Police News August 06.indd - New Zealand Police Association

The Voice of PoliceVOLUME 39 • NUMBER 7 • AUGUST 2006Meticulous workon Stanlakemurder inquiry CIB FACING SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS YOUR THOUGHTS ON PAY A QUOTA BY ANY OTHER NAME

PoliceNewsThe Voice of Police168A BAD DAY AT THE OFFICENZ Police Association Police News is the magazine of theNew Zealand Police Association and incorporates the NewZealand Police Journal fi rst published in 1937.Editor: Steve PlowmanAugust 2006, Vol. 39, No.7ISSN 1175-9445Deadline for next issue Tuesday, August 17, 2006.Published by the New Zealand Police AssociationP.O. Box 12344, Willbank House, 57 Willis Street, Wgtn.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 167Newly elected rep lucky to be alive 168Otara senior sergeant receives prestigious Blake Award 169Obituaries (Hamish Beckett and Dave Bowman) 170/1PFA President’s visit 172Public prefer more pay for police rather than lowering standards 173Continued denials damaging Police credibility 174Survey confirms CIB is facing significant problems 175What the CIB survey told us 176/7A quota by any other name? 178/9Pay round 2006 180/1176CIB – BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACEUK pension transfer update 182/3View from the bottom (I Am Keen) 184More Than Law and Order (book review) 185Holiday home chart 185Keen on wine 186Front page: METICULOUS WORK: Police searchthrough gravel near where the handless body of TonyStanlake was discovered near Red Rocks in Wellington.Police believe he was killed for a drug debt of a fewthousand dollars. Two 21-year-olds have been arrestedin relation to Mr Stanlake’s killing. Detective MikeArnerich, who is heading the inquiry, said the casecould take several months of intensive investigation.Read all about the Association’s CIB survey onpages 176/7.- Photo courtesy of the New Zealand Herald.Copper’s crossword/Memorial wall 187Sports News 188/91Health Watch 191Winter-proofing the family finances (Spicers wealth management) 193Letters to the Editor 194/6“If you pay peanutsyou get…” – p180166August 2006

New Zealand Police Association“As the fantastic public response to ourinvestigative successes has shown, we needan effective CIB achieving the brilliant resultswe’ve had recently to balance criticismelsewhere.”It’s hard to believe that the same Police Forcewhich has the New Zealand public marvellingat our competence and efficiency in resolvinga seemingly endless and horrific series ofhomicides involving much-loved teachers,headless bodies and helpless pensioners hasin the same month faced severe criticismover quotas, pepper spray and off-dutyemployment choices.It’s no accident that the positives all comefrom carrying out our traditional work ofinvestigating crime and apprehending thoseresponsible for committing serious crimes.On the other hand, the criticism comesfrom areas we have only been involved inrelatively recently, especially those aroundroad policing.Let’s be honest. However uncomfortable wemay be about the loss of discretion involvedin directing officers to issue a minimumnumber of tickets, we balance that discomfortwith the knowledge that we know it works inachieving compliance and cutting the roadtoll.The problem is, in denying what every officerand most of the public know to be true, thatis that we expect officers to issue a minimumnumber of tickets, the public perceive a lackof integrity in our administration.That lack of integrity underlies much of thenegative publicity.Fortunately, road policing managers likeInspectors Derek Erasmus and Hugh Flowerstand up and tell the truth, explain why wedo what we do, and mitigate some of thedamage.That same lack of integrity is shown aroundthe recruiting issue, with assurances from onhigh that we don’t have a recruiting problembeing received by the frontline and thepublic with the same cynicism as the quotareassurances.The Association has a dilemma around this.Do we sit quietly and allow these reassurancesto go unchallenged, and simply say we toldyou say later; or do we make sure the publicknow the true story now and seek remedies?This issue of Police News carries results ofa CIB survey, which warn of looming CIBproblems. The administration is scepticalabout these claims, issuing the same denialswe heard regarding the methamphetamineand Comms Centre problems.As the fantastic public response to ourinvestigative successes has shown, we needan effective CIB achieving the brilliant resultswe’ve had recently to balance criticismelsewhere.Pavlovian denials of the existence of majorissues in the CIB will delay action until wereach a crisis, as happened with Comms.Actions speak louder than hollowreassurances. The actions of our investigativeteams have put a spring in all our steps thismonth. We counter criticism with successfulresults.The Association will fight to ensure thatthe CIB and other essential parts of theorganisation remain viable, now and in thefuture. We will not allow the integrityof the Police to be compromised byshort term needs toreassure politicalmasters.How not to start your next Police report1. It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.2. The names contained in this report have been changed to protect the innocent.3. The mayor then made an illegal left-hand turn onto State Highway One at which point I opened fire.4. Before I get into the details, I’ve got a few “shout-outs” for my homeys in the command staff.5. It was so dark and wet that night you could almost eat the mist. The radio call penetrated the eeriesilence with such piercing intensity that, for a moment, I was sure I’d lost my mind.6. Got call. Responded. Arrested bad guy. The end.7. Mye pertnar an eye wher on petrol wen we seen a man actin’ suspishushly.8. The suspect first tried to assault me by repeatedly slamming his face into my fist.9. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...New Industrial OfficerDetective Sergeant Gwynne Pennell has joinedthe NZ Police Association Industrial team asan Industrial Officer with responsibility forlegal assistance and the Association responseto the Police Act.Gwynne has been a police officer for 16 yearsand has served in Wellington, Otaki, Hawera,Levin and Wanganui.She has been heavily involved as second-inchargeof the Mona Morriss homicide inquiryin Marton. Gwynne is still involved with theinquiry. Eighty-three-year-old Mrs Morrisswas stabbed to death in her Wellington Roadproperty on 3 January last year.Wanganui police recently charged a 42-year-old Palmerston North woman with MrsMorriss’s murder after a long investigation.Previous involvementGwynne served as an Association vicechairpersonwhile in Wellington in 1990 andtwo years later was part of the Association’snegotiation team during the 1992-93 payround.Detective Sergeant Pennell is a trained teacher,has a BA in politics, business degrees and iscurrently studying for a Masters of Law.Gwynne, who has special interests inmediation, arbitration and industrial relations,is initially on a year’s secondment with thepossibility that tenure could be extended totwo years.Use of 0800 Ten Ninephone lineAssociation representatives maintain this telephoneline (0800 8366 463) on a 24-hour basis.It is to be used ONLY for matters that cannot bedeferred, such as Police shootings, fatal pursuits ordeaths in custody.Important and immediate industrial and legal advicecan then be arranged through the Associationnetworks.Please do not phone this line for non-urgentmatters.AGM and AnnualConferenceThe Annual General Meeting of the New ZealandPolice Association will be held from Wednesday,25 October until Friday, 27 October at theJames Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor, 147 TheTerrace, Wellington.ThePolice and Families Credit Union AGM will beheld at the James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor,147 The Terrace, Wellington between 11.00amand 12.00 pm on Wednesday, 25 October andthe Police Welfare Fund AGM on Wednesday,25 October between 12.00pm-1.00pm.August 2006167

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceNewly elected Association OSH rep luckyto be alive after being dragged by vehicleBy Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsThe irony of newly elected Asociationcommittee member, Colin Murphy’s newresponsibilities will not be lost on him aftera recent incident.The Henderson-based constable was in hisnew position, with responsibility for OSH(Occupational Health and Safety) issues, forless than a week when he was involved ina very nasty incident at Henderson whilehe and his partner were trying to stop anoffender’s vehicle.Colin was injured in the incident but waslucky to escape with his life.The drama unfolded when the policeofficers attempted to stop the driver of avehicle, which was thought to be one of twovehicles involved in a high-speed accidentin Massey earlier in the day. The fouroccupants of the car had fled the vehicleafter the earlier crash.Wrong side of the roadThe offender’s vehicle was seen drivingthrough Henderson in the opposite directionto the police patrol car before crossing tothe wrong side of the road and eventuallyramming the police car, becoming lodgedbetween it and another vehicle in theprocess.Constable Murphy saw an opportunity toimmobilise the vehicle through the driver’sside window and as he reached in the drivermanaged to free his vehicle from beingwedged and drove off, dragging Colin for50 metres.Colin told Waitakere Association ChairmanJarrod Cuff, shortly afterward, that he “feltas if the car was driving off at a 100 miles anhour”. He managed to extricate himself androll away from the vehicle to avoid beingrun over by it. He suffered injuries to hislegs and knees but has been dischargedfrom hospital and is recovering.Extremely luckyCuff told Police News that Mr Murphy was“extremely lucky” not have suffered veryserious injuries. “Had it not been for himfalling on the side his police radio was on,and that taking the brunt of the gratingwhich resulted, he would most probablyhave damaged his hip severely.”Constable Murphy was also very fortunatehe was wearing steel cap boots at the time,though Cuff said “they were in pretty badshape from the ordeal”, adding that theboots had been “ground down” by thecheese-grater effect of the road on them.• Colin Murphy awaits some medical attention after being dragged for 50 metres by a car inHenderson, Auckland recently.QB HonoursDue to a technical error in the last PoliceNews all current or retired members ofPolice who received honours were notlisted. Here is the full list –Current or former Police personnelhonoured in the Queen’s BirthdayHonours list for 2006 were:Companion of the Queen’s Service Order(for public services)Former Deputy Commissioner Steve LongQueen’s Service Medal (for public services)Anne Sandra L’Huillier Corbett, DrurySergeant Luke Mikaire Crawford, Wellington.Detective Senior Sergeant Brian WilliamHewett, Invercargill.Detective Senior Sergeant Michael MertonOxnam, Porirua City.Inspector (retired) Colin Vlietstra, LowerHutt.Retired Senior Sergeant David Donaldson,Rotorua.Member of the NZ Order of Merit (forservices to the community).Reverend Tevita Kilifi, Auckland.168August 2006

New Zealand Police AssociationOtara SeniorSergeant earnsSir Peter BlakeLeadershipAwardBy Steve Plowman, Editor,Police NewsOtara-based Senior Sergeant Andrew Berrysaid he was “very humbled” at receiving aSir Peter Blake Emerging Leaders’ Awardrecently. Six people regarded as potentialleaders, received the awards.The award comes with a $10,000scholarship, which is to be used to furtherMr Berry’s leadership skills.The South Auckland policeman, whohas been in the job nine years, receivedhis award at a ceremony in Wellington.He said he saw Sir Peter Blake, whowas murdered by Brazilian pirates whiledoing ecological work on the Amazonin December 2001, as “not only a fellowyachtsman but someone who I admired alot as a true leader.”Mr Berry’s South Auckland bossesnominated him for the award.• Otara O/C Station Senior Sergeant Andrew Berry reflects on having just received theprestigious Sir Peter Blake Emerging Leaders’ Award.- Photo courtesy The New Zealand Herald.Considerable experienceSenior Sergeant Berry has worked on theCounties Manukau Burglary Squad, theCIB and on the Child Abuse Team. He wasalso involved in the investigation into themurder of Pizza delivery worker MichaelChoy.A highlight of his yachting interest wasskippering the Police boat during the 2000America’s Cup defence by Team NZ, whenthey successful defended the yachtingworld’s most prestigious trophy.Berry, who met Blake during thatregatta, said that the award was “anacknowledgement not just for me butalso for the 36 staff that I work withat Otara station. Senior Sergeant Berryis the O/C of Otara Station and AreaCommunity Services Manager.Sir Ron Carter, one of the membersof the award selection panel, said thatSenior Sergeant Berry was a “beacon” forthe Police service.Work versus prison- a basic analysisIN PRISON... you spend the majority of your time in an 8 by 10 cell.AT WORK... you spend the majority of your time in a 6 by 8 cubicle.IN PRISON... you get three meals a day.AT WORK... you only get a break for one meal and you have to pay for it.IN PRISON... you get time off for good behaviour.AT WORK... you get more work for good behaviour.IN PRISON... the guard locks and unlocks all the doors for you.AT WORK... you must carry around a security card and open all the doorsfor yourself.IN PRISON... you can watch TV and play games.AT WORK... you get fired for watching TV and playing games.IN PRISON... you get your own toilet.AT WORK... you have to share with some idiot who pees on the seat.IN PRISON...they allow your family and friends to visit.AT WORK...you can’t even speak to your family.IN PRISON... all expenses are paid by the taxpayers with no work requiredAT WORK... you get to pay all the expenses to go to work and then theydeduct taxes from your salary to pay for prisoners.IN PRISON... you spend most of your life inside bars wanting to get out.AT WORK... you spend most of your time wanting to get out and go insidebars.IN PRISON... you must deal with sadistic wardens.AT WORK... they are called managers.Populardue to lackof interestConsolidate all your loans intoone easy Credit Union loan ata low interest ratefrom 9.75% p.a.Call 0800 285 6267Or apply on-line atwww.policecu.org.nzAugust 2006169

