicklyinquired: “Mum you’re walking,does that mean you’re better now?”,obviously having perceived that thecrutches meant Mum was sick and thateven just one step without them meantshe was well again.When a police car roars past their homeKaige is equally supportive: “Mum areyou going to be getting in there againsoon?” It seems to be working. BryonyBrown is one motivated police officer,forcing herself to go the extra mile withher rehabilitation so that she can get backto the job she feels so passionate about.Former non-sworn stafferA former non-sworn member atHenderson Intel before “taking theplunge” to become a sworn police officer,Bryony has taken to her newfoundcareer like the proverbial duck to water.“When I got to the College I thought Ishould have done this earlier and butfor falling pregnant I probably wouldhave, but I’ve really enjoyed the jobever since I graduated. I know it soundsreally cheesy but the best part of thejob for me is actually having a sense ofmaking a difference – that and the greatcamaraderie that exists between policeofficers.”244November 2008

New Zealand Police AssociationThere has been one dampener though.She recently learned that the manresponsible for crushing her, TuvalubornIoelu Peniamina, 44, an illegalimmigrant, had his bail conditionsrelaxed. This is apparently because henow has a job and despite him havingbreached his earlier bail conditions.He pleaded guilty to the Excess BreathAlcohol (EBA) charge but pleaded notguilty on two additional charges.She finds that decision very frustrating.“That was a real kick in the guts. I wasabsolutely gob smacked.”• Bryony Brown lies in traction shortly after sustaining serious injuries as the result of a drunkdriver crushing her between his vehicle and a patrol car.East Coast reunion postponedProspective attendees at the East Coast Police Reunion should be aware that,due to unforeseen circumstances, the reunion has had to be postponed.The reunion was due to be held between the 7th and 9th of November.November 2008245

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceRemembrance Day serviceshonour police killed on dutyBy Bex Shannon, Association CommunicationsAssistantPolice and their friends and familygathered to commemorate the lives ofthe 28 police and traffic officers slainon duty between 1886 and 2008 at thisyear’s Police Remembrance Day, held atthe Royal New Zealand Police College atPorirua on 29 September.Remembrance Day was especially poignantthis year, with the two recent ondutydeaths of Sergeant Derek Woottonin Porirua and Sergeant Don Wilkinsonin Mangere.Paid tributePadre David Dell, Chaplain to the RoyalNew Zealand Police College and NewZealand Police Wellington District,officiated the service. Padre Dell reada tribute to the serving and retiredPolice members who had died in thepast year, and gave thanks to “the menand women who have given their all tomaintain law and order in New Zealand,Australia and the region of the SouthPacific, as they have helped keep ourcommunities safe”. Reverend RichardWaugh QSM, Honorary Chaplain forthe Guild of Air Pilots and Navigators,also gave an address on the theme of“Watch and Learn”.Superintendent Mike Wilson, NationalManager: Training, welcomed thoseattending the service and acknowledgedthat their presence signified theirrespect and remembrance for all thosepeople who died having contributed tothe New Zealand Police.Remembrance pinMr Wilson said he hoped that peoplewould continue to wear the PoliceRemembrance Day huia feather lapelpin, which incorporates the Policechevron with a small slit in it torepresent loss, as it is a fitting symbolsimilar to the Anzac Day poppy.During the service, Inspector SiaosiFa’alogo read then names of policecolleagues from Australia, the SolomonIslands and Fiji who had died during theprevious year. Senior Sergeant AndreaCooke read the names of sworn andnon-sworn members of the NZ Policewho had died while in service in the• Police Commissioner, Howard Broad, lays a wreath at the foot of the Wall of Remembranceat the Royal New Zealand Police College.• Constable Tony Milner, and Constable Matt Fage with their police dogs Maverick and Blade,in official uniform for the Police Remembrance Day service at the Royal New Zealand PoliceCollege.246November 2008

New Zealand Police Associationpast year, while Deputy CommissionerLyn Provost and Retired Chief InspectorSherwood Young read the names ofthose retired and other former staff whohad died during the past year.Following the conclusion of the service,Police Commissioner Howard Broadlaid a wreath at the foot of the Wall ofRemembrance and gave a salute as amark of respect to the 28 officers killedon duty.Central District RemembersA second Police Remembrance Dayservice, organised by Central District,was held on 30 September in PalmerstonNorth. As well as remembering membersof Police who had died in the past year,the service made special mention ofthose specifically from Central District.District Commander, SuperintendentRussell Gibson, welcomed thoseattending, and Palmerston North Mayor,Jono Naylor, read an address.Inspector Mark Harrison and PeterMiller read the names of those slain onduty, and the names of those who haddied during the past year. InspectorMark Harrison also read a history ofSergeant John Patrick McGuire, whodied after being shot by an unidentifiedburglar in Palmerston North on 10April 1910.The Police Association wishes to extenda special thanks to Association repsfor distributing pins to Police staff forpurchase, and also to those involvedwith organising Police RemembranceDay celebrations.• Police Commissioner, Howard Broad, presents a reading during the Police Remembrance Dayservice.- Photo Courtesy of Wellington Police Forensic Photography• Inpector Mark Harrison presents a history of Sergeant John Patrick McGuire, killed on dutyin Palmerston North in 1910, to those attending the Central District Police RemembranceDay service.- Photo courtesy of Senior Constable Dave Andrews1 2 3 4 5 6 7Clues:Across1. Regulates5. Scrapbook8. Now (5)9. Snake baton (3)10. Confirm (3)11. Kind of support (7)13. Computer symbols (5)14. Obtained at university (6)15. Call of distress (6)17. An award (5)19. Raw (7)21. Open up and take out (3)22. Harden (3)23. Happen (5)24. Tempts. Challenges to do something (5)25. Cools off a situation (7)Down1. Change (5)2. Overseeing (7)3. Tell (3)4. Jargon (5)5. Person who applies for a job (9)6. Game of chance (5)7. Person’s trait (7)12. Represents in perfect form (9)14. Ruins (7)16. Guides (7)18. Put off (5)19. Famous (5)20. Broken rules that are inticing (5)23. Not on! (3)8 9 1011 12 1314 15 1617 18 19 20October answers:Across:1. Rule3. Notebook9. Vehicle10. Paths11. Surveillance13. Onside15. Bailed17. Geriatrician20. Ounce21. Mensici22. Homesick23. LevyDown:1. Revision2. Lahar4. Openly5. Explanations6. Optical7. Kiss8. Screwdrivers12. Identify14. Sternum16. Atomic18. Issue19. Cosh21 22 2324 25November 2008247

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceNZ Police Roll of Honour 1886-2008Constable Neil McLeod, shot dead, 30 July 1890.Sergeant John Patrick Hackett McGuire, died of gunshot wounds, 14 April 1910.Constable John Doyle, victim of an assault, 5 February 1913.Constable Vivian Dudding, died of gunshot wounds, 6 October 1919.Constable James Dorgan, shot dead, 27 August 1921.Constable Thomas Heeps, died of gunshot wounds, 21 October 1934.Constable Frederick William Jordan, shot dead, 8 October 1941.Constable Percy Campbell Tulloch, shot dead, 8 October 1941.Sergeant William Cooper, shot dead, 8 October 1941.Constable Edward Mark Best, gunshot wounds, 11 October 1941.Traffic Officer John Kehoe, shot dead, 31 January 1949.Sergeant William Shore Hughes, shot dead, 27 May 1951.Detective Sergeant Neville Wilson Power, QPM, 6 January 1963.Detective Inspector Wallace Chalmers, QPM, shot dead, 6 January 1963.Constable James Thomas Richardson, shot dead, 3 February 1963.Constable Bryan Leslie Schultz, shot dead, 3 February 1963.Constable Donald Richard Stokes, fatally injured, 15 August 1966.Sergeant Gilbert Peter Arcus, victim of an assault, 4 February 1970.Constable Peter William Murphy, gunshot wounds, 25 September 1976.Traffic Officer Barry Yorston Gibson, victim of assault, 13 June 1977.Traffic Officer Robin Jamieson Dudding, GM, shot dead, 7 April 1986.Senior Constable Peter Morris Umbers, GM, fatally injured, 27 May 1990.Sergeant Stewart Graeme Guthrie, GC, shot dead, 13 November 1990.Constable Glenn Arthur McKibbin, gunshot wounds, 21 April 1996.Constable Lester Murray Stretch, victim of assault, 26 May 1999.Detective Constable Duncan John Taylor, NZBM, shot dead, 5 July 2002.Sergeant Derek Michael Wootton, fatally injured, 11 July 2008.Sergeant Don Wilkinson, shot dead, 11 September 2008.Vehicles not gunsthe major ‘line ofduty’ killer in USAMost people assume the majority offallen officers die from gun violence inthe USA.Figures recently released by the NationalLaw Enforcement Officers’ MemorialFund have confirmed that motorvehicles killed more police officers onduty than any other cause over the lastdecade.Officer fatalities due to traffic-relatedaccidents were up more than 12% in2007, an alarming trend.Between 1998 and 2007, 643 officersdied in motor vehicle-related incidents,either in their patrol car, on theirmotorcycle, or by being struck byanother vehicle. In the same period,585 were shot dead.Last year 83 officers died in motorvehicle incidents while on duty, while68 were shot dead. Five died as a resultof terrorist actions.Associationdonatesmedal• Police Associaton President GregO’Connor (wearing his own long servicemedal) donates the long service medalbelonging to Sergeant William Cooper tothe Police Museum. Sergeant Cooper wasone of four police officers shot and killedby deranged farmer Stanley Graham onthe West Coast in October 1941. Grahamlater died from gunshot wounds afterbeing cornered by police while on the run.The Police Association recently purchasedthe medal and elected to donate it to thePolice Museum because of its historicalsignificance. Museum Manager, KamayaYates, accepted the medal for the PoliceMuseum.We remember… Who passed away…CARRUTHERS William Wright 7-Jun-08 Retired member ChristchurchCLARK Keith 11-Sep-08 Retired member DunedinKAMAT Nandan 27-Sep-08 Member WellingtonDAVEY Jared Isaiah 10-Oct-2008 Son of member HamiltonDAVEY John Nicholas 29-Oct-2008 Son of member Hamilton248November 2008

New Zealand Police AssociationPolicing Act 2008officially enactedon 1 OctoberBy Bex Shannon, AssociationCommunications Assistant• Police Minister Annette King carries out a formal inspection of Police recruits and staff,during a ceremony at the Royal NZ Police College to mark the official commencement of thenew Policing Act.- Photo courtesy of Wellington Police Forensic Photography.Perks of being over 50 or…If you’re not over 50, this is what you have to look forward to.1. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.2. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.3. No one expects you to run anywhere.4. People call at 9 p.m. and ask: “Did I wake you?”5. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.6. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.7. Things you buy now won’t wear out.8. You can eat dinner at 4 p.m.9. You can live without sex but not your glasses.10. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.11. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.12. You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the room.13. You sing along with elevator music.14. Your eyes won’t get much worse.15. Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off (and thenthey’ll up the premiums!).16. Your joints are more accurate than meteorologists at the MetService atpredicting the weather.17. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can’t remember themeither.18. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to a manageable size.The Policing Act 2008 officially commencedon 1 October, replacing the1958 Police Act and giving new powersto Police, half a century on.The commencement of the new legislationwas marked with an earlymorning parade of recruits and staff atthe Royal New Zealand Police College inPorirua. Police Minister Annette King,accompanied by Commissioner HowardBroad, carried out an official inspectionof police staff while in parade formation.The cutting of the Policing Act 2008 cakefollowed several formalities, includingan address by Ms King and Mr Broadand the symbolic signing of the new“solemn undertaking” by two Policestaff members, one sworn and one nonsworn.The Policing Act 2008 better equipsPolice to deal with the challenges ofcontemporary policing in New Zealandand offshore, and introduces a mod-ern employment framework. Frontlineofficers have new powers, such as theability to take a suspect’s particulars beforesummonsing them, and at a locationother than a Police station. The Act alsoclarifies the independence and impartialityof the office of constable - the foundationof New Zealand’s system of policing.Following its third reading, the PolicingBill was passed in the House on 2September and received Royal Assent fromthe Governor-General on 16 September.More than two-and-a-half years worthof review and consultation went into thenew Act.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 phone 0800 500 122;• faxing us on (04) 496 6819; or• Emailing us at;membership@policeassn.org.nzYOU NEED TO LET US KNOW YOURMEMBERSHIP NUMBER, NEW ADDRESSAND IF YOU’RE A SERVING MEMBER- YOUR NEW STATION.November 2008249

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceCollectiveAgreementsRatifiedThe sworn and non-sworn collective agreements have beenratified and members can expect the settlements, with therelevant back-pay, to be implemented in November.More than 120 ratification meetings were held, includingmeetings of the various international deployments.In total 2703 sworn members, about one third of theAssociation’s sworn membership, attended meetings andvoted, with 1960 votes (72.5%) in favour of the offer and 743votes (27.5%) against. In respect of the non-sworn collective,849 members, almost 40% of the membership, attendedmeetings with 730 (86%) votes in favour and 119 (14%) votesagainst.Member attendance at ratification meetings was similar to2006, when a combined total of about 37.5% of sworn andnon-sworn members attended.As in previous years, multiple meetings were held in mostlocations to ensure members had more than one opportunityto attend meetings and be fully informed before voting.Delegates at Conference this year will be consideringrecommended Rule changes to introduce a special voteprocedure in specific circumstances where it is not possiblefor members to attend a ratification meeting, despite theopportunities created by multiple meetings and the ability toattend a meeting at a place other than a member’s own station.These changes, if adopted, will be introduced for the 2009 paynegotiations.Use of 0800 Ten Nine phone lineAssociation representatives maintain this telephone line (08008366 463) on a 24-hour basis.It is to be used ONLY for matters that cannot be deferred,such as Police shootings, fatal pursuits or deaths in custody.Important and immediate industrial and legal advice can thenbe arranged through the Association networks.Please do not phone this line for non-urgent matters.The late Mr Common SenseThis mock obituary has been doing the email rounds recentlyand in case you haven’t spied it we produce it below in theinterests of reflection. Sadly, the sentiments expressed have acertain ring of truth…Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, CommonSense, who has been with us for many years. No one knowsfor sure how old he was, since his birth records were long agolost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as havingcultivated such valuable lessons as: knowing when to comein out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; life isn’talways fair; and maybe it was my fault.Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’tspend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults,not children, are in charge).His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentionedbut overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of asix-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing aclassmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwashafter lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unrulystudent, only worsened his condition.Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachersfor doing the job that they themselves had failed to do indisciplining their unruly children.AustralianInstitute ofCriminologyConferenceThe Australian Institute of Criminology is hosting aninternational conference on homicide with a focus ondomestic-related homicide.The conference is being held on the Gold Coast from 3-5December, 2008.Domestic violence is a significant factor in homicides acrossmost cultures and is a significant factor in the deaths of manywomen and children in particular. A distinguishing featureof this type of homicide is that it has often proved resistantto efforts to combat it. The conference will focus on crossculturaland international experiences of domestic-relatedhomicide. The conference is the first of its kind in Australia.The conference programme and registration is available on thewebsite http://www.aic.gov.au/conferences/2008-homicideHe declined even further when schools were required to getparental consent to administer sun screen or an Aspirin to astudent; but could not inform parents when a student becamepregnant and wanted to have an abortion.Common Sense lost the will to live, as the churches becamebusinesses and criminals received better treatment than theirvictims.Common Sense took a beating when you couldn’t defendyourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglarcould sue you for assault.Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a womanfailed to realise that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. Shespilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a hugesettlement against the ‘negligent’ restaurant.Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truthand Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility;and his son, Reason. His four stepbrothers survive him; IKnow My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame,and I’m A Victim.Not many attended his funeral because so few realised he wasgone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join themajority and do nothing.250November 2008