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceObituary:Hamish Oliphant Talbot Beckett (1930-2006)Hamish Beckett, a Life Member of the NZPolice Association and retired long-servingpolice officer, died on 25 June in Napier,aged 76.Mr Beckett was born in Eldoret, Kenya on16 May 1930. Born to Alexander Oliphantand Joan Beckett, he took a lot of pleasurein his African upbringing. He frequentlyreminisced about its eye-catching landscapeand he was knowledgable about much of itswildlife.Unfortunately, Hamish’s father died of warwounds when Hamish was just 10. Hismother worked for intelligence agenciesbecause of her working knowledge ofGerman, French and Italian.Hamish boarded at the Prince of WalesSchool in Nairobi from the age of 7. Withhis mother preoccupied at school holidays,he spent time on farms of his surrogateparents, Douglas and Nicky James.In 1949 he travelled to Australia to trainas a veterinarian and paid for his way withfrequent sales from his stamp collection.SponsorshipThen like many other colonial lads of thetime, he was sponsored by the KenyanGovernment to learn farming skills so theycould step into the place of farmers lost inthe war. He came to New Zealand in 1950 tostudy at Massey University.Hamish showed considerable sportingprowess and became an accomplished fencer,boxer, rugby and soccer player, winningUniversity blues in boxing. Later he playedChatham Cup soccer.He married Jill Skinner in 1953. The MauMauuprising in Kenya delayed their return thereand so Hamish decided to join the NZ Police.He was attested on 3 September 1956,walking the beat before going to the PoliceTraining School in May 1957.He was initially posted back to PalmerstonNorth and later did a stint in Niue where heserved as Chief of Police from late 1961 to1964.On his return to New Zealand he was postedto a number of stations in Auckland with hisfinal posting being at the Auckland WharfPolice Station.Invaluable Association serviceHis interest in improving the workingconditions of police officers led to himbecoming active in Police Association affairs.One of his more memorable campaigns wasin respect to ensuring I-cars were staffedwith two officers.At various times he held Police Associationpositions in Auckland and at national levelover a period of two decades. He was afounding member of the Police and FamiliesCredit Union. As the National Councillor forAuckland he took on a David and Goliathbattle with the Inland Revenue Department inrespect of the Plainclothes Allowance. InlandRevenue said it was a taxable allowance. Hesaid it should not be. He vigorously pursuedthe matter using the family solicitor and wona notable victory.Similarly, as Association Vice-President heworked tirelessly for the Early RetirementScheme. Eventually, when it was achieved,effective from 1 May 1985, he hoped to bethe first to use it but was pipped by a coupleof others whose birthdays were before his.Advocacy respectiveHe was also a successful advocate for today’sblue uniform, which replaced the old blackone. At the time he said he did not wantto wear something in which the memberswould be mistaken for members of theAuckland Regional Authority.He had an approachable manner, acommonsense approach and a dedication togetting things done and this shone throughin his police work and in his lengthy serviceon behalf of Police Association members.Hamish was awarded Life Membership ofthe Association in 1985. He retired frompolicing the same year.He established many friendships over theyears in various RSAs - none more so thanthe ones he forged in the Taradale RSA. Healso enjoyed his association with the RetiredPolice Officers’ Club.Family connectionsThree of Mr Beckett’s four children – Olly,Sandy and Felicity, subsequently joined theNZ Police – something, which delighted him.As a police officer Hamish Beckett wasknown for his dependability and advocacy.He was an excellent role model for youngerofficers. He always saw the good in people.Outside of policing, Hamish becameinvolved in the Auckland Cricket Society(where he was an inaugural member), theAuckland Rugby Association and with theAuckland Rugby referees. He also served onvarious school boards and was a keen golferand accomplished snooker player.Hamish Beckett was a highly principled,caring and compassionate man – qualities,which endeared him to many and he willbe fondly remembered both in and outsideof policing. His wife Jill, sons Alistair (Olly),Alexander (Sandy), Mark and daughtersJoanne and Felicity survive him.- Sources Alistair (Olly Beckett) and Stu Mills.• Hamish Beckett.LA refuses to nameofficers who areinvolved in shootingsIn a move that would undoubtedly bewelcomed if enacted in this country, theLos Angeles City Police Commission is nolonger releasing the names of police officersinvolved in shootings.The change overturns a 25-year-oldpolicy.As in New Zealand, Police union officialsin Los Angeles, have long argued thatpublishing officers’ names could exposethem to danger. This was one of themany issues, which emerged from mediacoverage identifying the officer involvedin the fatal shooting of Stephen Wallace inWaitara in 2001.Los Angeles union officials were preparinga lawsuit over the issue when theCommission made the change.Did you workat Masterton?Wairarapa Police will celebrate the closingof their old police station in October andare interested in hearing from any staff thatworked at the station from 1964 onward,regardless of whether you are able to attendthe closing celebrations.Organiser Frances Lloyd, would like to hearfrom any former staff members with details ofwhere they worked and when. All ex-membersare invited to attend the closing “do”.Frances can be contacted on(06) 370-0337 or Police extension47937 or by Email:Frances.Lloyd@police.govt.nz170August 2006

New Zealand Police AssociationObituary:Over these last 18 months when you spoketo Dave Bowman you knew you were inthe presence of someone who was a fighterin every sense of the word. He was also achampion bloke, a fine police officer, a lovinghusband, father, brother and son.Dave had followed his Dad, John into thePolice.Dave had a strong sense of justice duringhis career as a police officer and he carriedthat with him when he learned, as a suffererof the incurable brain disease GlioblastomaMultiforme (GBM) himself, that Pharmacwere not prepared to subsidise treatmentwith the drug Temolozomide, which suffererswere saying gave them a big improvement intheir quality of life.Dave Bowman (1969-2006)So Dave and his wife Penny decided to takethe fight to Pharmac, the Government, themedia and anyone else that would listen andformed Head Start, an organisation, whichlobbied strongly for treatment concessionson behalf of brain tumour patients.Significant victorySeveral months before GBM claimed Dave’s lifeon 22 June, Dave and Penny won significantconcessions from Pharmac in terms of theirsubsidisation of Temolozomide in the treatmentof newly-diagnosed Glioblastoma Multiformepatients who were undergoing radiotherapy.Funded access would also continue postradiotherapy,for up to six cycles of treatment.Treatment with the drug costs $6,000 a month.But the irony of the victory was that patientswith recurrent Glioblastoma – of which DaveBowman was one – would not qualify.The experts gave Dave a year when he was firstdiagnosed with the disease but it says muchfor his fighting spirit and sheer determinationto fight against the odds, that he survived sixmonths longer than expected.Large funeralHe will be greatly missed by many, as wasevidenced by the large turn out at his funeral,Association President Greg O’Connor ledproceedings. The respect he won came notonly from top police, supervisors, recruits hetaught at the Police College and fellow officershe worked with but also from some of thosewho had crossed his path for their nefariousactivities on the wrong side of the law.Dave was very appreciative of the supporthe received from the Police, from policeofficers all around the country and from thelocal Kapiti community through fundraisersto enable him to seek out the best treatmentavailable.A few months ago he told me he was “blownaway” by the “amazing support” from a widevariety of people across the whole crosssectionof society, many of whom had nevermet him and yet wanted to help him in hisfight against the disease and Pharmac.• Colleagues, friends and family carry Dave Bowman’s casket after his funeral service.Photo courtesy of The Kapiti Observer.He featured in a moving television documentarycalled “The Million Dollar Tumour”, whichfollowed his fight with a system, whicheffectively wrote off brain cancer sufferers interms of treatment subsidies.Enjoyment of lifeDave Bowman enjoyed life – in his owncase an all too short one. He filled it withgood relationships, with a love of fishingand hunting and family. He was thequintessential Kiwi battler.Shortly after Dave’s death a whale appearedoff the Kapiti Coast. In the Ngai Tahutradition, a tribe to which Dave’s ancestrybelongs, the whale appears upon the deathof a great man.Former US President, Theodore Roosevelt,once wrote: “It is not the critic who counts,not the man who points out how the strongman stumbles or where the doer of deedscould have done them better. The creditbelongs to the man who is actually in thearena, whose face is marred by dust andsweat and blood, who strives valiantly,who errs and comes short again and againbecause there is no effort without errorand shortcomings, who knows the greatdevotion, who spends himself in a worthycause, who at best knows in the end thehigh achievement of triumph and who atworst, if he fails while daring greatly, knowshis place shall never be with those timidand cold souls who know neither victorynor defeat.”Theodore Roosevelt could easily have beentalking about Dave Bowman’s resolve inthe face of injustice when he penned thosewords. That’s why those who knew DaveBowman were privileged indeed. It’s alsowhy those whose lives he touched and whosurvive him will never forget him.– Steve Plowman.• Dave Bowman.“Never mistake motion for action.”(Ernest Hemingway, 1899-1961.)“Few people are capable ofexpressing with equanimity opinions,which differ from the prejudices oftheir social environment. Most peopleare even incapable of forming suchopinions.”- (Albert Einstein).“The policy of being too cautious isthe greatest risk of all.”– (Jawaharlal Nehru, 1889-1964)August 2006171

PoliceNewsThe Voice of Police• Peter Alexander (middle and at far end of table), President of the Police Federation of Australia, addresses the NZ Police Association’s Boardof Directors recently.PFA PresidentaddressesAssociationBoard ofDirectorsPeter Alexander, President of The PoliceFederation of Australia was in New Zealandrecently and took the opportunity to meetwith and discuss common policing issuesfacing both organisations with the PoliceAssociation’s Board of Directors.The PFA is the umbrella organisation forAustralia’s Police unions and the NZ PoliceAssociation as an associate member. ThePFA was formally registered under theWorkplace Relations Act 1996 on 1 January1998.The Prime Minister of Australia, the HonJohn Howard, opened the PFA’s Canberraoffice in September 2003.50,000 membersThe PFA represents 50,000 police. TheFederal Council is the supreme decisionmaking body and meets once per year. ThePFA Executive is made up of the Presidentsfrom each State, Territory and FederalBranch. The Executive meets four timeseach year and as needed.The PFA also has an Industrial Planning• NZ Police Association President, Greg O’Connor (left), thanks Peter Alexander at the end ofthe Board of Directors’ meeting.Committee and a Women’s AdvisoryCommittee.The PFA recently waded into a disputeconcerning suggestions that the DefenceForces take on policing roles in Aboriginalcommunities.Both the Northern Territory PoliceAssociation and the Police Federation ofAustralia rejected calls for the Army to besent in, saying that would send exactly thewrong message to communities alreadygrappling with serious social issues andwould be an insult to the hard-working,conscientious police men and women whodeal with them.172August 2006

New Zealand Police AssociationSurvey reveals public prefer payingmore to retain experience as opposedto lowering recruitment standardsBy Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsOnly 29% of New Zealanders feel thatrelaxing the recruitment standards forjoining the Police is a good idea while amajority (59%) would prefer to see policeofficers paid more in order to retain theexperience of those already in the service.They are the findings of a UMR nationwideomnibus survey, which was conducted inJune. This nationwide survey canvassed750 New Zealanders (18 years of age andover). The margin of error is ±3.6%.The survey asked New Zealanders whether,overall, they thought it was better to relaxthe recruitment standards to increase theThe results of the survey were as follows:number of people eligible to join the Policeor to increase the pay of police officers.Fifty-nine percent (59%) thought it betterto pay police officers more, while only 28%thought relaxing recruitment standards wasa better idea. Thirteen percent (13%) wereunsure.Commenting on Police moves to lowerrecruitments standards, Police AssociationPresident, Greg O’Connor said: “Howeverthe changes are dressed-up or rationalised,police officers know that they are beingintroduced to try to overcome the recruitingshortfalls in lieu of an adequate pay rise.”“Our role and goal as an Association, is toget the right number of the right peopleinto Police and most importantly, retainthem. Paying decent salaries, not reducingrecruiting standards is the key to this,” MrO’Connor said.Police say recruitment standards areconstantly under review to ensure theirrelevance. Significant amongst the changesbetween 1995 and 2004 have been:• Tightening of the policy relating toapplicants with historical convictions• Removal of some physical criteria such asheight and replacement by competencybased requirements; and• The updating of the educational/intelligence/psychological test.SUPPORT PAY INCREASE OR RELAXED STANDARDSOverall, do you think it would be better to:JUN 06 %A) Increase the pay of police officers OR 59B) Relax the recruitment standards to increase the number of people eligible to join the police 28Unsure 13TOTAL 100New Zealand Police AssociationSouth Island Police Touch TournamentSunday 29 October 2006 9:30amMandeville Sports GroundsOhoka North CanterburyEntry Fee: $200 per teamFree family entertainmentBouncy castle, face painting, horse rides,lolly scramble & kid’s races.ContactTony Maw Rangiora Police for details:anthony.maw/POLICE, 35783 or 027 200 1311See you there.August 2006173

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceContinued denials of problems doesPolice credibility no favours – O’ConnorBy Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsPolice have consistently denied havingrecruitment problems and have stuck tothe line of telling the Police Minister andmedia that it is business as usual. Basedon NZ Police information, the Associationhave reason to doubt the validity of suchclaims.A pattern of denial?When the Association said there wereproblems with methamphetamine severalyears ago, that oficers were expected tomeet minimum ticketing targets and thatCommunications Centres had problems,Police were in denial. Greg O’Connor saidthis ostrich-like approach by Police wasconcerning.Mr O’Connor: “Such denials, in the face ofclear evidence to the contrary, do Policecredibility no favours when the maintenanceof the Police reputation and credibilityshould be paramount at a time when it hastaken a battering.”“We have a Police Minister who is preparedto listen and address issues for thebetterment of policing and society but shecannot do so if she is getting only half thetruth,” Mr O’Connor added.A challengeMinister of Police, Annette King, and variousPolice spokespersons have rightly referredto the job of recruitment as a “challenge”but when the Police Association says so itsuddenly becomes “garbage”.Given that Police say there is no problemwith recruitment, despite internal Policememos indicating serious concerns byPolice HR Manager, Wayne Annan,himself, perhaps a reiteration of the latestfacts might clarify the situation. Here arethose facts:• Of the last four Wings to enter the PoliceCollege (Wings 232-235 inclusive)Police projected 300 recruits would beon hand. They got 226 – 25% less).• The last two Wings – wings 234 and235 were hardest hit. Wing 234 hada projection of 80 but 43 entered asrecruits and Wing 235 was reducedfrom an expected 80 to just 49. That’s areduction of 42.5% on projections.Police concernsWayne Annan, in a memo penned earlierthis year, said: “We are heading into a periodwhere there will be a wing every six weeksor so. Based on our current performance wewill not meet these targets.”Given the numbers above, it seems MrAnnan’s summation of the problem wascorrect.He went on to say in the same memo:“To say I have significant concerns is anunderstatement”.The Association is aware of other suchmemos from within Police expressingsimilar concerns.Shared concernsPolice obviously share the Association’sconcerns about recruitment but are doingtheir level best not to say so. They are alsodoing their level best to address recruitmentproblems and all power to them.But police officers around the countryare telling the Association they are notcomfortable with the reduction in recruitingstandards recently announced by NZPolice.“However the changes are dressed-up orrationalised, police officers know that theyare being introduced to try to overcomerecruiting shortfalls, in lieu of an adequatepay rise,” Mr O’Connor said.Association goalMr O’Connor reiterated that the goal of theAssociation was to get the “right numberof the right people into Police and mostimportantly, retain them. The way to dothat is to pay police officers decent salaries,it is not done by reducing standards,” headded.At a recent Vote Police Select Committeehearing Deputy Commissioner Lyn Provostwas asked about why Police did not keep adatabase of why people were leaving Police.Ms Provost replied: “Basically because thenumbers are so small and so many areretirements or end of service, that we only– and it’s quite recently, it’s within my timein policing – introduced exit interviewsof defined groups of people…so we stillhave that system in place, but we don’t gothrough, because it’s not really a big issuefor us. It’s a very small number of peoplethat leave New Zealand Police every year.”Ms Provost went on to say: “There aresome districts that do it. Some districts bythemselves have said we want to know. Weat national level have decided we’ll not doit. It’s good though that they are doing it ona general basis”.Ms Provost went on to add: “And I’mhearing from the committee that we need todo some work in this area to pull it together,and I’ve taken that on board, thank you.”A boost in public confidence?As the result of excellent detective work recently the NZ Police’s imagewill have gained some additional and much needed mana with arrestsin the Tony Stanlake homicide inquiry in Wellington, the Wan Biao killingin Auckland, the killing of Tokoroa teacher, Lois Dear, the 18-monthinvestigation into the brutal slaying of Marton pensioner Mona Morriss,two arrests in relation to the shooting of Haruru Pekepo in South Aucklandand earlier the arrest made in connection with the killing of farmer JackNicholas.Such specialist and often-painstaking investigations help engender publicconfidence in the force at a time when its public image has not been sogood, thanks in part to some high profile historical matters, amongst otherincidents, which have not reflected well on the service.Congratulations to the dedicated teams who worked and continue to workon these homicide inquiries.Good luck to the team involved in investigations into the the horrific deathsof twins Chris and Cru Kahui, which were still ongoing as this issue wentto press.174August 2006