New Zealand Police AssociationAt home and abroad: frontline staffingissues cross international bordersCuts to the number of police operating inboth New York and Michigan are beingcriticised by the public, who believecrime levels will escalate drasticallywithout the extra law enforcement.New York Police Commissioner RayKelly said recently that he would followMayor Bloomberg’s order to cut budgetsby not hiring 1,000 officers that hadbeen planned for, according to The NewYork Post.Police numbers unchangedThe NYPD currently has about 35,800Police officers, when in 1992 there werethe same number.Crime is down to record levels, withmurders having decreased by 17% inthe past year, and Mr Kelly said that thereduction in police officers would notaffect current operations.The force has had trouble hiring staffover recent years because of its lowstarting salary of $US25,100. Mr Kellysaid that reducing the number of officersseemed practical when they can’t seemto hire staff anyway.However, an arbitrator is expected tocome up with a new salary scale in thecoming months.Officials at the Patrolmen’s BenevolentAssociation (PBA) said that it was notstarting salaries, but salaries across theboard that have affected recruitment.“The NYPD has turned its inability tomaintain staffing levels into budgetarysavings at a time when local communityprecinct houses are screaming for morepolice officers,” Pat Lynch, president ofthe PBA, saidReductions criticisedEven lawmakers and some citycouncillors are sceptical that fewerpolice officers could sustain the lowcrime levels that Kelly’s force hasachieved.“During the worst crisis that this cityever faced we had 38,630 police officersand now we have approximately35,548, somewhere around that. Idon’t think that makes much sense,”Councilmember, Hiram Monserrate, said.In Michigan, major cuts to police numbershave already proved detrimental,with violent crime up in some areas andarrests down. Law enforcement agenciesare fighting crime with about 1,800 fewerpolice officers than in 2001, according toThe Associated Press.According to a review of FBI uniformcrime reports, Michigan lost 9% ofcombined sworn officer and civilianfull-time staff between 2001-2006–more than any other state.Significant lossesThe city of Detroit lost more than 20%of its officer positions, and the state’ssmallest departments have been hithard, with agencies that employ fouror fewer officers losing 45% of theirpositions. That can make the differencebetween having someone on patrol atnight, or having to rely on county orstate officers from further away.Tight tax revenues, caused in part byMichigan’s long-struggling economyand high unemployment rates, areblamed for the police layoffs. Somecities in Michigan are looking atcutting police numbers even further aslocal governments struggle to pay forpatrols.“We’re stretched thin. A lot of criminals,the halfway bright ones anyway, arestarting to realise that,” Sheriff BrianMcLean of Houghton County said.Detrimental effectsCitizens sometimes wait hours for anofficer to respond to a property crime,and more state highways go unpatrolledfor long periods at night. Support staffhave also been slashed.Overall reported crime dropped almost6% from 2000 to 2006, and arrests aredown almost 13% for the same period.The number of reported murders, rapesand aggravated assaults has stayedlevel or increased only slightly, but thenumber of arrests for those crimes hasedged downwards.However, some help might be on theway, with the state legislature’s approvalof $1million to start a trooper trainingschool that could help to train 100 newtroopers. Governor Jennifer Granholmproposed spending up to $7.3 millionin the next fiscal year to enable thestudents to complete training, butsimilar proposals have been scrappedin recent years because of state budgetproblems.“The presence of a police officer isprevention,” said Terrence Jungel,Executive Director of the MichiganSheriff’s Association. “That has beenhurt with the erosion of support for lawenforcement,” he said.It makes you think…If you tied buttered toast to the back ofa cat and dropped it from a height, whatwould happen?If you’re in a vehicle going the speed oflight, what happens when you turn on theheadlights?You know how most packages say:“Open here”. What happens if you openit somewhere else?If you have your finger touching therearview mirror that says -- “objects inmirror are closer than they appear”, howcan that be possible?Why is it so hard to remember how tospell mnemonic?If someone invented instant water, whatwould they mix it with?Why is it called a TV “set” when you onlyget one?Why does your nose run and your feetsmell?Why does an alarm clock “go off” when itbegins ringing?If pro is the opposite of con, is progressthe opposite of congress?Why does “cleave” mean both split apartand stick together?Why is it, whether you sit up or sit down,the result is the same?Why is there an expiry date on sourcream?If you keep trying to prove Murphy’s Law,will something keep going wrong?Why does flammable and inflammablemean the same thing?How can someone “draw a blank”?November 2008251

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PolicePoignant reminder of evils of drugs fromDon Wilkinson’s mother during eulogySergeant Don Wilkinson, an undercover operative killed in the line of duty, was farewelled in mid-September by over 1,000 mourners at Parnell’s Holy Trinity Cathedral.Sergeant Wilkinson’s mother, BeverleyLawrie, an Oamaru school teacher, farewelledher only child by delivering a eulogy whichspoke of her pride in the work he had doneand a warning that more police officers wouldbe killed if the “gangs and drugs are notcleaned up.”Mr Wilkinson, 47, was shot dead duringa surveillance operation as he was tryingto place a tracking device on a vehicle inMangere outside a suspected P lab on 11September.“A sociable loner”Beverley Lawrie described her son as “asociable loner” who worked in a job “whichhad its fair share of risks”.Reverend Ross Bay told the congregationthat people needed to stand against thescourge of methamphetamine and “thosewho manufacture and supply it”. He said itwas causing havoc in society and wreckingfamilies.Police Commissioner Howard Broad paidtribute to the excellent work of SergeantWilkinson adding that the culture that allowedgangs and drugs to co-exist must change.Commissioner Broad said: “Drugs and gangsgo back at least 50 years. We’ve graduallybuilt a culture where drugs are seen as alifestyle choice. This must change”.Responsibility for changeThe responsibility for that change needed“more than slogans and rhetoric” and it wasthe responsibility of every person.Many of Don Wilkinson’s colleagues attendeda private service for him the night before theofficial funeral service.As befitting Police tradition, a lone piper ledthe funeral procession as Mr Wilkinson’scasket was taken to the hearse and thendriven slowly past hundreds of police officers,who had formed a guard of honour. The NewZealand Police flag was draped over thecasket, which was carried shoulder high bypallbearers, presenting a sombre momentof reflection for all Police personnel present.Forty-seven doves, one each for every yearof Don Wilkinson’s life, were released as thecasket was borne to the hearse.252November 2008