New Zealand Police Association• Police resources are heavily used in homicide inquiries. In the above photo police search for evidence during the recent Tony Stanlake murderinquiry in Wellington. CIB members are often called upon to work long hours in such inquiries. - Photo courtesy of The Dominion Post.Association survey confirms CIBis facing significant problemsA NZ Police Association survey has revealed that detectives arefeeling undervalued, underpaid, have low morale, heavy workloadsand feel unsupported by their district management.Also highlighted were sworn and non-swornstaff shortages, a lack of experienced staff,resource shortages, “poor” work-life balance,stress, inadequate pay and allowances, postqualificationtraining deficiencies, demandingstudy requirements and less than idealorganisational support. All of these issuesare inextricably linked to the fundamentalproblems of retaining and recruiting staff intothe New Zealand Police CIB.In November of last year the NZ PoliceAssociation conducted a comprehensivesurvey into issues facing the CriminalInvestigation Branch (CIB) in the AucklandMetro Districts.The survey canvassed members’ views on awide range of issues, including:• Working conditions;• Allowances and pay; and• Organisational support;The survey covered a wide range of issueswithin these parameters and was taken acrossall ranks in the three Auckland districts.The Association would like to thank all whoparticipated in the survey and willingly sharedtheir views and experiences of their work inthe CIB.Research workParticular acknowledgement goes to formerPolice Association Policy Analyst, Dr AnnaDuncan, who, with assistance from herresearcher Prue Wilson, produced the surveyreport.The survey was as a result of approachesmade by individuals and groups within the CIBabout concerns they had about this criticalarea of policing and for the maintenance ofthe long-term reputation and viability of theCIB.Over the past decade, the NZ PoliceAssociation has become increasinglyconcerned about the effectiveness orperceived effectiveness of the CIB.Fundamentally, this concern stems fromrecruitment and retention problems facing theCIB, notably in the Auckland Metro Districts.These two problems underpin a raft of otherissues affecting the CIB including heavyworkloads, unassigned files, shortages ofexperienced staff, stress, low morale, anddissatisfaction with pay and allowances.The face of serious crime investigationHistorically, the CIB was seen as the publicface of serious crime investigation.In the last 20 years or so the push towardscommunity policing saw staff centralisedinto larger stations and the decentralisationof smaller suburban stations. This in turnsaw many detectives and other CIB staffmoved to these central hubs. Reporting lineschanged, with Area Controllers and DistrictCommanders taking over responsibility forcrime in their areas. The CIB no longer ownedthe crime problem; just the investigation andCIB structures now reflect this.Only district or regional structures, such asDrug Squads and Organised Crime Squadsremained centralised and, significantly, with atraditional CIB reporting structure. As a result,the reactive investigation responsibility fellto decentralised CIB’s reporting to their localUniform Branch commanders, often peoplewith no CIB experience and with much broaderresponsibilities and accountabilities otherthan crime. Without the traditional structureto support them, and without clear lines ofcommand within the CIB structure, the roleof the CIB, particularly in the reactive area,has become less defined. At the same time,serious violent crime has risen, even whenhomicides have generally been decreasing.Large file backlogCIB offices, particularly in Auckland, carry alarge number of files, many of which are easilysolvable, however, they remain unallocatedand uninvestigated for lengthy periods oftime. Because of the changed status of theCIB, it is not seen as the viable career optionit once was. Officers who spend too long inthe CIB can reduce their promotion prospectsas they are seen as specialists. The lack ofrole definition, the changes in reporting andresponsibility lines and heavy workloads haveresulted in low morale among CIB officers.Changes in rumuneration have alsoadvantaged other groups within police andoften such groups have a shorter qualifyingperiod for promotion to Band H, whichdetectives sit within.As one detective spoken to by Police Newsput it: “They aren’t exactly lining up to join theCIB. There are about 25 Detective Inspectorsin the country and about six vacancies, whicharen’t being filled and why would you apply?”“As I understand it, not one of thesuperintendents in the CIB was ever a CrimeServices Manager, so where’s the careerpath?” the detective added.Much of the dissatisfaction and low moralein the CIB results from organisational failure(both within the CIB hierarchy and the Policein general) to recognise and refocus the CIBorganisation to align with wider organisationalchanges within NZ Police.The results of the Association’s CIB surveyshould be seen against this background.August 2006175

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceWhat the CIB survey told usThe survey comprised of 51 questions on CIB membership demographics, Police service, training, resourcing,workloads, working conditions, pay and allowances, organisational support and retention.A total of 324 surveys were sent to officers in the Auckland Metro Districts CIB netting 258 replies (aresponse rate of 80%). The CIB survey was supplemented by structured interviews with 24 randomly selectedsurvey participants and eight former CIB officers. In addition, four focus groups, attended by over 110officers, were held to canvas issues arising from the survey and interviews. The interview and survey dataconfirmed and supplemented the findings of the CIB survey. Here’s what the survey results indicated…Training and mentoring: Most officerssurveyed rate the pre-qualification trainingas above average or excellent, however,the majority of CIB officers said they are notreceiving the amount and/or type of postqualificationtraining that they would like toand that there are “not enough” or “not nearlyenough” experienced officers to assist andmentor them with their work. The majority donot think that CIB recruits have enough GDBexperience, while 60% of officers said thatthey were sometimes asked to undertakecriminal investigation tasks that they had notbeen adequately trained to do.The Association has recommended that Policeconduct a full review of CIB post-qualifyingtraining and the Field Training Officer (FTO)scheme in order to help address these issues.Staffing levels and internal resources:Nearly all the officers surveyed believe thatthere is “not enough” or “not nearly enough”sworn staff to operate their CIB effectively.Inadequate investigation standards, heavyworkloads and unassigned files are identifiedas some of the main effects of sworn staffshortages on CIB work. Stress, heavyworkloads and low morale are identified assome of the main effects.The vast majority of officers also said thatthere is “not enough” or “not nearly enough”support (non-sworn) staff to operate their CIBeffectively. Officers said that the main effectof this on work and staff was that they spenttoo much time doing administrative work tothe detriment of investigative work. Similarly,the vast majority of officers surveyed said thatthere are “not enough” or “not nearly enough”internal resources to operate their CIBeffectively, notably CIB vehicles, computersand cell phones. Officers commented that thisreduced their productivity and slowed theirprogress on files, left them feeling frustratedat their inability to do their work, increasedtheir stress and reduced their morale.File workloads: The survey found that 75%of officers surveyed feel that they have “toomany” or “far too many” files, many of whichare serious files. It also examines officers’ viewson their knowledge of how to prepare a file forthe Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the extentto which they are able to be proactive in theirCIB work, and whether they feel in control oftheir workload.This reveals that nearly a third of officers ratetheir knowledge of how to prepare a CPS file as“average”, while 7% rate it as “below average”or ““poor””. The vast majority of officers saidthat they are “hardly ever” or “never” able tobe proactive in their work, while 40% said thatthey “hardly ever” or “never” felt in control oftheir workload.Officers felt that more sworn and non-swornstaff and improved file management processeswould alleviate and/or assist them to bettermanage their file workloads. Officers concernsover recruitment and retention were alsocanvassed. Officers expressed a strong desirefor these issues to be addressed, particularlyretention, as they felt that if this is addressedrecruitment problems will be reduced. Improvedpay and allowances and increased sworn andnon-sworn CIB staff were identified as keyretention and recruitment issues. Officers didnot want recruitment standards to be loweredso more officers could join the CIB.The Association recommends that Policeconduct a full review of CIB sworn and nonswornstaffing and CIB internal resourcing toaddress CIB staffing, resources and workloadissues.Hours of work: The vast majority of officersworked between 41 and 50 hours a week(officers do not receive paid overtime and donot receive time off in lieu (TOIL) until theywork more that six hours per week overtime).The survey indicated that more than 25% ofofficers are on standby (or ‘duty week’) threeor more weeks out of eight.Nearly 75% of those surveyed said that they“sometimes”, “hardly ever”, or “never” geta ‘breather’ before long hours on anotherinvestigation. More positively, over half ofthe officers said that they take their meal/teabreaks “most of the time” or “always”.Work-life balance: The survey respondentsrated their work-life balance as “average”,“below average” or “poor”. Threequarters ofofficers surveyed said that they would preferto work a 10-hour rostered shift (rather thanan eight-hour one), as they felt this allowedmore time to be spent with family and friends.They also felt that more CIB staff, includingnon-sworn staff to do administrative duties,would improve their work-life balance.Well over half of the officers’ surveyed reportedbeing sometimes called back to work whenthey are on a rostered day off or on leave.The vast majority of officers rated theirstress levels as “moderate”, “moderatehigh”or “high”, with heavy workloads andthe associated issues of a “poor” work-lifebalance and staff shortages seen as causesof stress.They felt that more staff and improved pay toattract staff and reduce file workloads wouldlessen their work-related stress levels.The Association is recommending that Policereplace the payment of time of in lieu (TOIL)for all sworn officers with paid overtime andadequately staff the CIB with sworn staff toeliminate the issues around standby or beingcalled back on a rostered day off or on leave(except in exceptional circumstances).176August 2006

New Zealand Police AssociationThe Association also recommends adequatestaffing to improve officers’ work-life balanceand the introduction of 10-hour shifts for CIBresponse units (Crime Squads or CIB staffattending jobs and working rosters).Recruitment and retention payments:Most officers felt allowances were “belowaverage” or “poor”. “Poor” pay, better payin the General Duties Branch (GDB) - due toallowances such as the FTO (Field TrainingOfficer) and Acting Sergeant’s allowances- and better pay outside Police, were factors,which would influence officers to leave theCIB.Particular issues of concern were that:recruitment into the CIB was affected becauseCIB officers are not paid the FTO allowance;using and paying for their own cell phone atwork; being insufficiently remunerated forbeing on call/standby; and the need for anAuckland allowance to recognise the highercost of living.To address these issues, the Association hasrecommended that Police increase the standbyallowance to recognise the disturbance thatbeing on stand-by has on officers’ rest andrecreation. The introduction of a cell phoneallowance to recognise the use of personal cellphones and the accessibility of CIB officersfor CIB business, and simplifying the criteriafor the payment of a meal allowance, whenCIB officers are required to perform additionalduties outside their normal or rostered hoursof duty have also been receommended.The extension of the FTO scheme andallowance (or similar) to all qualified detectivesserving in the CIB; an increase in the CIBPractitioners’ Allowance; and introduction ofa senior detective designation at five yearsof qualified service as a detective, have alsobeen recommended.Management issues: Officers wereasked about how they found their districtmanagement. The survey revealed that aroundhalf of those surveyed rate the support andresponses to work issues they received fromtheir CIB management as “above average” or“excellent”, while around a quarter rated thisas “below average” or “poor”.More than half rated the support andresponses to work issues they received fromtheir district management as “below average”or “poor”, while a third rated them “average”.The Association is pleased that around halfof officers surveyed rated the support andresponses to work issues they received fromtheir CIB management as “above average”or “excellent”. However, it is concerningthat around a quarter of officers rated thesupport and responses to work issues theyreceived from their CIB management as“below average” or “poor”. Officers’ criticismof CIB management undoubtedly reflectstheir dissatisfaction with issues facing theCIB that are discussed in the CIB report.Notwithstanding this, the Association believesthat, in general, CIB managers are doingtheir best to support their staff amid heavyworkloads, staff and resource shortages.More than 50% of officers rated thesupport and responses to work issuesthey received from their districtmanagement as “below average”or “poor”, while 33% rated them“average”.Value and morale: The survey askedofficers their opinions on what officers feltabout whether Police value their work andhow they rate CIB morale. Over half of thosesurveyed felt that Police “hardly ever” or“never” valued the CIB, while just over twothirdsof officers rated morale in the CIB as“below average” or “poor”.To address these issues, the Associationhas recommended that Police introducea requirement into District Commanders’performance criteria that serious crimeresolution be a priority and conduct a fullreview of Area Commander CIB managementcontrol, with a view to returning managementcontrol of the CIB to Detective Inspectors.The Association has also recommended afull review of CIB representation at a nationallevel, with a view to having CIB representationon PEC (Police Executive Committee).An Area Commander’s main focus is onvolume crime and crash reduction, a largelystatistical-led philosophy. Their performanceis measured on volume crime and this willinevitably place a different priority on theuse of investigative resource than the crimemanagers tasked with resolving seriouscrime. The CIB workload and focus is oftendiverted from volume crime by the need tofocus on homicides and other serious crime.Statistically, serious crime investigation isinsignificant, but very important in the publicconsciousness. For example, unresolvedburglaries generally only impact on the victimand their immediate associates. An unresolvedhomicide or rape, which receive significantpublicity, impacts on the perception of safetyof a significantly larger proportion of thecommunity.The Association is acutely aware that if theissues examined in the CIB report are notaddressed a system failure in the CIB willoccur. This will bring tragedy to a familyand/or community and more highly publicisedcriticism to the CIB and New Zealand Police.Such a system failure has already occurredin the Communications Centres, despite theAssociation’s consistent lobbying of Policeabout the staff and resource shortagesaffecting service delivery in these centres.To prevent the occurrence of a systemfailure in the CIB, the Association stronglyurges the Police administration, District andCIB management to act on the issues andrecommendations raised in the CIB report.The Association is mindful that the problemsfacing the Auckland Metro Districts CIBshould not overshadow the excellent workand commitment that CIB staff continuesto demonstrate in an under-resourced andexacting work environment.The Association is confident that if NewZealand Police address the issues andrecommendations raised in the CIB report, theCIB, Police and public will have the adequatelyresourced, remunerated and supported CIBthey deserve. The final word is perhaps bestleft to officers themselves.As one Detective Sergeant commented: “Asa supervisor, having to constantly re-assignpriority investigation and prosecution files todifferent members (because of resignation,rotation or transfer) is a major stress factor- for me, for the victim/witnesses and for themember who picks it up. We are moving thechairs around on the deck of the Titanic. Ihope this survey will help facilitate major andreal changes that address what has beenraised in this questionnaire.”Survey report source: Dr Anna Duncan, former PolicyAdvisor/Analyst, NZ Police Association assisted by PoliceAssociation Research Officer, Prue Wilson.August 2006177