New Zealand Police AssociationOpposite page:• Top: Don Wilkinson’s hat and photo adorned his casket.• Middle: POIGNANT MOMENT: Young and old alike came to paytheir respects to slain police officer, Don Wilkinson.• Bottom: Police Commissioner Howard Broad offers the traditionalsalute as Don Wilkinson’s mother Beverly Lawrie follows her son’scoffin from the church.This page:• Top: Police officers lined the street in honour of their fallencolleague.• Bottom: Don Wilkinson’s casket is carried shoulder high from thechurch after a moving ceremony.- Photos courtesy of Lawrence Smith and Sunday-News.To An Athlete Dying YoungThe time you won your town the raceWe chaired you through the market-place;Man and boy stood cheering by,And home we brought you shoulder-high.To-day, the road all runners come,Shoulder-high we bring you home,And set you at your threshold down,Townsman of a stiller town.Smart lad, to slip betimes awayFrom fields where glory does not stay,And early though the laurel growsIt withers quicker than the rose.Eyes the shady night has shutCannot see the record cut,And silence sounds no worse than cheersAfter earth has stopped the ears:Now you will not swell the routOf lads that wore their honours out,Runners whom renown outranAnd the name died before the man.So set, before its echoes fade,The fleet foot on the sill of shade,And hold to the low lintel upThe still-defended challenge-cup.And round that early-laurelled headWill flock to gaze the strengthless dead,And find unwithered on its curlsThe garland briefer than a girl’s.- A.E. Housman.November 2008253

PoliceNewsThe Voice of Police• NZ Police contingent members join Afghan colleagues to remember Inspector Geoff Hancock at the unveiling of the commemorative stone.Memorial honours NZ policeofficer’s work in AfghanistanBy Bex Shannon, Communications AssistantOn 8 October, New Zealand Police staff based in Afghanistanunveiled a memorial stone acknowledging Inspector GeoffreyHancock’s service at the Bamyan Regional Training Centre during2005-2006.Mr Hancock, from Wellington, died after he returned to New Zealandfrom his deployment. His Operation Highland colleagues decided itwould be a fitting tribute to place a white marble stone at the trainingcentre to mark his work during his deployment and the impact it hadon the Afghanistan people.An officer rememberedA remembrance service was held at the training centre to mark theunveiling of the memorial, and was attended by a number of NewZealand and Afghanistan police officers. Padre Colin Mason, fromNZ Police, welcomed attendees and spoke of Mr Hancock’s workat the training camp. Colonel Payman, of the Afghanistan Police,acknowledged his efforts and commitment, as well as his friendship,and Inpector Andrew Heffey gave a short eulogy.Padre Mason concluded the service by blessing the stone, whichis inscribed in both English and Dari with the words: “In memory ofa proud New Zealand police officer, Inspector Geoffrey Hancock whoserved at the Bamyan Regional Training Centre as an Internationalmentor 2005/6”.Following the service, attendees went to Colonel Payman’s room andshared an Afghan lunch. Superintendent Paul Carpenter, ContingentCommander, said the day proved to be “a fitting tribute to Geoff andhis work here in Bamyan”, and that it would be recognised as a dayof remembrance every year.Rebuilding the forceMr Hancock, along with two other colleagues from Wellington, weresent to Afghanistan on deployment in 2005 for five months to helprebuild the police force, which had crumbled due to war and internalconflict.The trio worked alongside New Zealand Defence Force staff as partof the New Zealand Government’s international aid contribution toAfghanistan.Working closely with the New Zealand Military Bamyan ProvincialReconstruction Team, Mr Hancock was part of a nationwide Police• The NZ Police cap atop the memorial stone.254November 2008

New Zealand Police AssociationReform Project extending the New ZealandPolice input first established by Sergeant WallyKopae and Senior Sergeant Marty Edgill.The primary activities conducted by the NZPolice team included: the mentoring of thelocal police chief; advising staff and helping totrain recruits at the Regional Training Centrefor Bamyan Police; and evaluating provincialpolicing plans.Teaching and being taughtThe men were responsible for instructingsimple and varied lessons. Mr Hancock wouldoften be out planting disarmed mines inpreparation for his lessons.“One wonders what we can teach people whohave been traversing minefields at an earlyage,” he said when interviewed during hisdeployment.The men also helped to build a new classroom,accommodation block, and bathroom facilities,which meant recruits, could move from theircurrent accommodation – an abandonedmosque.Mr Hancock thoroughly enjoyed the interactionhe was having with the recruits, the trainingcentre staff and the local Bamiyan people andon his return home said that the deploymentwas the “experience of a lifetime”.• The flags of New Zealand, Afghanistanand the United States on the paradeground.Pilot scheme sees nurses placed inManukau and Christchurch stationsBy Bex Shannon, Communications AssistantA two-year pilot scheme to gauge theeffectiveness of placing nursing support inpolice stations is underway in Manukau andChristchurch Central.The scheme is part of a new pilotprogramme by the Police and Ministry ofHealth, and is expected to have significantbenefit to those suffering mental healthissues or drug and alcohol problems.Consideration of needsFour nurses, two based in the watch houseat each station, will screen people who havebeen arrested and may have drug or alcoholissues. This will enable them to be referredfor suitable treatment if required; therebyensuring individuals are processed withconsideration for their specific needs.The pilots were established because thecustodial care needed for those affected bymental health issues or drugs and alcoholoften exceeds the expertise of police. Thoseaffected can also be difficult and timeconsuming to manage.In 2007, 48% of people held in policestations reported they had been using atleast one drug at the time of arrest. In thesame year, Police were called to nearly9,000 incidents involving people with solelymental health-related issues and assistedover 17,000 people who had becomeaffected by alcohol and drugs.Reduce offendingPolice said the aim of the pilot is to enhancethe social functioning and mental health ofpeople who have been detained, to assist inreducing the rate of drug and alcohol abuse,addiction-related harm and to help reduceoffending.Assistant Commissioner Grant Nicholls saidPolice are very often the first agency to havecontact with people with mental health andalcohol/drug issues, and the assistance ofspecialist nurses will be ideal for the watchhouses.• Assistant Commissioner Grant Nicholls:“Giving people the support they need atthe earliest possible stage is crucial toreducing the chance of seeing them turnup again in our police stations.”“Giving people the support they need at theearliest possible stage is crucial to reducingthe chance of seeing them turn up again inour police stations,” he said.Director of Mental Health Dr David Chaplowalso supports the initiative.“Being confined in police cells can, onoccasions, aggravate a person’s mentalhealth condition. Mental health problemssometimes contribute to offending. In somecases referring these people to assessmentand treatment may be very appropriate.”Rotorua leads the wayThe pilot is an extension of the successfulplacement of a mental health nurse at theRotorua Police Station since 2001.The Rotorua initiative has been praised forupskilling police officers and providing themwith the capability to avoid any negative sideeffects of holding people affected by mentalillness in custody.Jeanette Knight, the nurse based at RotoruaPolice Station, is responsible for conductingmental health assessments and facilitatingthe treatment of mentally ill detainees,arrestees and those on remand in Rotorua.Rotorua Police Area Commander InspectorBruce Horne told the Rotorua Daily Post thatJeanette’s contribution is significant; both topolice and to the people she works with andspeaks for.Accurate assessment and treatment“Jeanette provides close professionalsupport for our staff and that’s a hugebenefit to police. She is also able to providean immediate and accurate assessment ofpeople in police custody with mental healthissues. If additional care is required, herknowledge of mental health systems enablesher to facilitate that assistance in a timelymanner. All these factors result in betteroutcomes for all parties,” he said.If the pilot programmes in Manukau andChristchurch prove as successful as theRotorua initiative, they may be continuedbeyond 2010 and be rolled out to otherpolice stations nationwide.November 2008255

PoliceNewsThe Voice of Police• You’re sitting there at your desk editing copy and something catches your eye. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s the Special Tactics Grouprappelling officers on to the roof of Wellington Police Station across the road from the NZ Police Association offices in Wellington. All part ofthe excitement of living in the Big Smoke.- Photo courtesy of a pigeon perched on the 6th floor window ledge. Did we mention we have really clever pigeons in Wellington?“My Way” most popular funeral anthem while“Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead” has its day tooSome 405 years ago William Shakespeare penned the phrase “shuffled off thismortal coil” in his famed play Hamlet. No doubt he could never have envisaged themanner in which the deceased (or their relatives) might choose to be farewelledwhile ‘shuffling’ in the 21st century.Funeral songs were recently the subject ofresearch conducted by South Australianfuneral directors, Centennial Park. Theycame up with some very interestingfuneral renditions, which have beenperformed at funerals over recent years.What would you think might be themood for a funeral conducted with arendition of Ding Dong the Witch is Deadas part of the musical arrangements?This was, in fact, the song played at afuneral in South Australia.TrendsWhile traditional hymns still got a lookin, Centennial Park found that therewas a move towards popular, rock andnovelty songs in the ‘modern’ age.According to a report carried byAustralian Associated Press (AAP),other funeral ceremonies have beenaccompanied by the blaring rock tonesof Another One Bites The Dust, Stairwayto Heaven or even Highway to Hell. Thefirst and third choices might be a taddisconcerting for loved ones to hear,one would think, had they not beenforewarned.These, however, rate behind croonerclassics such as My Way (Frank Sinatra),Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong) andUnforgettable (Nat King Cole).“Some of the more unusual songs we256November 2008hear actually work very well withinthe service because they represent theperson’s character,’’ said Bryan Elliott,Chief Executive of Centennial Park,the largest funeral provider in SouthAustralia.Two hymns make the cutMr Elliott said only two hymns - AmazingGrace and Abide With Me - madeCentennial Park’s list of top 10 funeralsongs.The list is headed by My Way, WonderfulWorld and Time To Say Goodbye.Mr Elliott said the move towardsmore personalised funerals promptedCentennial Park to replace projectors intheir three chapels with large plasma TVscreens.“Hi-tech funerals are the way of thefuture,’’ he said. Nine in every 10 funeralsnow include some form of audio-visualpresentation.’’Centennial Park’s top 10 funeral songswere:1. My Way (Frank Sinatra)2. Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong)3. Time To Say Goodbye (Andrea Bocelliand Sarah Brightman)4. Unforgettable (Nat King Cole)5. The Wind Beneath My Wings (BetteMidler)6. Amazing Grace (various artists)7. We’ll Meet Again (Vera Lynn)8. Over The Rainbow (Judy Garland)9. Abide With Me (Harry Secombe)10. Danny Boy (various artists)Centennial Park’s most unusual funeralsongs were:1. The Show Must Go On (Queen)2. Stairway To Heaven (Led Zeppelin)3. Highway To Hell (AC/DC)4. Another Ones Bites The Dust(Queen)5. I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (Bon Jovi)6. Always Look On The Bright Side ofLife (Monty Python)7. Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead (TheWizard of Oz)8. Hit The Road Jack (Willie Nelson)9. I’m Too Sexy (Right Said Fred)10. AFL club songs of Adelaide and PortAdelaideSeveral years ago, an elderly Wellingtonman, with an unusual sense of humourand an inclination to always have the lastlaugh with his practical jokes, surprisedguests at his funeral when he was carriedout to strains of The Laughing Policeman.Carrying his coffin out with the intendeddegree of dignity was not easy for thepallbearers. He would have loved it. He’sprobably still laughing.

New Zealand Police Associationby Ricky CollinsThe German ExperienceMy wine cellar is best described as an eclecticcollection, with bits of everything stored away.It represents the evolution of my wine tastesover the years but includes a number of winestyles that I’d now rather not have collected.Given my time over again, I would havefocused on a few specific styles of wine andtop of my list of white wines would be German Riesling.Last month, I tried the latest range of Kerpen Rieslings, broughtinto New Zealand by MacVine International Ltd. Kerpen is a wellregardedGerman producer from the Mosel region and focuses solelyon Riesling. Their Rieslings range from bone dry to concentrated,sweet examples. Here are my thoughts on a selection of their latestreleases.2006 Riesling Blauschiefer Trocken RRP $22I’m not normally that fond of bone dry Riesling, but this wine reallyappealed to me. The Blauschiefer term translates to blue slate andthis is reflected in the mineral tones in the wine. The very crisp acidsgive the wine a clean fresh feel and it has delicious granny smithapple and citrus flavours. I’ve sincetried this wine again and it remainsone of the better dry Rieslings I’vesampled.2004 Graacher DomprobstRiesling Spätlese FienherbRRP $33This is an off-dry single-vineyard Riesling from a very highly regardedvintage. It has honeysuckle notes on the nose, and expressiveminerality and citrus flavours on the palate. It has a slightly spritzicmouthfeel to it, which I found appealing.2004 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 2004 RRP $40This wine to me is a superb example of German Riesling and is thetype of wine I’d have loved to collect over the years. It is a harmoniouswine, with great acidity and concentrated lemon and lime flavours.It will reward those who are prepared to hold off drinking it for anumber of years.2005 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese RRP $48The flavour profile of this wine is more in the orange spectrum. Ithas a viscous texture, richness that is in another dimension to theprevious wines, and great length. Bunches of late harvested grapeswere selected to produce this wine, hence the increased level ofsweetness. At $48 for a 750 ml bottle, this represents great value.November December JanuaryWAIHEKE ISLAND 6 Fully Booked Fully BookedPAIHIA Fully Booked 3,4,8,9,15-19 Fully BookedSTANMORE BAY 4-6,9-13,16-20,23-27,29-31 1-4,7-11,14-20 Fully BookedAUCKLAND 25 18 Fully BookedWHANGAMATA 3-6,10-13,17-20,24-27,30 1-4,11,15,17,22-24 Fully BookedMT MAUNGANUI 2-6,9,12-13,16-21,23-27,30 1-4,8 Fully BookedOHOPE 1-4,13,17-19,21,25,30 1-4,7-11,14-15,19 Fully BookedROTORUA 2,5-13,16-20,23-24,27,30 1-4,7-11,14-18,21 Fully BookedTAUPO 3,9,11-20,24,26-27,30 1-3,7-10,15-16 Fully BookedTURANGI 2-6,8-13,16-30 1-5,7-19,23 Fully BookedNAPIER 4-5,17,19 9,15-18 Fully BookedPARAPARAUMU 13-14,22-30 1-5,8-11,15,18 Fully BookedGREYTOWN 2-6,9-10,13,19-20,24-27,30 1,3-4,7-11,14-16,21 Fully BookedWELLINGTON 14,27,29-30 1,3-4,15,17-18 Fully BookedNELSON 3-5,12,18,27-28,30 1,5-6 Fully BookedHANMER SPRINGS 30 10,26 Fully BookedCHRISTCHURCH 24 2,7,9,26 Fully BookedTEKAPO 6,18 1-2,10-11,14-15 Fully BookedWANAKA 2,6-8,14-16,18,25-28,30 2-4,7-10,14-15 Fully BookedCROMWELL 1,12 4,18,22-26 Fully BookedQUEENSTOWN 5,9-12,16,30 2,4-5,8-9 Fully BookedTE ANAU 6,8-9,12-13,17,23,26,30 1,4,12,14-15,21-26 Fully BookedDUNEDIN 3-4,9-11,19,23-24 1-4,8-9,14 Fully BookedTo make a booking - Call one of our Customer Services representatives on 0800-500-122 or Ext 4446 or log on at www.policeassn.org.nz and use your Member IDand Login to make your own bookingNovember 2008257