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceA quota by any other name• ‘Quota’ or ‘performance target’ – the real issue of the carnage on our roads seems to have been lost in the debate.- Photo courtesy of The Dominion Post.By Steve Plowman, Editor, Police NewsPolice denials of a road policing ticket quota system have entered the realm of arguingword semantics rather than focussing on the real issue of bringing the road toll down– a job Police have managed admirably but which has been lost in the jargonese andword play of the issue.The media, no doubt reflecting public frustrationwith the ambiguity, responded by saying thatPolice Commissioner Howard Broad and PoliceMinister, Annette King, should “acknowledgethe truth of the saying that if it looks like a duckand quacks like a duck, it is a duck.” (DominionPost editorial, July 2) while The NZ Herald tookon the Police explanation of a “Clayton’s” quotaby running a dictionary definition of the word,which looked very familiar to the words used in apress conference called by Ms King to deny theexistence of just such a thing.Commissioner Broad made reference to theroad toll when prompted to do so by Ms Kingat a press conference she called to discussthe quota issue. She had whispered to him to“mention the crash box” – a reference to theboard outside his office which daily remindshim of road death statistics.Many police officers have expressed theirfrustration to the Association about why HQcontinues to say there isn’t a quota, when onthe ground they are being told to make threecontacts an hour and issue at least one ticketan hour. That sounds like a quota to them.After the leaking of an embarrassing memofrom a Central Districts officer exhorting otherofficers to increase their ticket issuing in orderto become the top-ticketing group, Policewere left back-peddling about whether thepreviously denied ticket quota was a reality.White-collar speedstersCentral District Commander, Mark Lammas,zeroed in on the speed message and took a178August 2006

swipe at white collar New Zealanders in theprocess. “There is a proportion of middle NewZealand, white-collar, who believe Police arethere to enforce against someone else, but notthem, and that’s a big part of the issue,” MrLammas said.Mr Lammas said that many drivers thoughtthey were “great drivers” but that “mostother people out there are killers” and driversneeded to get over that attitude.Police Minister Annette King accepted PoliceCommissioner Howard Broad’s assurancesthere was no such quota, while at the sametime other senior officers admitted that therewere ‘performance guidelines and targets’,which officers are expected to meet. Thesetargets vary between districts.Credibility issuePolice Association President, Greg O’Connor,said that Police’s consistent denials of aquota-type system “did Police credibility nofavours” when the evidence from officersthroughout the country suggested otherwise.Tasman District Road Policing Manager,Inspector Hugh Flower, publicly acknowledgedthat since 2003 his officers had been directedto issue one ticket per hour. “I don’t know ifit’s a quota because there is no maximum onthe number of tickets they can issue, he said.Police obviously fear the public perception ofbeing revenue gatherers for a Government,which would then be seen as getting a 10%return on its annual Vote Police investment.Mr O’Connor believes that the inclusion ofroad policing (traffic) duties in Police workhave negatively affected the public’s attitudestoward police officers.Infringement notice reductionLast year Police issued 714,000 speedinginfringement notices, a reduction of 147,000on the previous year.During that same period the road toll has beenreduced by 23% (from 234 last year to 190at time of writing), a positive sign that themessage may be getting through to motoristsabout the relationship between speeding andthe carnage that results from it.“However we feel about this issue it istempered with the knowledge that the roadtoll has been reduced, and people are drivingslower and soberer,” Mr O’Connor said.Police are tasked with delivering road policinghours, known as SAP (Safety AdministrationProgramme) hours, as a result of a deal withLand Transport New Zealand.Police officers are required to deliver agiven number of SAP hours and theirresults in terms of issuing tickets is linkedto performance targets (read quotas if youprefer).SAP hours deliveryIt could probably be argued that the ‘quota’,as such, relates to hours not tickets but therelationship between the two is apparent oncloser examination. At the end of each weekand every five-week roster groups’ total hoursare tallied and officers are left in no doubtthat they must raise their game if they do notdeliver on those productivity returns.During that same time theroad toll has been reducedby 23% (from 234 last yearto 190 at time of writing),a positive sign that themessage may be gettingthrough to motorists aboutthe relationship betweenspeeding and the carnage thatresults from it.Police News understands that where SAPhours are behind target in some districtsGeneral Duties Branch staff are being told theymust attend road crashes (usually the domainof specialised road policing units) in orderto free up road policing units to issue moretickets.Previously, officers were told they had tomake three ‘contacts’ per hour. A contactincluded the issuing of a verbal warningbut Police management decided that verbalwarnings were not working and instituted anenforcement policy which including ticketingfour main areas – road safety, restraints (seatbelts), speed and drink driving.Officers spoken to by Police News say thatpreviously they felt they had the ability toexercise discretion in road policing situations.Most now felt that discretion had effectivelybeen expunged in favour of a tougher ticketingpolicy.New Zealand Police AssociationRevenue-gatherers tagOthers felt that if the “revenue-gatherers” tag,Police seem to have in the public mindset,is to be avoided then the LTNZ and Policeneeded to look more closely at makinginfringements related to demerit points ratherthan a fine-based approach.Police managers in some districts aremonitoring individual officers’ performance inrelation to the issuing of tickets. Some officershave told Police News that they have feltpressured to give out tickets in the lower bandof infringement, i.e. exceeding the 50 kphspeed limit, in “easy” catchment areas whena districts ‘quota’ is under target. Police inmost areas do not issue tickets until a motoristexceeds 60 kph, so there is already leniencybuilt into the system.“If you didn’t give a ticket out to someone,some of the managers we have would becalling it corruption,” one said. “Your hardcoreroad policing guys will say that discretiondoesn’t exist and that if you show discretionthat’s bad policing,” the officer said.The officer also said there was a “prevailingmood” that in the event of any crash aticket must be issued, even though insome instances a commonsense approachwould tell an officer that this wasn’t strictlynecessary given extenuating cirumstancesthat might exist.Productivity targets are also causing problemsfor officers in small rural communities,where the need to maintain good workingrelationships between the local police officerand the community is paramount. If you havean officer out issuing tickets on a daily basisin those smaller communities, the level ofresentment soon grows amongst the localpopulace. Some rural officers say this canhave an overflow on the reduced level of cooperationthey get from some people.Articulating policyMr Broad said at a recent press conferencecalled by Minister of Police, Annette King, hewould be sending a clear message to DistrictCommanders to make sure Police were“articulating the policy as clearly as we can”.Ms King told the media: “There will becompetition between employees no doubt,maybe it even makes people perform better.”Mr Broad asked the media how he could“control the behaviour of every police officer,everywhere at every time around this issue”.August 2006179

PoliceNewsThe Voice of Police“If you pay peanuts you get…”Members feedback on pay roundhighlights their frustrationThe NZ Police Association has been receiving a large amount offeedback from members over a wide variety of issues connectedto the current pay round being negotiated with NZ Police. Here is asnapshot of some typical responses but most focus on what theysee as a core issue – Police pay having fallen behind in terms ofrelativity with the private sector. Many with families are finding ithard to make ends meet. (Editor’s note: names have been withheld where requested).John Battersby, Kapiti, Wellington: I’ve “help out” with 100 unassigned files, at abeen in the Police about 18 months and I great deal of inconvenience and financial costthink I earn around $43K per annum.to myself and my family?The nature of policing, the 24/7 aspect of the Sally-Ann Tait, Harbour Bridge, Northwork and the constant risk of working well Shore/Waitakere: It appears in my 10-plusbeyond the time a shift finishes warrant an years service that the Police Departmentincrease. The recruiting problem did not just does not want to retain these staff and wantssuddenly occur. The starting rate for Police pay cheaper/younger staff that believe the startingis just too low, and the incremental increases salary is acceptable…dribble up, and don’t make much difference toThe issue of the standard of Police recruitsyour fortnightly pay when you get them. The jobis easy too; if you pay peanuts the firm willis interesting, and can’t fail to attract people,attract the inevitable....but the pay rate is a real deterrent and it’s astruggle for those of us who have made the Michael Henwood, Hamilton, Waikato: Ijump into a new career, to stay in it.am a Probationary Constable in Hamilton, Igraduated just over a year ago. While I didWhy do Police compare us to Australia andnot join the Police for the money, it is a fact ofother countries when lowering the fitnesslife. I love the job, but eventually, in the nextlevels, but not in assessing pay?few years, if Police pay rates do not change IShane Page, North Shore, North Shore/ will have a hard decsion to make about if myWaitakere: If there is no crisis in the CIB level of job satisfaction justifies a considerablywhy am I being ordered to go to Counties- lower standard of living for my family. I knowManukau Child Abuse Team for about five cops aren’t meant to be rich but no one everweeks, from the CIB on the North Shore, to said they were meant to be poor.Leah Morgan, Hamilton, Waikato: We justaren’t getting paid enough to stay in this job.A lot of the current staff work the long hoursand put up with the rubbish delivered to usfrom all angles, because we love catching badguys and putting them behind bars. That’swhat we do. But our goodwill is running out.In the Waikato there are a large number ofstaff leaving, who are moving on to betterpaying jobs and better working conditions.They are being led by bosses that do carethat they have quality staff producing qualitywork and not just making up the numbers tokeep a group of highly-paid people happy.And when I talk about bosses, I mean theheads of the New Zealand Police and the NZGovernment who hold the purse strings, notour local bosses. Our local bosses recognisethe problems we are having but their handsare tied by a whole lot of red tape.Female officer (Five years service): We areshortstaffed and we are promised 1000 extrastaff over three years but has anybody thoughtto ask the question; why are staff leaving?My husband and I are both police officers andit takes both our salaries to keep afloat. Weare both actively looking to leave the Policeand know many others who are looking to dothe same. I mean come on what really is theincentive to stay? We’ve had:• bad press;• our own Comissioner not backing us;• shift work;• a lack of staff and resources;180August 2006

• road policing is fully resourced (animportant area of policing) but whenlooking at the imbalance in resourceallocation it is an insult to those on thefrontline.• three days firearms training in 12months?• a court system in disarray; and• an endless paper trail.I like being a police officer, I love catchingoffenders, I enjoy helping victims but thatisn’t enough anymore. I have to think of myfamily and what I can do for them in the futureand even whether I will be able to retire withenough money to maintain our lifestyle?So why are people leaving? It’s simple – themoney isn’t good enough.Male officer (6 years service): I have nocredit card debt, no HP’s and don’t owe anymoney. I’ve an $80,000 deposit for a housebut the bank will not lend to me because theysay with my limited pay I cannot meet therequired monthly payments.I have been in the job six years and priorto joining I worked in sales. In sales I wason about $70k plus a company car and allexpenses paid. At present, I am left with thedecision as to whether I should take unpaidleave to try and earn a better wage for a shorttime, or just leave, or perhaps struggle on andhope that some time soon Police wages orconditions will markedly improve.I joined the Police because this is what I wantto do, lock up the bad guys and work withlike-minded people. Is it too much to ask for adecent wage to do this?Steve Gregory, Gore, Southern: We need torecruit significant numbers to currently keepNew Zealand Police Associationpace with attrition. The pledge of 1000 extrasworn officers over three years is admirable.However has any thought been given to wherethese staff are going to come from, apart fromoverseas?I’m a senior sergeant running a sub area of30 staff in rural Southland. I have a recruitingdisplay set up in the public foyer and anumber of ads running for recruiting in localpapers. This has been ongoing for the pastthree months. I haven’t had one person comein looking for a job.The pay rate for a constable fresh out ofCollege is not competitive. If we want torecruit and retain good staff we need to paythem accordingly. Many staff will now findthemselves able to claim Family Supportbecause their salary is so meagre.If we don’t make a stand now, things willnever change.SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE? Longer serving members continually remind the Association of their historical relativitieswith backbench MP’s salaries. Over this time, violent crime has risen substantially, and accountabilities and scrutinyhave increased for police officers. MPs have their salary decided by the Higher Salaries Commission while policeofficers have to negotiate through often-protracted negotiations. The government, in the meantime, is pleading povertywhile sitting on a significant surplus.120,000Salaries Comparison: Backbench MP and Senior Sergeant110,000100,00090,000Annual Salary ($)80,00070,00060,00050,00040,0001987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006YearBackbench MP Senior Sergeant Minimum Senior Sergeant MaximumAugust 2006181

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceUK pension transfer update for policeSpicers have had a relationship with the Police for a numberof years, advising on such issues as the decision to retain theGovernment Superannuation Scheme (GSF) or transfer to the PoliceSuperannuation Scheme (PSS).It’s now time to help their UK colleagues, who have moved or aremoving to New Zealand, make the decision around bringing theirUK pensions to New Zealand.There is a new regime in the UK called the A Day rules, which affectthe way UK pension holders look at their entitlements especiallywhen they are emigrating or have already immigrated to NewZealand. This article offers our thoughts on the key issues we see asmaking up the overall decision to transfer.The new A Day rulesUnder the new A Day rules, the maximum total value held in all UKPension Schemes eligible for tax privileges is £1.5m. For DefinedContribution (lump sum) schemes it is the total market value. ForDefined Benefit (annuity) schemes it is 20X the annual pensionpayment. For pensions currently being paid it is 25X the annualamount.If the total amount held in all UK pensions exceeds £1.5m then onpayment, the amount over that limit is reduced by 25% (lifetimeallowance charge). The remaining 75% is taxed at 40% before it canbe released to you the member.What types of UK pension benefits may I beentitled to if I leave it in the UK?Under the new rules, on payment of your UK pension at retirement, you will beallowed to take1. A tax free lump sum of 25% of the UK pension fund and incomefrom the remainder of the UK pension fund OR2. Just an income.Both are subject to lifetime allowance (£1.5m) maximumthreshold.• The new rules allow more flexibility in the way the income isprovided;• Previously, there were restrictions on the amount the pensionplan could pay when you retire (lump sum and pension);• For amounts in excess of £1.5m, once the lifetime allowancecharge and tax is removed, the remainder can be taken as a lumpsum; and• Protected and unprotected rights - these now form part of thefunds, which can be drawn as a lump sum and/or income.Note: This was broadly dependant on service and final salary for companysponsored schemes and contributions made for personal pensions orretirement annuities.Technical and financial planning issues:Technical issues1. Can I remain as a member of the UK pension scheme if I leave it in theUK?We understand yes if the rules of the UK pension scheme allow it,as there are no residence restrictions for tax purposes on membersof UK registered pension schemes. Check your UK Pensiondocumentation.1. Access to the funds before and on retirementIf I leave the pension in the UK If I bring it to NZEarliest allowable retirement age is 50moving to age 55 by 2010 (unless yousuffer ill health).Existing contractual rights to earlier ageswill still stand.Generally the pension must be takenbetween age 55 and 75. Someexclusions apply. Check the pensiondocumentation.Withdrawal of funds allowed atofficial retirement age (65) orOn earlier retirement dateconditional on approval by theNZ receiving trustee.On death, disablement or seriousfinancial hardship.1. Taxation implications from a NZ resident point of viewIf I leave it in the UKIf I transfer it to NZPrior to retirement:Prior to retirement:From the UK perspective, there is no tax Tax charged on income andon income and capital gains (change in some capital gains inside thevalue) inside the pension investment. fund at 33%.(NZ and Australian shares areFrom the NZ perspective, you are exempt from capital gains tax.exempt from tax on income (interest and 85% of capital gains ondividends) and capital gains (change in international shares will bevalue) for four years from date of taxed only up to the cap).arrival into NZ.At the end of four years, you revert tobeing taxed under new rules.85% of capital gains taxed.100% of income taxed.During retirement:During retirement:All income received from the scheme Cashflow taken from the fund is(pension and other) is taxable in NZ. The tax paid.pension may affect NZ Superannuation. Cashflow does not affect NZSuperannuation.2. The value of your pension on transferPension benefits in the UK are provided in one of two ways, DefinedBenefit or Defined Contribution.A Defined Benefit scheme’s transfer value is broadly the currentcapital cost of the future pension entitlement, calculated using factorsset down by the actuary to the scheme and affected by the generallevel of interest rates. Transfer value guarantee - usually for a periodof three months from the date the transfer value is calculated.Generally Defined Benefit schemes provide the individual with aguaranteed level of benefits. With no concerns about the future ofthe UK pension provider, this may be a compelling reason to leavethe benefits in the UK.A Defined Contribution scheme will provide the value of the fund atthe date the transfer is made. If a large employer runs it, charges maybe very low due to economies of scale and reduced fund managerfees.182August 2006

New Zealand Police AssociationIf the Defined Contribution scheme is invested with an insurancecompany and is arranged on commission terms, there could bepenalties on transfer. The transfer penalty is the current value lesstransfer value.3. Death and inheritance tax in the UKDeath - if you die under a Defined Benefit scheme, the spouse’spension payable is 50%-66% of the deceased benefit. Under aDefined Contribution scheme, the benefit will depend on the type ofannuity secured. Under both schemes there is generally a guaranteedperiod of a maximum of 10 years where, in the event of both partiesdying, a lump sum payment will be made to the estate.Inheritance tax - if you leave the pension in the UK this could beconsidered retaining ties to the UK. On death, inheritance tax of40% will be levied on worldwide assets (less the exempt amountof £285,000). Future generation’s inheritances may be affected.Testamentary trusts may alter this situation.We recommend specialist advice on how to sever ties to the UK toeliminate the inheritance tax issue.4. CostsTransferring the pension to NZ may incur costs charged by the UKprovider, as discussed above. NZ advisers will charge a fee to transferfunds due to the considerable work involved.5. Use UK Approved Superannuation Schemes in New Zealand- transfers to unapproved schemes, could mean a 55% reduction inthe pension transfer value from charges and taxes. Approved statuscan be lost if the NZ provider fails to provide the correct reportsto the UK authorities or breaches the terms of the agreement. Thiscould include, releasing funds prior to retirement without properjustification. To adhere to the UK rules, declarations may be requiredby you when the transfer is made and at other times as specified bythe UK.Financial planning issues - carefully consider why you wouldtransfer the pension to New Zealand.1. What is your age and when do you want to retire?This will affect the decision when it is considered in relation to thetechnical issues above.2. What is the total value of all holdings in UK pension schemes in the UK?If greater than £1.5m then you should apply to have this protectedbefore transferring any funds to NZ. Otherwise you could be liablefor the Lifetime Allowance Charge and Tax, which can total the 55%as explained above. Note: if you have made contributions post April2006, these are not covered by enhanced protection. We stronglyrecommend you obtain a transfer value before making the decisionand have a clear understanding of the rules for transfer of your UKpension scheme. This will assist you and your adviser when youmeet, in making the right decision.3. What are your intentions around staying in New Zealand in the long term?If you transfer and then go back to the UK to work you may be liablefor tax. The UK will look at your tax status and intentions aroundtravel to the UK.4. What is the purpose of the money over in the UK? Do you ultimately want itin NZ?5. What are your reasons for wanting to bring the money to NZ?All issues need to be considered, including non-tax.Retirement options are generally more flexible in New Zealand,allowing you better control of your pension, or superannuation inretirement.Having the benefit of local management of asset allocation, stockselection, and currency management. The funds are being managedfrom the place where benefit will ultimately reside, affecting advicearound structuring investments, tax etc.Having the funds closer to you gives greater transparency.The funds can be managed as part of your overall financial planningrequirements.SummarySo in summary, the key issues for you to consider are: - access tothe funds, taxation, the value on transfer, inheritance tax, yourintentions around staying in NZ and reasons for wanting to transferto NZ.A key motivator for transferring a pension to New Zealand is to buya house. Unfortunately, the rules in operation since April 2006restrict access to transferred funds. While it is comforting to havea visible lump sum available for retirement, the funds cannot beaccessed; for example, to pay down a mortgage until the requiredretirement dates are met.We can confirm that Spicers have been appointed as QROPS(Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme) and so can nowaccept UK pension transfers into its nominated superannuation funds,without our clients being penalised. This assumes the amount beingtransferred is below the UK threshold of £1.5m (explained below).The Police Superannuation Scheme (PSS) has also recently beenappointed as a QROPS and the trustees are currently determininghow UK transfers will be administered.Spicers have worked with a number of people moving from the UKto NZ and are across the issues discussed above. Feel free to callSpicers on 0800 ON BEAT (0800 102 100).Cops on the take(Editor’s note: The reference to ‘he’in the text below is generic andcould, of course, easily be a ‘she’).A police officer takes…the oath. Now look at what else a police officertakes:A police officer…it in his stride when people call him pig.He takes… his lousy paycheck realising he’ll never be rich.He takes…a second job sometimes to make ends meet and support hisfamily.He takes…time to stop and talk to children.He takes…your verbal abuse while giving you a ticket you really deserved.He takes…on lunatics that you would be afraid to even look at.He takes… time away from his family to keep you safe.He takes… your injured child to the hospital.He takes… the graveyard shift without complaint because it’s his turn.He takes…his life into his hands every day.He takes…you home when your car breaks down.He takes…time to explain why both of your headlights have to work.He takes…the job no one else wants… telling you a loved one has died.He takes…criminals to jail.He takes…in sights that would make you cry. (Sometimes he cries too,but he takes it anyway because someone has to).He takes…memories to bed each night that you couldn’t bear for evenone day.He takes…time to explain to his family why he can’t make the rugbygame his child is in and why he has to work on the holiday when otherparents are off.Sometimes… he takes a bullet.If he is lucky… he takes retirement.August 2006183

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PolicePolice unions seek ban on violent video gamesThe issue of violence in video games, andwhether that has the propensity to then triggercopycat violence, has become an issue forPolice unions and retailers around the worldafter recent moves to ban violent games,which depict robberies and shootings.Police unions in the USA have begun anational law enforcement boycott againsta video game in which players shoot gangmembers and police officers and usecivilians as human shields.The boycott began in mid-January, the dayEidos Inc., the manufacturer of “25 to Life,”released the game, which can be playedonline on PlayStation 2, Xbox and personalcomputers.Boycott mootedDomingo Ibarra, President of the CorpusChristi Police Officers’ Association, said heis asking people not to buy the video gameand retailers not to carry it.“It’s just deplorable,” Ibarra said. “There isno social redeeming value to this. I see nobenefit when individuals are allowed to usehuman beings as shields while shooting atpolice officers.”“In its simplest form, ‘25 to Life’ is a copsand robbers-style game that gives playersthe choice of equal play from two verydifferent perspectives,” Michelle Seebach,Public Relations Director for the gamesmanufacturer Eidos Inc said.The game is available with an M (matureaudience) rating, which means it is availableto persons 17 years of age and over.LawsuitIn another twist, Take Two, the manufacturersof “Grand Theft Auto” are facing a multimilliondollar lawsuit, in which it is allegedthe manufacturer was complicit in murder.The lawsuit has been lodged on behalf offamilies of slain police officers – ArnoldStrickland and James Crump, and policedispather, Leslie Mealer. The three wereallegedly shot and killed by Devin Moore inFayette, Alabama in 2003.Police allege that Moore’s actions wereinspired by the video game, which he issaid to have played obsessively. Moore was16 at the time of the shootings. The lawsuitsays that he should never have been soldthe GTA 111 and GTA versions of the game;“Vice City”, which carries an M rating.The suit also names Sony, as manufacturerof the Play Station 2 console, on whichMoore is said to have played the games.Recent reports suggest “The Grand TheftAuto” lawsuit could become a class actionseeking $100 million in damages.Various bansThe game “Manhunt” was recently banned inAustralia and Britain and the New Zealandcensor banned the gory shooting game“Postal 2” last Christmas. China recentlybanned a game called “The Sims” and aJFK assassination game has also come in forconsiderable criticism in the USA after itsrecent release. The Haitian government isseeking to ban “Vice City” also.Ibarra said that his union would supportany moves to ban videos, games and musicthat allow violence against civilians andpolice officers.“I would boycott any video game that literallydevalues human life,” Ibarra told the mediarecently. “We have enough police officersthat lose their lives in the line of duty.”The big chillThis column is written by a frontlinepolice officer. It does notrepresent the views or policies ofthe Police Association.She’s been a bewdy, that’s for sure, and it all started before July! Us hardylot down here in ‘The Great Southern Land’ (quite appropriately sung by Ice-House) have really been up against what the ‘Big Fella’ has thrown at uslately. But no complaints, we’ve just got on with it and of course it’s been anapt time to get out the old BBQ due to the wee power outage. Nothing likesitting in the slush with bangers, bread and train smash in hand!No complaining from us that we didn’t get our morning latte in PonsonbyRoad for a few hours, like some folks. We breed ‘em tuff down here and youwon’t need to lower the wall any for us to get over it.Just another brick in the wallUnfortunately, it seems the cement is still wet in some Cake-Tin offices andwe are really trying hard to get that extra 1000 here quicker rather than later.I’d be one of the first to use me FTO allowance to assist the ‘newbies’ theysend down here to ‘God’s Own’ but I wasn’t expecting to have to give thema bloomin’ boost over the wall or piggy back them when chasing a couple oftheft-exers doing a runner.This job was so great once that they were clambering at the recruiting doorsday and night to get in. Me ‘hotline’ bully tells me that we are revisiting oldfiles (particularly north of the Bombays) to get them in past the gate, thoughthe shepherd has already said no to joining our flock and now we appear to belowering our standards just to get the numbers up and fill the gaps.But why if we haven’t got a recruitment or retention problem is the questionon everyone’s lips? I’m all for keeping policing up to date with new trendsand developments but shouldn’t we then be employing stronger and smarterpeople than ever before with the opportunities and advancements we havemade as a community in this modern age?Let’s face the facts and admit it’s actually about the $$$. It never ceases toamaze this farm boy that the people making these claims don’t own a torch,think night shift is what you do when you have a sick kid and still think it’sOK to KI a domi!I still love this job but she was a different world 20+ years ago and thingshave changed on the outside as well as the inside.The ‘numbers’ gameMan am I sick of hearing the word ‘quota’ outside of paua and fish. Come onboss tell them how it is. We are tasked to do two to three contacts an hour(fancy words for a ticket) and its helped stop the ‘bloody carnage’ on the roadhugely. Don’t try and say we don’t have measurements, and do say theywork (down to 400ish) but for Pete and Mary’s sake don’t try and blame thehighly motivated individual whose helping bring the road toll down! It took thehierarchy sometime to get this fella there but now I’m a believer and I wantto see the ‘Broad sword’ swung at the non-believers and not back away fromthose throwing mud.Speaking of numbers, I hope you lot all got those stats done for the end of thefinancial and if you wanna see some real pretty ones then keeping watchingthe AB’s all the way through to the Cup…184August 2006