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceHow to enjoy your retirementWorking people frequently ask retiredpeople what they do to make theirdays interesting.Well, for example, the other day mywife and I went into town and wentinto a shop.We were only in there for about five minutes. When we came out,there was a cop writing out a parking ticket.We went up to him and said: “Come on man, how about giving asenior citizen a break?”He ignored us and continued writing the ticket. I called him a Naziturd. He glared at me and started writing another ticket for havingworn tyres.So my wife called him a s%#t-head. He finished the second ticket andput it on the windshield with the first. Then he started writing a thirdticket. This went on for about 20 minutes. The more we abused him,the more tickets he wrote.Personally, we didn't care. We came into town by bus. We try to have alittle fun each day now that we're retired. It's important at our age.“One machine can do the work of 50 ordinary men.No machine can do the work of one extraordinaryman.- Elbert Hubbard, 1859-1915,American author/publisher.“All ambitions are lawful except those which climbupwards on the miseries or credulities of mankind.”- Joseph Conrad, 1857-1992,Polish-born British novelist.“Being willing to change allows you to move froma point of view to a viewing point - a higher, moreexpansive place, from which you can see both sides.”- Thomas Crum, American educationalist,humanitarian and author.This column is written by a frontlinepolice officer. It does not represent theviews or policies of the Police Association.TASER COMPLICATIONWell, I see Christmas won’t be coming early and all our staff won’tbe having access to this tactical option necessity in our demandingand sometimes damn volatile environment. I don’t know about youguys but I am so over this dithering and dathering. Next thing we’ll bewanting the Queen’s opinion on whether we should deploy an item thatis going to reduce injuries to our number one resource!A limited roll out and restricted deployment is only going to allowmore of our colleagues to face injury out there in the ‘real world’.The hierarchy love throwing stats around (though not recorded violentoffending at the moment) and assaults against police are on the up andup. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see the correlation withthe violence stats that are also heading in the same direction.Isn’t ‘Decision Making’ and ‘Influential Leadership’ part of our CoreCompetency (see I do take notice) framework? Will someone stand upand take some testosterone pills please? Yes, I said testosterone andhappy for the flak to come with the comment! How many more of ushave to get hurt before we wake up and smell the coffee!MORE $$$ IN THE POCKETHard call this one wasn’t it? I understand some heated debate (a goodthing) was had up and down the country of where we were at andwhere we should be. The road show was pretty convincing for me asI didn’t see the point in going to arbitration over a one-year deal. Alsowhen you look at those comparisons (damn stats again) we were in theball park. So a few more bucks coming before Christmas and AuntyHelen and Uncle Michael also helped out along the way, though to befair I think we’ll be rolling up our sleeves next year as I see arbitrationon the horizon!November Elections will be very interesting though words are cheapand action is what counts at the end of the day!OUTLAWING OUTLAWSAnother political football that there is way too much rhetoric around.Bad people doing bad things need one thing and that is our focus.Focus means resources and the big question for me is how manyof the 1000 have gone there? Do you remember that wee group,OFCANZ or something that was going to solve the world’s organisedcrime problems? It’s been very quiet for a long time in this area, I mustsay, though I do see some of the jobs have been finally advertised togo and sit in Molesworth Street – what a carrot that is!I’m actually 110% behind this team but as I’ve already pointed out....words are cheap. I want to see some action! I’m sure we will havetargeted our shining experts in this field from near and far and lookforward to this ‘A’ Team’s effort. Go get ’em team.CHRISTMAS COMING EARLYWhat else could it be with the boys in black journeying to the northernhemisphere to remind the world just how good we are and this is nearlyalways a case of action followed bywords.SEE YAEgyptian man gets ass thrown in jailA donkey in Egypt has been jailed for stealing corn on the cob.Egyptian media recently reported that an agricultural research site inthe Nile Delta owned the paddock that the corn was stolen from. Thedonkey and its owner were apprehended at a checkpoint set up bypolice after complaints from the research institute’s director aboutmissing crops, according to a report from Associated Foreign Press.A local judge sentenced the donkey to 24-hours in prison, and theowner was fined 50 Egyptian pounds ($NZ14.50).258November 2008

New Zealand Police Association• BLAST FROM THE PAST: There’s an oldadage that goes: “The more things changethe more they stay the same.” Thisadvert from the September 1967 issue ofthe NZ Police Journal, a predecessor ofPolice News, could just as easily fit today’srecruitment wish list too.Ban on exposure of underwearruled as ‘unconstitutional’A judge has decided a law banningsagging pants in the Florida town ofRiveira Beach is unconstitutional aftera teenager spent a night in jail onaccusations he exposed too much of hisunderwear.Julius Hart, 17, was charged recentlyafter a police officer said he spottedthe teenager riding his bicycle with10-12 centimetres of blue-and-blackboxer shorts revealed, according to anAssociated Press report.Hart’s public defender, Carol Bickerstaff,urged the judge to strike down the saggingpants law, telling him: “Your honour, wenow have the fashion police.”Circuit Judge Paul Moyle ruled that thelaw was unconstitutional based on “thelimited facts” of the case. Technically,however, the charge hasn’t beendropped yet: so Hart still has to face thecharges at a later date.Law passed in MarchVoters in Riviera Beach approved thelaw in March. A first offence for saggingpants carries a $150 fine or communityservice, and habitual offenders face thepossibility of jail time.Proposals to ban saggy pants are gainingground in several places around theU.S. They have met with oppositionfrom civil liberties advocates who saythey will lead to racial profiling againstyoung African-Americans.The fashion is believed to have startedin prisons, where inmates are not givenbelts with their baggy uniform pants inorder to prevent hangings and beatings.By the late 1980s, the trend had madeit to gangster rap videos and then wenton to skateboarders in the suburbs andhigh school hallways.Bickerstaff said she wants the city todrop the law - regardless of whetheranyone dislikes low-riding pants.“The first time I saw this particularfashion, I disliked it,” she told the judge.“And then I realized I’m getting old.”Death penaltymethod in doubtA judge in Ohio has ordered the state tochange its lethal injection execution methodbecause it can cause pain. Judge JamesBurge said the three-step method – by whicha convict is first rendered unconscious, thena muscle-paralyser is administered, followedby a final injection which stops the heart –does not conform with quick and painlessexecutions.A single massive dose of anaesthesia shouldbe administered, he said. The decision isexpected to revive the death penalty debate.Moped theftson the riseWhen petrol prices climbed to just over the $2a litre mark recently, vehicle thieves startedturning to more economical forms of joyriding.Napier police reported recently that mopedthefts leapt from almost none 12 months agoto about five per month when petrol reached itspeak. A dealer at Bay View, near Napier, saidscooter sales had risen 50% in six months.- Source: Fairfax.November 2008259