Book reviewMore Than Law and Order - Policing aChanging Society 1945-92.Published by University of OtagoPress, Dunedin.Author: Susan Butterworth.Reviewed by George Twentyman.I was immediately taken on starting this book byButterworth’s well-written ‘Preface’.The book is the fifth in The History of Policing inNew Zealand series, which includes Policing theColonial Frontier, The Colonial Frontier Tamed, TheIron Hand in the Velvet Glove, and A Policeman’sParadise.It revealed the skill of the author – herdiscernment and understanding in capturing theethos of policing and the social, political, legal andeconomic environment in which police officerswork.I recommend the book to all police officers as a‘must read’ and to those outside the Police, whosometimes comment on policing, would also dowell to do read and learn from it. The book givesan understanding of who we are, what we do, andhow and why we do it.Crewe murdersOne of the most difficult subjects dealt with in thebook is the saga surrounding the Crewe murdersand the initial conviction of Arthur Allan Thomas– a subject, which is still reverberating around inthe news media. Butterworth again revealed herincisiveness and ability to adroitly tiptoe throughmasses of legal, evidential and personality issuesassociated with the case.Having served in the police for 38 years– from 1947-85 – I marvelled at the author’sability to capture the many issues, situations,administrations and administrative imbroglios.The promotion of three sergeants to the rank ofinspector during Commissioner Compton’s erawas another time in which Butterworth’s expertiseshone through.The Tangiwai, Wahine and Erebus tragedies wereexpertly covered and were a reflection of the factthat when we are faced with such enormousevents we can measure up.New Zealand Police AssociationWaterfront disputeThe 1951 waterfront dispute and the SpringbokTour of 1981 placed enormous pressures andresponsibilities on the Police. I was a constableduring the former and District Commander duringthe latter.At these critical times for Police, great leadershipwas shown by Commissioner Bruce Young – 1951waterfront dispute; Commissioner Bob Walton– the 1981 Springbok Tour; and Superintendent KB Burnside in refomatting the Police in the 1960-70’s; and Comptroller General Sam Barnett in themid-50’s.It was because of Sam Barnett’s undoubted abilityto transform the Police into a more effectiveand efficient service, bringing in much neededinnovations, that I then recognised there was afuture in the Police; something I doubted beforethis time.The efforts of Police Association NationalSecretaries in Jack Meltzer and Rob Moodie arealso recognised in the book, as their contributionswere immense.The book reflects that Police have much to beproud of and Butterworth captures that heritageextremely well.Editor’s note: Copies of “More Than Law andOrder - Policing a Changing Society 1945-92” are still obtainable from bookshops or theUniversity of Otago Press, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin($49.95 plus $5 postage and packaging from thelatter). If you want one or all five volumes fromthe History of New Zealand Policing series thesecan be obtained from The New Zealand PoliceMuseum, Private Bag 50-906 Porirua. The set offive costs $219.75 with free postage.HOLIDAY HOME AVAILABILITY– for bookings see: www.policeassn.org.nzAugust September OctoberPAIHIA............................................ 9-10, 23-24, 27-31 ........................................3, 5-7, 10-14 ...........................................................8-9, 12, 15-19, 29-31STANMORE BAY ............................. 6-10, 13-17, 20-31 ........................................1-22, 26-30 .............................................................4-20, 22- 31AUCKLAND .................................... 21-22, 24, 27-28, 31 .....................................4-5, 10, 14, 18,20-21 ..............................................15-16, 18, 22-26,WHANGAMATA ............................... 6-10, 13-15, 20, 23-24, 30-31 .......................3-20, 29 ..................................................................6, 9-19, 23-31MT MAUNGANUI ............................ 7-9, 21-24, 27-31 ..........................................4-7, 10-14,17-18, 21, 25, 28, .................................1, 3, 6-12, 15-19, 23-26, 28-31OHOPE ........................................... 6-10,13-31 ....................................................1-6, 11-23, 28 .........................................................2, 7-12, 15-19, 23-31ROTORUA ...................................... 8-18, 20, 22-30 .............................................3-8, 10-13, 17-21, 24 ..............................................1, 8-12, 14-19, 23-26, 29-31TAUPO ........................................... 10,13-17, 22-24, 29-31 .................................4-6, 10-14, 20-22, 24, ............................................8-12, 15-19, 24-26, 29-31TURANGI ........................................ 21, ................................................................3, 12, 21, ................................................................2, 8-12, 15-31NAPIER .......................................... 13-14, 22-24, 27-31 ......................................1, 5-7, 20-21, ..........................................................5, 8-11, 16-19, 24-26, 29-31PARAPARAUMU .............................. 11, 14-17, 20-24, ..........................................1, 3-4, 10-15, 18-21 ................................................8-12, 16-17, 23-28, 30-31GREYTOWN .................................... 7-10, 13-16, 20-23, 28-30 ............................5-7, 10-14, 20-21, ..................................................18-12, 15-19, 23-26, 29-31WELLINGTON ................................. 13, 21, 23, 30-31 ...........................................3-5, 27-28 ...............................................................8-11, 15-18NELSON ......................................... 9-10, 13-18, 20-23, 28-31 ............................1-3, 6-8, 14, 16-21,29-30 .......................................1, 8-9, 15, 20, 23-26, 29--31HANMER SPRINGS ......................... 20, 28-30, .....................................................6-7, ........................................................................10,16, 24, 27, 29CHRISTCHURCH ............................. 23, 28, 30-31 .................................................12-13, 15, 17-20 .....................................................11-12, 16-17, 19, 23, 26, 30TEKAPO ......................................... 8-9, 27, ..........................................................5-7, 29, ...................................................................8-13, 16-18, 23-26,WANAKA ........................................ Fully Booked ..................................................1-3, .........................................................................18, 23-31CROMWELL ................................... 7, 9-11,24-26, 31 ..........................................1-7, 10-14, .............................................................8, 11-13, 15-19, 23-26,30-31QUEENSTOWN ............................... 16, .................................................................4-7, ........................................................................12, 15, 23TE ANAU ........................................ 8-10, 13-17, 20-24, 27-31 ............................3-7, 10-24, .............................................................4, 6-11, 13-19, 23-25, 27-29,DUNEDIN ....................................... 9-10, 13-16, 20-25, 27-31, ...........................3-7, 11, 13-15, 17, 19-22,27-28 .............................6-9, 12, 15, 18-19, 23-27, 29-31August 2006185

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PolicePolice whistleblowerAwarded $US450,000in free speech caseThe victory of a state trooper who recently won a $450,000 legal settlementin a free-speech case will have repercussions beyond the Connecticut StatePolice, legal experts say.“It will enhance the rights of all whistleblowers in Government and will givecourage to Government employees who see wrongdoing and who havebeen afraid to say anything,’’ New Haven attorney, John R Williams, told theHartford Courant recently.“It was a great day for the Bill of Rights,” Roger Vann, Executive Director ofthe American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut, said. “It just underscoresthe importance of recognising that people in all professions, whether publicor private, have free speech rights.’’ComplaintThe case stemmed from a complaint lodged by Trooper Mark Lauretano, whoalleged that his supervisors violated his right to free speech by preventing himfrom speaking about a sexual assault case involving a boy at Hotchkiss Schoolin Salisbury in 1997. He also alleged that the department retaliated againsthim for seeking to exercise that right.Although the case is not binding in federal districts in other states, it could becited in legal arguments brought in similar cases, legal experts say.Judge Dominic J. Squatrito, in the U.S. District Court in Hartford in 2004,ruled that a state police policy restricting troopers from talking to the mediawas unconstitutional.Squatrito imposed a permanent injunction ending the state Police mediapolicy, and enjoined the state Police from preventing employees from speakingout freely on matters of public concern. The judge said the department’sadministrative and operations manual violated troopers’ right to free speech.Right to free speech“We should have those freedoms and those rights,” said state Police unionPresident David LeBlanc, adding that the Lauretano settlement should helpensure troopers’ right of free speech.The Lauretano case is not the first in which the state has had to pay asignificant amount in a free speech case. In 1998, Supervisory InspectorGregory Dillon sued Chief State’s Attorney John M. Bailey, claiming violation ofFirst Amendment rights, and was awarded $2.7 million in punitive damages.He eventually reached a $1.5 million settlement, according to the newspaperreport.Dillon was a whistleblower, who alleged that federal agents on a joint statefederalfugitive task force were fabricating information on arrest warrantaffidavits.In 2000 the Protected Disclosures Act (2000) became law in New Zealand.The law protects ‘whistleblowers’ from possible ramifications but there arespecial rules relating to organisations; involved with maintaining nationalsecurity. NZ Police is not listed in that part of the Act.Police comeback linesWe’re not sure whether these ‘comeback lines’ from traffic police in the USAcome with a warning about “don’t try this at home” but for the edification ofreaders we reproduce them.I’m sorry, Ma’am, but being drunk and driving, you are a real criminal.Hey, partner, get out of the patrol car and come over to say “Thank You”. Westopped the guy who pays our salary!Yeah, I do have bank robbers to catch, but that might be dangerous so I’mgoing to play it safe and write tickets instead.Hurry it up? Sure thing. Do you have food and water in the car, because thisshouldn’t take more than six hours?No, you’ve got that wrong. I’m even tougher without the badge and gun.“She started it”? That’s the best you can do? My four-year-old does betterthan that when I ask why his sister is crying.- Courtesy of the National Traffic Enforcement Association.by Ricky CollinsA look at Esk ValleyEsk Valley is a boutique winery located just tothe north of Napier and is recognised as oneof the finest in the Hawke’s Bay. The winery,which dates back to 1933, is owned by one ofthe largest wine companies in New Zealand,Villa Maria. However, the style of wine and thewinemaking techniques used at Esk Valley setthese wines apart from the parent company’s wines.Unlike Villa Maria,all of the fruitused to make EskValley wines issourced from theHawke’s Bay. ChiefWinemaker, GordonRussell, has beenat Esk Valley since1993 and believesin using traditionalwinemaking techniques such as hand plunging and open concrete vatfermentation. His key philosophy to winemaking is to keep things simple,while focusing on the absolute quality of fruit. This approach has resulted insoft, elegant wines that are highly regarded both locally and internationally.I caught up with Gordon recently and tried a few of his recently releasedwines.2005 Esk Valley Black Label HB Sauvignon Blanc RRP $19While most New Zealanders associate Sauvignon Blanc with Marlborough,the variety is also produced in Hawke’s Bay, but in a quite different style. Ireally enjoyed the lush blend of peach, pineapple and passionfruit flavoursthat this wine displays. It still has good acid levels but it is less herbaceousthan Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. About 10 percent of the fruit wasbarrel fermented, and that adds to the wine’s complexity. It would be anexcellent match to most seafood dishes.2005 Esk Valley Black Label HB Verdelho RRP $19This Portuguese variety originates from the island of Madeira, where it isused to make fortified white wine. Verdelho is also produced as a whitetable wine in Australia, notably in the Hunter Valley and Western Australia.If you’re wondering why you haven’t tried this variety before, it’s probablybecause Esk Valley is the only winery in New Zealand to date that hasproduced a Verdelho.To give you an idea of the style of this wine, it has the aromatic characteristics,crisp acidity and the tropical fruit flavour of Sauvignon Blanc, but has thefull body weight of Chardonnay. To add to this comparison, 50% of the fruithas been fermented in steel tanks while the remainder has been aged inold oak barrels. I found this a very enjoyable if slightly different wine. Try italongside Bluff oysters.2004 Esk Valley Black Label HB Merlot/CabernetSauvignon/Malbec RRP $23Gordon believes in the French preference for blending red varieties, and thiswine is a very good example of a Bordeaux style wine. While he also makesa single varietal Merlot in this range of wines I prefer the blend; to me it hasmore complexity. The Merlot gives this wine a rounded mouthfeel, and fillsthe middle palate, the Cabernet adds structure and herbaceous dried herbnotes, while the Malbec adds colour along with a touch of spice. It’s a verywell made wine with fruitcake, plum and blackberry flavours, good length,and it will cellar well for the next few years. This wine was a gold medalwinner at the Air New Zealand wine awards.186August 2006

Your daily breadResearch on bread indicates that:1. More than 98% of convicted criminals are bread users.2. Exactly 50% of all children who grow up in bread-consuming householdsscore below average on standardised tests.3. In the 18th century, when virtually all bread was baked in the home, theaverage life expectancy was less than 50 years; infant mortality rateswere unacceptably high; many women died in childbirth; and diseasessuch as typhoid, yellow fever, and influenza ravaged whole nations.4. More than 90% of violent crimes are committed within 24 hours ofeating bread.5. Bread is made from a substance called “dough.” It has been proven thatas little as one pound of dough can be used to suffocate a mouse. Theaverage person eats more bread than that in one month.6. Primitive tribal societies that have no bread exhibit a low incidence ofcancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and osteoporosis.7. Bread has been proven to be addictive. Subjects deprived of bread andgiven only water to eat begged for bread after as little as two days.8. Bread is often a “gateway” food item, leading the user to “harder” itemssuch as butter and peanut butter.9. Bread has been proven to absorb water. Since the human body is morethan 75% water, it follows that eating bread could lead to your bodybeing taken over by this absorptive food product, turning you into asoggy, gooey bread-pudding person.10. Newborn babies can choke on bread.11. Bread is baked at temperatures as high as 400 degrees Fahrenheit!That kind of heat can kill an adult in less than one minute.12. Most American bread eaters are utterly unable to distinguish betweensignificant scientific fact and meaningless statistical babbling.In light of these frightening statistics, perhaps it would be timely for thefollowing ‘bread restrictions’ to be made:1. No sale of bread to minors.2. A nationwide “Just Say No To Toast” campaign complete with celebrityTV spots and bumper stickers.3. A 300% tax on all bread to pay for all the societal ills associated with it.4. No animal or human images, nor any primary colours (which may appealto children) may be used to promote bread usage.5. The establishment of “bread-free” zones around schools.This article was written by B S Wheatberry in a desert after consumingmass quantities of yeast bread then realising his canteen was empty!- Courtesy of Eskimo.comHave you received yourChristmas ballot Email?If you have not received an Email invitation to partake in the Christmasholiday home ballots contact the Member Service Centre on0800 500 122 and one will be forwarded to you.Clues:August 2006Across:1. Type of spray (6)4. Slash P and make a wave (6)8. Sectioned off Office Area (11)10. Visual (7)11. Seal lost fifty while in the Ocean (3)12. Quick as you can (4)13. Took a day off due to this feeling (3)14. Instead of; in …. (4)17. Great beer for a bird? (3)18. Loosening (7)19. Put words in this persons mouth (11)20. Domicile at (6)21. Left one breathless (6)New Zealand Police Association1 2 3 4 5 68 9710 1112 13 1417 181915 1620 21July answers:Acrosss:1. Truant4. Starch8. Aggravating10. Leeward11. Nee12. Coal13. E.T.A.14. Afar17. Sit18. Bromine19. Youth centre20. Divots21. PandasDown:1. Traffic islandDown:1. Clip or staple (5-8)2. Put ones identity to. (11)3. Lives (6)5. Interview members (6)6. Community Constables probably do thisat Community Meetings (4,1,3,2,3)7. Flow of blood (11)9. Characterise (11)15. Floated. Was happy with (6)16. Not old enough on the pub scene (6)2. Ungallanty3. Nearer5. Triads6. House brakers7. Catastrophe9. Genuflected15. Abduct16. CinemaWe remember…Who passed away…SAYERS Margaret 1-May-06 Wife of retired member PlimmertonSCOTT Allen Henry Gordon 19-Jun-06 Retired member HastingsPOULTON Charles 24-Jun-06 Spouse of member OrewaCROSBY Thomas Russell 24-Jun-06 Retired member HastingsBECKETT Hamish Oliphant Talbot 25-Jun-06 Life member NapierKINGSBURY Maree Anne Lisa 29-Jun-06 Retired member TaurangaISBISTER Joseph 30-Jun-06 Retired member AucklandFRANCIS John Francis 3-Jul-06 Retired member MelbourneSPEDDING Lynare Sally 7-Jul-06 Wife of member RotoruaWARD William Albert 9-Jul-06 Retired member NapierAugust 2006187

POLICE COUNCIL OF SPORTTo contact the Police Council of Sport, call Alison Murray at the RNZPC. Ph: (04) 238-3139NZ Police ski team performswell at Canadian ChampsThe Canadian Police Ski Champs is becoming aregular feature for some NZ Police skiers - havingcompeted there in 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2005.A team of nine attended the champs earlier thisyear at Silverstar Mountain, British Columbia.Police from Italy, the U.S.A. and Australia alsocompeted.The 70 police officers that took part were treated tospectacular weather as they negotiated a slalom,giant slalom, super G and downhill racecourse.With downhill speeds exceeding 90 kph it suremade for exciting skiing. “All I remember as Iraced down the course was saying to myselfdon’t fall, don’t fall. A fall would result in serioushealth consequences”, said Malcolm Johnston(Christchurch).NZ featureNew Zealand featured in the medals with KellyWesterby (Te Awamutu) winning three goldmedals in the Intermediate Men’s Division (over-30) for the Slalom, Giant Slalom and Downhill. GaelMockford (Te Awamutu) won gold in the Women’sSlalom and Downhill while John Daunton (Hamilton)won two gold medals in the expert men’s (over-40)for the Slalom and Giant Slalom.Meanwhile, Del Read (Thames) managed to pickup a bronze medal in the Over-50’s AdvancedArade for the Slalom race. Veteran competitorTony Bowen (Hamilton), competing in the Men’s(over-50) Advanced picked up three silver medalsin the Giant Slalom Super G and the Downhill andalso secured a bronze medal in the Slalom.Scott Pitkethley (Gisborne) skied the race of hislife when he picked up a silver medal in the Men’sOpen Giant Slalom. This was a huge achievementgiven the tough competition in the open division.All who attended had a great time. Fundraising fora 2008 trip is already underway.• Hamish Beer (Christchurch) on his wayto fourth palce in the downhill race at theCanadian Police Ski Champs.• The NZ Police ski team at the foot of the Super G course in British Columbia, Canada.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.188August 2006

Willie Walker makes it a notabledouble in Bodybuilding ChampsWillie Walker, a senior constable at Flaxmere in Hastings, won the MastersClass at the NZFBB Capital City Bodybuilding Champs in Wellington recentlyand then backed that excellent effort up with a win in the NABBA AucklandBodybuilding Champs, which were held on consecutive weekends in May.Willie has been competing for six years and has won numerous competitions. Hehas an enviable record of top three placings. Willie was quick to acknowledgethe Police Council of Sport and Pak N’ Sav for their sponsorship.He is currently training for the Hawke’s Bay Champs held in Napier on 5August and will then back that up with the Bay of Plenty Champs in Rotoruaa week later.Then it will be back to hard training again for a shot at the NABBA Nationalsin October in Palmerston North. “I hope to win the Masters overall title,” Willierecently told Police News.Low body fatWillie competes in about six competitions each year and in order to do so hehas to keep in shape all year round, keeping his body fat at less than 12% andon occasions he competes with a body fat level as low as 4%.Willie likes the training regimen that goes with bodybuilding and it helps keephis weight around 73 kilograms when training for competitions, with variancesup to 83 kilograms when in the non-competitive phase of the year. Like mostbodybuilders, Willie keeps to a stringent low fat diet with ample protein.Training involves up to six sessions in the gym a week for up to two hours.During these sessions the accent is on quality intensive, quality resistanceweight training sessions coupled with significant aerobic cardiovascularworkouts.Diet so importantWillie’s dietary intake includes six to eight proportioned meals a day,consisting of rolled oats, egg whites, chicken breasts, fresh fish, lean steakand fresh green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli. His carbohydrateintake is based around oats, kumara and brown rice. He doesn’t eat any dairyproducts, apart from whey protein powder. Sugar, bread and salt are also offthe menu.Close to competition day, the emphasis switches to consuming large amountsof water – and Willie says that he downs up to seven litres of distilled watera day during this period.Willie’s seven top tips for bodybuilding are:• set your goals and totally commit yourself to them;• find the time to train and manage it carefully;Dates have been confirmed as above for thisshoot. The venue is at the Whiteman’s Valley GunClub (east of Upper Hutt over the Wallaceville Hillin Upper Hutt).After match drinks will be held at the Upper HuttPolice Station.So get your station, base and unit teams together,and get those transport vehicle applications intoALIS and MT Flights.You should also consider whether you needaccommodation at Trentham, if you are notstaying privately. Also, do you need ammunition ?You require about a slab and a half for the events,not counting practice and team services shoots.The programme is much as before, travel on theMonday and hopefully we will all get there by about1300 hours and meet either at Camp or at theStation Bar at about 1730 hours. The shoot willend on the Friday.FundraisingThe presentation night events will cost about$15 per head with the fundraising going to anappropriate cause.An interesting recent coincidence has been thepublication, after 21 years, of the 100th shootingNewsletter and this is at the same time that thePolice Team is actually looking for its 100th PoliceTrap Shooter. Wonders never cease!New Zealand Police Association• train hard and do it correctly;• eat healthy food regularly;• stay focused both mentally and physically;• never give up; and• most of all, stay humble in the sport and keep close to your family andfriends.Willie is keen to gauge interest for a Police Bodybuilding competition, so ifyou are interested in either competing or organising one for early next yearcontact Willie Walker at Flaxmere on extension 66008.• Willie Walker strikes a winning pose in one of his recentbodybuilding competitions.The 2006, 25th RNZAF Interbase, in conjunction with the19th Police Champs, the 3rd Army Champs andthe 14th Joint Services.Monday 13th to Friday 17th November 2006Woodbourne has a couple of new uniformshooters, Johan Harvey and Kerry Hunter;joining Muzz, Harvey, Yogi, Danny and Ivor.Stu and Hayden have transferred north tonew jobs. Civilians; Kelvin, Tom, and Dwayne(ex-base chef) and Burnsie all travelled to theTakaka Champs, and the weather was terriblefor the first time in ages. A long day cut shortby nightfall.The Carl Frewin-Mike Te Au award forpersonality of the champs will be up again thisyear. Previous recipients will be the judges.It has been renamed in memory of bothcolleagues.August 2006189

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PolicePerfection Series 2006 – PracticalPistol Match provides a challengeNew Zealand police officers met for the first timeon 10 June 2006 to compete in an inaugural IPSCstyle pistol match (Perfection Series 2006).The event was held at the Auckland Pistol Cluband was well attended with members travellingfrom all over the country. The range is in abeautiful outdoor setting in the remains of a nowtree lined quarry.IPSC pronounced ip-sic is the acronym for theInternational Practical Shooting Confederation. Asan organized sport it has been around since 1976and is contested internationally. Now it is one ofthe fastest growing shooting sports in the worldand will feature at the 2007 World Police and FireGames in Adelaide.ChallengingIPSC shooting is dynamic and challenging. In atypical match a shooter will run through severalvaried courses of fire. Courses of fire utilizemovement by the shooter, drawing from theholster, moving targets, multiple targets, propsand the freedom for the shooter to solve theshooting problems presented by the stage design.Competitors are rewarded equally for accuracy,power and speed. You don’t have to be a crackshot for this sport.To give the event a NZ Police flavour, competitorswere limited to shooting Glock 17’s with no fancygun modifications allowed.Variety of obstaclesClassic paper targets were engaged and obstaclesincluded windows, doors, barrels, barricades,and portholes. Props were used, and by way ofexample, competitors had to shoot while holding asuitcase, from the seat of a motorbike, and whileseated at a desk. Longer stages required a lot ofmovement with multiple reloads while on the run.The match ran smoothly, trophies, prizes, and agift bag for every competitor were awarded at theconclusion of the event. Competitors are alreadylooking forward to next year’s event.Anyone interested in taking up pistol shooting asa sport or competing at the 2007 World Police &Fire Games should contact Cyrus Robinson viathe Lotus Notes Email network.• SSTT instructor Nicholas Podivinsky from Christchurch is shooting. He is on the run whilecompleting a stage requiring considerable movement. Auckland Pistol Club member SteveWelsh acts as Range Officer.• Pistol shooters came from all over the country to compete.NZ Police Ski Champs at TuroaThe NZ Police Ski Champs are scheduled to take place at Turoa skifield on Mt Ruapehu fromMonday-Wednesday, 11-13 September.This year marks the 20th anniversary of the event.The event caters for intermediate to advanced skiers but organisers promote the “give it a go” motto.Anyone interested in competing should contact Malcolm Johnston via Lotus Notes or extension 36808.190August 2006

New Zealand Police AssociationPolice Health Plan Ltd in conjunction withour Medical Advisors, Medilink, publishesarticles on medical issues that affect ourmembers.Oscopies - let’s lookunder the covers…Human curiosity drives us to look beyond ourvisual range. This curiosity is satisfied throughbinoculars at the opera and when viewing horseraces; telescopes to identify ships and to observethe night sky and the periscope to connectsubmariners to the world on the surface of thesea.In medicine this same curiosity applies, butthe applications are diagnosis, treatment andincreasing our understanding of how our bodyfunctions. The fibre optic cable and the videocamera help us to know our bodies better.Optical communications have a long historydating back to the 1790’s. It was not until the1920’s that hollow pipes or transparent rodswere used to transmit light images, but the lightescaped through their walls due to them nothaving any cladding. These light images fadedas they travelled a short distance. In the 1960’s,glass-clad fibres were found to transmit lightimages appropriate for medical imaging. Theseglass-clad fibres form what is known today as afibre optic cable.Fibre opticsThe fibre optic cable provides a constant brightlight source, which has allowed the medicalprofession to observe, record and treat partsof the body through an opening, either natural(the mouth) or man-made (through a surgicalincision). The cables have attachments suchas a video camera, which transmit images to alarge television screen. The cable also providesopenings through which instruments can beinserted to remove debris and fluid. The cablewith attachments may have a diameter no biggerthan a Panadol tablet.An “oscopy” is part of a word meaning thevisual examination of the interior of something.There are many types of oscopies: arthroscopy,gastroscopy, colonoscopy, bronchoscopy, andlaparoscopy being the most common.• Arthroscopy – arthro is derived from Greekmeaning joint. Arthroscopy therefore meanslooking into a joint. Shoulders, elbows, wrists,hips, knees and ankles are commonly viewedand treated by arthroscopy. Incisions ofapproximately a centimetre in length are madeinto the joint and the arthroscope is passedthrough the incision into the joint space. Thelight from the fibre optic cable is like a floodlight in a dark cave illuminating all the jointstructures. The video camera transmits animage of the joint structure onto a televisionscreen. The surgeon can examine, diagnoseand treat joint conditions with minimal invasionof or disruption to the joint.• Gastroscopy – gastro is derived from Greekmeaning stomach or belly. Gastroscopy isviewing, taking of biopsies or excising polypsin the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum(small bowel). All the tissue samples taken willbe analysed in a laboratory.These organs are hollow and can be accessedthrough the mouth, as the gastro-intestinaltract is a series of expanding tubes that startat the mouth, and connect together. Followyour specialist’s instructions carefully, as yourprocedure cannot be performed if you haveeaten recently.• Colonoscopy – is examination, taking ofbiopsy or excision of polyps from your colon,along its winding corridor to the small bowel.The colon is a hollow organ of approximately1.5 metres in length but because of theshape of your body the colon does not liein a straight line. The fibre optic cable andcamera has to be fed gently through the foldsof the colon and round the bends and curves.Preparation for this procedure will take severaldays. Your specialist will provide you withinstructions, which need to be followed to theletter so no solid matter is present.• Bronchoscopy – is derived from theGreek word bronkhos meaning windpipe.Bronchoscopy is viewing, taking biopsiesor the removal of foreign objects, whichhave accidentally been inhaled from yourlarynx, trachea and lower airways (lungs). Aphysician usually carries out this procedure.Your specialist will give you preparatoryinstructions. Included in these instructions isthe restriction of food and fluids, usually forseveral hours prior to the procedure.• Laparoscopy – is keyhole or minimallyinvasive surgery to the abdomen or pelvis. It isused for examination, investigation, diagnosisand treatment of abdominal and pelvic organs.The usual organs which fall into this categoryof examination are the ovaries, fallopian tubes,uterus, small and large bowels, appendix,liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen andurinary bladder.Three to five incisions of approximately acentimetre in length are made in the abdominalwall. The incisions allow your surgeon to usea light source, camera, instruments, whichare specific to the type of laparoscopy youare having, and to introduce carbon dioxidegas. Carbon dioxide gas is used to elevate theabdominal walls to create space to work in,increase viewing and allowing manipulation ofthe organs.Laparoscopy is performed under generalanaesthetic. The benefits or this type ofsurgery are:• Less invasive;• Reduced muscle damage to the musclesof the abdominal wall;• Less abdominal scarring;• Reduced post operative pain;• Shorter hospital stay; and• More rapid recovery.If you require assistance and/or additionalinformation please make contact by Email:helenb@medilink.co.nz oroliver@medilink.co.nz© Medilink Limited 2006SI Police Golf tournament on duringvery busy Marlborough weekendThe Marlborough Police Golf Club, Blenheim, will host the South IslandPolice Golf Tournament.The tournament will be held at the Marlborough Fairhall Golf Club,Paynters Road, Blenheim between 5-7 November, 2006. Saturday, 4November will be a practice-round day.The 18-hole Fairhall course offers many challenges and is set in idyllicsurroundings amidst hills and local vineyards.This same weekend, Marlborough’s Show weekend takes place andthe well-known Hunters Garden Marlborough is also being hosted inBlenheim, so securing accommodation early is a must.We advise you to book now if you are intending to come and play.There will be plenty to entertain partners, who are attending, withgarden visits and the show weekend festivities.Please ensure your colleagues are advised of the tournament.For further details visit the following website:www.cherries.co.nz/golfAugust 2006191

PoliceNewsThe Voice of Police• Margaret Fergusson, the wife of the British High Commissioner, George Fergusson was ecstatic to receive stolen jewellery back fromConstable Olivia Frye recently.- Photo courtesy of The Dominion Post.High Commissioner’s jewels returnedMargaret Fergusson, the wife of British High Commissioner, GeorgeFergusson, was extremely pleased to be reunited with this goldand diamond tiara courtesy of Wellington constable Olivia Fryerecently.The tiara, along with jewels worth tens of thousands of dollars,was taken from the High Commissioner’s residence in a recentburglary.Police managed to recover the bulk of the haul – including necklaces,earrings, bracelets, brooches and the tiara but a pair of diamondearrings is still missing.Handed inSome of the jewellery was handed in at Lower Hutt Police Stationand the tiara was recovered from a service cupboard in The Queston The Terrace Hotel.Mrs Fergusson said she was thrilled to see the jewels again, sayingthat she thought they had been lost to the family forever.Mr Fergusson’s grandmother, Alice, Lady Fergusson, wore the tiarain the 1920s.A 31-year-old man has been arrested and charged with the burglary.Useful Information & ContactsAssociation and Police Welfare Fund:Immediate industrial & legal advice (only formatters that cannot be deferred such as Policeshootings, fatal pursuits or deaths in custody)can be obtained by ringing 0800 TEN NINE(0800 836 6463)Police Network 44446 Website www.policeassn.org.nzFreephone 0800 500 122 Police Home Loans 0800 800 808Police Health Plan/Staffpac Insurance Police Credit Union 0800 429 000Quotes & information 0800 500 122 or (04) 472 9645or Fax (04) 496 6819 Credit Union www.policecu.org.nzStaffpac claims 0800 110 088 GSF information 0800 654 731All enquiries (04) 496 6800 PSS information 0800 777 243Vice PresidentsRichard Middleton (027) 277 9846Stuart Mills (027) 268 9416Field OfficersNorthland and Auckland Districts: Stewart Mills (027) 268 9407Waikato, BOP and Eastern Districts: Eric Newman (027) 268 9408Central and Wellington Districts: JJ Taylor (027) 268 9409Tasman, Canterbury and Southern Districts: Dave McKirdy (027) 268 9410Regional DirectorsRegion One Steve Hawkins Whangaparoa (027) 268 9419Region Two Mark Leys Papatoetoe (027) 268 9413Region Three Mel Ridley Tauranga (027) 268 9414Region Four Chris Cahill Napier (027) 268 9415Region Five Ron Lek Wellington (027) 268 9417Region Six Craig Prior Sumner (027) 268 9412Region Seven Tracey Maclennan Invercargill (027) 268 9418192August 2006