POLICE COUNCIL OF SPORTTo contact the Police Council of Sport, call Alison Murray at the RNZPC. Ph: (04) 238-3139• Competitors in the Police Association Snowboarding Nationals bask in the sun at Cardrona Skifield, near Queenstown.Tough competition in more waysthan one at Snowboarding ChampsBy Greg Murton, event organiserThe 2008 NZ Police Association SnowboardingNationals were held at CardronaAlpine Resort from 17-19 September.Competitors from as far afield as Invercargilland Auckland attended and most points inbetween. The weather was overcast andrainy for the first two days of competition butby Friday it was perfect mountain weatherfor the running of the Giant Slalom andGravity-X.The event consisted of the Halfpipe, GiantSlalom and Gravity-X. The latter being a fourpersonrace with no holds barred down acourse consisting of turns, rollers and jumps.This year’s event proved to have the mostcarnage ever in the 10 years the event hasbeen running. Ian Tuke suffered a broken anddislocated shoulder going big in the Halfpipe.Amy Weston was transported to hospital ina back brace after a high speed crash in theGravity-X, and Pat Mulrooney suffered ‘malletfinger’ in an out of competition spill.Titanic battleA titanic battle in the women’s event resultedin Lynne Donaldson (Wanaka) winning theoverall competition ahead of Jacqui Lambeth(Invercargill), with Laura Lucas (Hamilton)third.In the men’s event, Garrod Russell (Hamilton)defended his title from the past two years,with a resurgent Andrew Royds (PalmerstonNorth) second, and old campaigner SteveLloyd third.Thanks to the Police Council of Sport and NZPolice Association for the continued support.The event would not be able to be heldwithout their sponsorship.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.260 November 2008

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.Democracy and the need for proxiesI recently attended my first ratification meetingand was concerned that the attendance ruleis to continue. Only those union membersattending a meeting can cast a vote. Anargument in support for this rule is the recentround of emails criticising the Association’sstand on the pay round.People should only vote if “fully informed”of the issues, and can only be so informed ifthey have attended the meeting. However, theAssociation had every opportunity to counterany arguments made in those rogue emails byresponding in the same medium. In fact, atleast two detailed emails were produced andsent to everyone on the Association’s mailinglist whereas the rogue mailers only forwardedto their own contacts.From that alone, the Association has morereach. Yet, under the current system, theAssociation then has at least an hour at aratification meeting to argue its position. Aposition previously prepared and supportedby questionable graphs, including thosewithout a zero point on the y-axis and bargraphs on retention, which claim to supporta trend without any recognisable analysis inthat regard.What if we had to listen to only either HelenClark or John Key for an hour before voting inthe General Election? What is going on here?At least, those who do attend a meeting shouldbe able to carry proxy votes for other members.Let’s please improve on our democracy, and,if we make a mistake, we learn the hard way.What a very reasonable risk to run, and smallcost to pay, for learning to think for ourselves.Cliff Hamilton(Dunedin)The issue of proxy voting was raised anddiscussed at the last Annual Conference ofthe NZ Police Association. As a result of thatdiscussion, working parties were formedaround the country to look into the matter andas a result recommendations will be put beforeAnnual Conference this year. – Editor.There is no “I” in “team”I write this letter in relation to our colleagueswho have been authorised to wear theircustomary head dress as a replacement to ourtraditional forage caps. I personally feel this isa mockery of our uniform and nothing morethan political correctness getting out of handonce again.Don’t get me wrong. I understand howimportant dress code is to some cultures andI support people wearing whatever they wantoutside of work, but the fact of the matter iswe are supposed to work together as a teamand take pride in our uniform and everythingthat it stands for. What happened to “you wearwhat your partner is wearing”? In my eyes thisportrayed a tidy, professional image on thestreet and don’t forget the safety reasons whywe dress the same (a cop wearing a turban ona skirmish line could well be first in the lineof fire when people are looking for a target tothrow things at).If we keep allowing these changes to happenwhere do we stop? Should religious peoplebe exempt from working holy days? Shouldweaponry such as ceremonial daggers beallowed to be carried by staff? Maybe withmy Chinese descent I can start wearing acustomary silk hat instead of my forage cap ormaybe even a rice paddy hat as a replacementfor my akubra?We should all be proud to wear our fulluniform and stand tall because of it, regardlessof our religion, gender or ethnic background.Callum Young(Auckland)The truth about violent crimeViolent crime increases yet again but onlybecause of increased reporting.Minister of Police Annette King says Policedeserve much credit for uncovering the extentof the problem.Yet any decrease in crime is directly related togood police work and has nothing to do withlack of focus or resources in that area? What ajoke. Laughable if it wasn’t at the expense ofcrime victims.Nick Plant(Auckland)Time to draw a line in the sandfor drug dealers and gangsThe senseless execution-style murder of a servingpolice officer is heartbreaking. Regretfully, it willcome to many as no surprise because meth labsand tinny houses have continued to proliferateour neighbourhoods unabated.Could it take this tragedy to shake theGovernment out of its stupor?Because preceding the Mangere murder wasthe brutal shooting of a man on his Papatoetoedoorstep and the cold blooded killing of a boyoutside his home in Manurewa. Drug dealingand the P epidemic underpin countless actsof mindless violence, much of which goesunreported. But because these particularvictims didn’t happen to be a serving policeofficer, the Government barely flinched -concerned more with their own survival of thepolitical kind.Recent proposals involving banning gangpatches and merging Serious Fraud withOrganised Crime demonstrate the level of sheerignorance that is our current Government.Banning patches will help gangs take theirbusiness of drug dealing further underground.Merging Serious Fraud and Organised Crimewill achieve against gangs what merging theMOT with Police did for fighting crime…absolutely nothing.Gangs exist for one purpose: to deal drugsin return for money or services, includingprostitution. The victims are our children andanybody else vulnerable and foolish enoughto indulge. The victims are also their families,friends, co-workers, employees, employersand clients.The solution: It’s time to draw the line inthe sand. Drug dealing is the soft-underbellyof organised crime and that’s where lawenforcement needs to aim its sights. Give thePolice what they need to fight the war on gangsand drugs - the people, tools and laws to do it.Partnering Police with the Army could be oneway to achieve the manpower and the muscle.After all, this is a war we are fighting in ourown back yard, and we’re losing badly.Make the punishment outweigh the benefitfor dealers and manufacturers. No leniency.No bail. No parole. Underneath it all, we mustrestore strength to families and demand thatfathers take responsibility for their sons anddaughters. Families hold the key because ourkids are the ‘demand,’ which is creating thesupply.A ‘cop killing’ is the diet of a younger generationfed daily by media, music, movies and videogames. They’re probably the least surprised orconcerned of any of us. And that’s because intheir minds, it’s normal.Richard Lewis(Leader Family First Party)Love the work, hate the pay;Hate the work, love the payI was a frontline police officer at AucklandCentral for three years. I have taken two yearsLWOP (Leave Without Pay) because - to beWanted: Touch Rugby teamsThe New Zealand Police Association SouthIsland Police Touch Rugby Tournament is beingheld on Sunday 23 November 2008.This is a tournament for all ages and abilities.It will once again be held at the Woodend Rugbygrounds, Gladstone Road, Woodend.If requested, transport can be provided betweenPapanui and Woodend before and after thetournament. Bookings are essential.This is a great family day out with loads of freeentertainment for the kids. Entry fee is only$200 per team. Bookings for transport andteam entries close 9 November 2008.For further details on the contact person inyour area, please Email or phone Tony Mawat the Rangiora Police Station on(03) 313 2683, 35783 oranthony.maw@police.govt.nzNovember 2008261

PoliceNewsThe Voice of Policequite frank - I couldn’t afford a half decentlifestyle in Auckland on a Police salary. AndI’m not talking about living the high life or in‘upper class’ suburbs. Banks would only offerme enough (or mostly not enough) to buy inthe less desirable areas, or in reality, the areaswhere most of our “clients” tend to live. Thesame went for my partner too and I’m sureour story is common among fellow underpaidpolice officers, especially in Auckland.In the end, to have some quality of life I wenthouse-sitting – although it’s not quite the samemaking yourself comfortable in someone else’shome while living out of a suitcase.In the end, we had had enough and, yes, mypartner and I became one of “those” Kiwiswho have made the journey to the minefieldsof Western Australia.Yes, the money is good. Yes, we get freeaccommodation and food. I am debt-freeand finally able to save. However, driving a100 tonne truck on a 500 metre journey 50odd times a day at between 8-30 kph is notremotely exciting…or even interesting. Infact, I hate it. I would love to come back tothe Police and engage in investigating crimes,chasing burglars around backyards and evenjust patrolling the streets and talking to thepublic. It’s a job I love. I had hoped for a longand fulfilling career.My two years LWOP is up in September nextyear. I will have to make the big decision that ifI return to the Police I will have to put up witha salary that does not even begin to reward andthank the many hardworking and often liferiskingofficers.Come on! We need a hefty pay rise with paidovertime or else policing is becoming a nonviablecareer.Then again when the powers that be baulk atpaying $3,000 for my partner to be flown backfor a drugs trial, preferring a deal to be taken, Iguess you have to wonder – but that’s anotherstory.Sarah Critchley(Marvel Loch, WA)A word on pay from the frontlineIf our union representative was in any doubtover the mood of the members in Waitakerein relation to the pay round, I’m sure he leftthat ratification meeting with a crystal clearmessage: Police in Waitakere are angry,feel undervalued and are frustrated that theAssociation isn’t pushing our case morestrongly.We sat through an hour of stats and figures tellingus that we’re well paid and the department’soffer is a good one. Figures can be manipulatedto tell whatever story you want.All I know is that after 15 years of serviceand tertiary education I still have to go to theGovernment, cap in hand, for money to putfood on the table for the kids and keep a roofover our heads.We’re all hurting over the recent deaths ofour colleagues on duty and those of us on thefrontline are acutely aware of how dangerousthe job of policing our communities hasbecome.So how about Police coming to the pay roundwith an offer that says: Yes, you guys and galsare doing a good job and we want to recogniseyour efforts with an appropriate pay offer?Kevin Morgan(Henderson)Flogging petrol not a Policematter? Yeah Right!In Te Kuiti Occurrences dated 8th October2008 I noted a message passed from HamiltonCentral Police Station outlining a new“Hamilton Police Policy”.The policy outlined in the Occurrences is asfollows:“Policy has just been put in place in Hamiltonso that petrol drive-offs are no longer a Policematter. Complainants forward details thoughthe Post Office and the matter is followed up viadebt collection agencies with the appropriatefees attached. A Senior from Hamilton will bein touch to confirm whether or not the policywill be applied district wide”.I am disgusted at the mere concept of thispolicy and believe it goes against the verycore of our purpose. This is an unprofessionalpolicy and in my opinion makes a mockery ofour oath.We have a duty as police officers to uphold thelaw and to bring those who break the law tojustice. The taking of petrol without paymentis clearly theft and could not in any way beconsidered anything different. In creating thispolicy and not taking/receiving a complaint oftheft we are all guilty of misconduct or seriousmisconduct and those that have given thedirection to do so should be held to account.I can only put this decision down to a lackof frontline staff/resources and as anotherfeeble attempt to ‘cook the books’. WhilstI sympathise with those staff required totake the complaints (as we are already busyAssaults on police officers on the riseRecent figures released by NZ Police indicate thatassaults on police officers have risen 27% in thelast decade with the sub-category of “CrimesAct assaults” having shown a significant rise of138% in the same period.Assaults on police rose 6% in the last year (upfrom 2,248 to 2,384).Crimes Act assaults can cover everything fromcommon assault to very serious assaults.In a reflection of what NZ Police AssociationPresident Greg O’Connor recently called agenerational change, which has seen more people“willing to have a go against police officers” thanin the past, the figures have been steadily risingsince a reported 1,878 assaults on police officersduring the 1998-99 year through to the 2,385 inthe 2007-08 reporting year.Crimes Act assaults in the same period rose from193 to 460.In a disturbing trend indicative of a rise inaggravated violence in the general community,assaults against police officers involving aweapon of any kind (firearms, machetes, knivesetc) have increased by 72% in the last 10 years,from 57 in the 1998-99 reporting year to 98 inthe 2007-08 statistics.The statistics are a stark reminder of the need forstab-resistant vests.enough) and know that these thefts will mostlikely blow all statistics out of the water, I findthis policy reprehensible.Hamilton have already centralised most Policestaff. They are taking burglary complaints bytelephone thus losing valuable initial enquiries.They now only create an electronic file anddon’t bother to create a hard file with relevantMO (modus operandi) etc (also important toenquiries).At every opportunity victims of crime seemto be referred to another medium such as theCivil Court and they are most certainly losingtouch with their community. Why is thishappening? I’ll tell you why: lack of staff anda lack of interest from Police management todo anything about it. Reducing crime statisticswill not get us more staff.This policy is a clear indication the bosses havelost touch with the reality of policing and aremore concerned about making their statisticslook good, to enable them to draw down theirbonuses, than they are about actually reducingcrime.I believe it is time to thin the top and fattenthe bottom. We would then be able to performour duties effectively and not refer complaintsof theft to other agencies.“Concerned”(Name and address withheld)262November 2008

New Zealand Police AssociationRTDs blamed for surge in alcohol-related deathsRTDs, or ready-to-drink pre-mixed spirits, are being blamedfor a surge in alcohol related deaths of young women in NewSouth Wales. New Zealand police and health workers say theytoo are concerned about the effects the drinks are having onour youth.A study by the NSW Child Death Review Team, found a 37%increase in alcohol-related deaths among young females overthe two periods studied, 1996 to 2000 and 2001 to 2005. Therisk for boys aged 14-17 declined 17% over the same period,according to Stuff.co.nz.The report said: “The increase in alcohol-related deaths forfemales and the declines for males across the two periodsmay result from several factors, including the introduction ofalcopops, first sold in Australia in 1995, which particularlytarget females”.Anecdotal evidenceWhile similar statistics are not taken in New Zealand, police andhealth workers say anecdotal evidence backed the Australianfindings.“I think if we started to gather appropriate data in New Zealand,we would find the trend is no different. An increasing amountof alcohol is being consumed by young women and that trendis led by alcopops,” Christine Rogan, of Alcohol Healthwatchtold Stuff.co.nz.Sergeant Al Lawn, of the Christchurch Police Liquor LicensingSection, concurs.“It doesn’t surprise me the mortality rate would be going up.You only have to look at the emergency department and theproblems they’re having with drinking. They’ve had a gutsful ofdrunks getting in the way of them doing real work,” he said.Wellington Hospital research last year showed that the numbersof young drunk women presenting to the emergency departmentmatched that of young men.Special accommodation offer for members visiting Wellington over holiday periodCome to the Capital and take advantage of thegreat accommodation rate we have negotiatedfor our members.Stay in comfort and style at the West Plaza Hotel and the Bay PlazaHotel, which have once again offered their “Special Summer”room rate to members of the NZ Police Association/Welfare Fundand their families.Special Summer Room Rate$60.00 + GST per room, per nightValidity12th December 2008 to 25th January 2009Booking reference - POL/SUMMER/08-09Conditions: All rooms requested are subject to availability.Reservations must be made prior to arrival.For reservations:West Plaza HotelAddress:Freephone: 0800 731 444Phone: 04 473 1440110 – 116 Wakefield Street, WellingtonFax: 04 474 1454Email: reservations@westplaza.co.nzThe Bay Plaza HotelAddress:Freephone: 0800 857 779Phone: 04 385 779940 – 44 Oriental Parade, WellingtonFax: 04 385 2936Email: reservations@bayplaza.co.nzUseful 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/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 9416Chris Cahill (027) 268 9411Field 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) 493 0524Region 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 9418November 2008263

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