New Zealand Police AssociationWinter-proofing the family financesWe’ve learned the hard way that some things are out of ourcontrol like the cold snap, power cuts and now a slowingeconomy. We may be past the shortest day and heading forspring, but we all know the cooling winds of a slowing economyhave yet to really bite most family budgets and there’s a bitmore of a financial cold snap to come.Before it gets here, take advantage of those cold winternights by snuggling up in front of the fire or heaterand make some prudent adjustments tostrengthen your financial position before thecool winds blow.Here are some simple ways you can startwinter-proofing your family finances:1. Remember your big picture goals.Work out what wealth really means to you. For most people it means beingable to live the way you want to live no matter what happens. Then work outwhat you really want to do and what it’s going to take financially to meetthose goals.Without goals, you won’t go anywhere. Just like an Olympic athlete, take yourgoals seriously and give yourself timeframes and deadlines to optimise yourability to achieve them.2. Protect what you already have.Financial Planning 101 requires you to protect the most important asset youalready have: your ability to earn an income. Get some insurance becauseeverybody needs a backstop. Without one, the lights can go out on even themost magical financial plans. None of us like to think about it, but as we allknow the unexpected can happen.3. Review your mortgageThe mortgage is most people’s biggest expense. If interest rates rise, your(Dis)order in the courtThese excerpts are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts, andare are taken from court reporters records of exchanges between attorneysand witnesses. The reporters would obviously have had the torment of keepinga straight face while these exchanges took place.Attorney: Are you sexually active?Witness: No, I just lie there.Attorney: What is your date of birth?Witness: July 18th.Attorney: What year?Witness: Every year.Attorney: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?Witness: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.Attorney: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?Witness: Yes.Attorney: And in what ways does it affect your memory?Witness: I forget.Attorney: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?August4th & 5th Duncan Taylor Memorial Basketball – WellingtonContact: Rob Gold, extn: 476695th & 6th Indoor Bowls Contact: Alan Buckley (07) 345-345317th – 18th Police National Rugby and Netball 7’s Contact: Chris Turner extn 6588017th Gisborne vs Auckland rugby challengeSeptember3rd – 5th Police Snowboarding – Cardrona Contact: Greg Murton, extn: 3640012th & 13th Police Skiing – Mt Ruapehu Contact: Malcolm Johnston extn: 36808.25th – 30th Police Hockey, women’s – Palmerston North, men’s – HamiltonContact: Pete or Lynda West extn: 65600October5th – 7th Police Rugby Challenge Cup Tournament – AucklandContact: Simon Scott extn: 94052Police sports calendarmortgage will cost you more. Take some time to look at how yourmortgage is structured and work out if you are paying off sufficientcapital. Most people end up paying extra years of interest on top ofwhat they really need to.If you haven’t got a mortgage, look at your total outgoings – howdo they fit with your big picture goals?4. Day to dayFace your fears and do some homework. You leave forwork in the dark and return home in the dark, butyou have the power to cast some light on youroutgoings.• Keep a log of everything you spend fora month.We’re talking cash, EFTPOS, store and creditcards. Track to the last $20 so at the end of this time, you or your financialadviser can identify the devil on your shoulder as you stand at the till.At the end of the month, establish your biggest expense e.g. credit card,mobile phone calls, dining out expenses and work out what you are going todo about it when you next sit down to do your budget.• Take back the power – open your bills as soon as you get them nomatter how late you come in. Save yourself hundreds of dollars and get asmany of your household expenses on direct debit so you always get theprompt payment discount if possible.Once you’ve done the above, rug up warm and get set to enjoy those coldwinter nights knowing you’ve covered your bases.If there is more you know you need to do and you believe it’s time to put afinancial plan together, get some advice from your Spicers financial adviserby calling the Police Financial Planning Enquiry Line on 0800 ON BEAT(0800 66 2328).Attorney: How old is your son, the one living with you?Witness: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can’t remember which.Attorney: How long has he lived with you?Witness: Forty-five years.Attorney: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?Witness: He said, “Where am I, Cathy?”Attorney: And why did that upset you?Witness: Because my name is Susan.Attorney: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?Witness: We both do.Attorney: Voodoo?Witness: We do.Attorney: You do?Witness: Yes, voodoo.Attorney: Now doctor, isn’t it true that when a person dies in his sleep, hedoesn’t know about it until the next morning?Witness: Did you actually pass the bar exam?Attorney: The youngest son, the 20-year-old, how old is he?Witness: Uh, he’s 20.6th – 8th Police Squash – Taupo Contact: Geoff Duff, extn: 7430029th South Island Touch Tournament Contact: Anthony MawNovember2nd & 3rd Cycling and MTB Champs – Rotorua Contact: David Hamilton,extn: 740605th – 7th South Island Golf Tournament Contact: Graeme Barsanti,extn: 3806028th & 29th South Island Bowls – Christchurch Contact: Mick Tarling,(03) 355-51342007March16th – 18th National Darts Tournament - AwanuiContact: Shane Godinet, (09) 409-8440August 2006193

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceWrite 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.SRBA beacons?Someone has to say it...Hands up anyone who wants to stand peeringinto the pitch black trying to find an offenderwho has a serious case of the angries, glowinglike a Belisha beacon?Mike Johnson(Papakura)‘Targeting’ SRBAI have just read the latest Police News and thearticle about the SRBA changes. We all hadheard the rumours re the possibility of somelast minute change. Are our commissionedofficers that far removed from the frontline?Have they really forgotten what it is like hereat the sharp end? By adding these reflectorisedbands to the SRBA they might as well painta target on our backs because that is whatthey are creating. I mean we all know of timeswhere we need to be less than visible so wecan catch the bad guys like we’re supposedto. How am I going to get close enough to anoffender when walking the beat when he/shecan see me coming from a mile away?Personally, I think it’s just another stall tactic bymanagement as we were promised delivery ofthese six to eight weeks after measure and thatwas in March, but we still haven’t seen them. Thefirst excuse was that one of the sets was markedwrong and the sizing was wrong. Really, howhard is it to work out the size of the supposedlyincorrectly marked vest and transpose that tothe correct measurement? Afterall, it fitted theofficers concerned; therefore you only have toget the correct size to make it.With all this stalling in issuing the vests theyare leaving themselves open to a world of s#*!if someone gets stabbed in the meantime. Mycomment to our beloved leaders is to stopthe BS and get the equipment out to the staff.How many trials of items do we need beforeit’s issued? This sort of safety equipment hasbeen around law enforcement for decades andhas already been proven. Let’s start lookingafter the staff we have and we might be able toretain some of them.Jim Currie(Christchurch)Staff recruitment and retentionI have just read with interest the article inthe Police News July 2006 issue detailingrecruitment versus retention. Finally there isa glimmer of hope that somebody will addresswhat I have come to believe is the true issuefacing the Police and their staffing issues – staffretention.Firstly, I left the NZ Police in May 2003after serving three years, all of which was inthe Counties-Manukau District. I was notactively looking for other employment but wascontacted and offered a deal that I couldn’trefuse.I have no axe to grind and am not what mightbe called ‘a bitter ex-cop’. I have the utmostrespect and admiration for those who havedecided to stay in “The Job”.For me personally, I was more than happywith what I was expected to do and althoughthe workload was high and at times there wasa vast difference between what the OoC wastouting and what was a living reality for 99%of all cops on the street, we just got on anddid the job.I had a young family with the associated costsof living in Auckland. I was working extrajobs on my days off to supplement my incomeand at times we were only just managing tosurvive. Had the remuneration fairly reflectedwhat is expected from frontline staff and theresponsibilities that are placed on them, Iwould more than likely not have left. I did notjoin the Police to become rich, but I did expectto be able to survive day to day. This, I believe,is a major factor but not the only factor in theattrition rate. I have heard that years ago policeofficers and backbench MPs were on the samepay rate. Backbench MPs now earn $118,000per year. Why the great disparity now?Your article stated that it costs in the regionof $200,000 to train a new cop. I was alreadytrained and was happy in my job. If theGovernment has $500m to spend over threeyears to recruit 1000 extra frontline staff, doyou not think that spending a smaller amounttowards all existing members over the sameperiod would go a long way to retaining thesestaff? Consider this, $500m divided amongst7350 frontline staff is an extra $22,675 peryear over the same three years.I was really disappointed that I was nevercontacted for an exiting interview, whichI was assured that I would get. If this wasroutinely done then maybe the hierarchywould have a clear picture on the reasonsfor the attrition and then effectively addressthese main issues rather than relaxing thestandards and recruiting large numbers ofunder qualified, young, inexperienced staff asa Band-Aid solution, only to defer the sameproblem another three years down the track. Ifthe Department was not prepared to completethis then why does the Association not contactrecently resigned members to compile thisinformation?The reality of the whole situation became veryclear for me just recently when I was asked if Iwould go back to the job. I thought hard aboutthis and in all honesty even though there aremany facets of the job that I really miss, I hadto answer “No”, as I cannot see that much haschanged in the past three years.D Reardon(Auckland)School leavers as police officersI have just read with some bemusement yourarticle on the Police’s recruitment problemsand especially the piece about employingschool leavers. Did you run this piece pastyour boss “The Lag” as he was one and, Ohyes, so were the new Commissioner and hisdeputies.While this particular piece was probablyscholastically correct it doesn’t seem to havetaken too much account of the hundreds ofcadets that have served with the Police withdistinction over the years. All of these peoplewere thrown into the deep end, or werethey? I would suggest 19 months of trainingwas plenty of time to induct them into thisenvironment. Maybe that’s why, in general,they lasted so long.I’d also suggest they probably didn’t comewith a lot off additional social baggage, whichhas to be remoulded. Why is it that youwould also seem to be out of step with thistype of thinking when you have the sameaged juvenile’s serving with the New ZealandDefence Force in some of the most politicallyvolatile places in the world? I haven’t seen toomuch evidence of them packing up their toysbecause its hard going.Maybe they have better systems for lookingafter their own? I know a lot of them move onbut my point is they don’t fold up while doingthe job, which appears to be your insinuationhere.As a person now looking from outside in toyour organisation, I personally think theAssociation has denigrated a lot of your ownmembers with this clap trap and you need tochange your own attitude to encourage youngpeople to join because that is the future in anygood organisation or business. You have tohave the courage and the confidence in yourown organisation to train and mould them andit would appear here that you have neither.Lane Fluit(Napier)Thanks for your letter Lane. NZ Police didrecruit school leavers four or more decades agoand our President was one of them. But he, and194August 2006

probably many others who are still in the job,would be the first to tell you that policing todayis a vastly different animal to then. For onething, as you so rightly point out, recruits thendid a longer course – 19 months. Now they doapproximately 19 weeks. Police are held muchmore accountable with any mistake likely toattract significant media attention or result ina PCA complaint. They also had a very goodchance of coming under the wing of a competentand experienced senior officer for supervisionand that officer would often be on the beat withthem, rather than some being paired up withan equally inexperienced constable fresh outof College and sent out in an I-car. Times havechanged – greatly but the commitment of policeofficers has not. The crime statistics today reflectwhat a different world it is and so to do theneed for stab resistant vests and Tasers. NewZealand is a far more violent place. Forty yearsago murders were extremely rare and violentcrime a rarity by comparison with today. Nowwe average more than one a week. As the articlepointed out, officers with less than five yearsservice are leaving at a much higher rate thanothers – so there is no ‘insinuation’, as you put it,that this is the case – it is fact and borne out byNZ Police’s own statistics. The Association doeshave concerns about setting young school leaversup for failure by lowering standards, but it haseven graver concerns about sending them intosituations where they may not have the necessaryskills and maturity to deal with the volatilesituations police officers face on a daily basis– and we think research bears these concernsout. The Association campaigned for 10,000sworn officers by 2010 and the Governmenthas promised to deliver another 1000 swornofficers and 250 non-sworn staff within threeyears and despite having some reservations aboutthe emphasis being placed on school leavers,the Association, nevertheless, hopes that thosenumbers can be found. As for the Defence Forces,they recruit 18-year-olds and then expect themto work hard at getting to an ever increasingstandard of fitness and competence (i.e. the fouryears of study alluded to in the article). – Editor.A sad state of affairsI have just watched the news about loweringthe Police recuiting standards. I believe I’mwell qualified to comment: my first husbandwas in the Police for about 30 years. In ourearly years of married life, we were stationed ata couple of small country towns, where I wasas involved as he was.In those days police officers were admired,respected and were a valuable part of ourcommunity.Our eldest son joined the Police in 1992, andleft in early 2000 to work in Australia, in thebanking profession. In his new job, he paid astax what he was earning in the NZ Police.My second husband’s son joined the Police in1999-2000. All he ever wanted to do was tobe a police officer. As a teenager, he trainedwith the Armed Offenders in Auckland (astheir ‘baddie’) because he loved being fit andbeing involved. He left NZ as a 17-year-old towork at Camp America, went on to Europe,all the while constantly applying to join thePolice here. His eyesight was a problem - hewore contacts. He had operations on his eyesin Britain - then he had to wait another yearfor the scarring to heal.He applied while overseas, then he returned,applied again and still he had to wait severalmonths until he was accepted for the PoliceCollege. He passed all the requirements withflying colours, especially the fitness. He spentover four years as a police officer but whereis he now? Training for the Australian Policebecause of the dissatisfaction with the NZPolice.The Police hierarchy let him down, both withtheir lack of support and their remuneration.Now they’re lowering standards. What abouttrying to keep the great ones you have? Howsafe can we feel with a lower standard ofpersonnel?I just wanted you to know how despicable Ifind this lowering of standards and the lackof suitable pay rates and conditions. OurPolice Force should be treated as, but notact as, ‘elite’ in the eyes of the public. Thepublic needs to know that there is someone‘out there’ who will care for them in theirhour of need - someone who is trustworthy,reliable, conscientious, capable, etc - all thosegood words. Our sons were, and they’ve beenlet go…One of the saddest days was when theyamalgamated the Police and Ministry ofTransport traffic officers. Many people viewedtraffic officers very negatively because theyseemed to portray a Gestapo-like image andpolice officers were seen (then) as honest,dependable, reliable and trustworthy. I believethe amalgamation was the turning point of aloss of trust and confidence in the NZ Police.And it’s been downhill since then. I believethere is a quota system for issuing tickets too– what a waste of frontline officers’ policingtime.What a sad state of affairs all round.“Jayne”(Katikati)Police pensions and Section 70of the Social Security ActAs a member of the public, I have just hadthe opportunity to read your July issue,particularly your well-presented article onrecruitment and retention. Of singular interestto me was your reference to matters relating toSection 70 of the Social Security Act (1964)as it relates to overseas pensions.Many of your members may not be aware ofthe fact that if they had made voluntary orcompulsory contributions in excess of thatrequired to fund the basic pension madeduring their working life in the UK, forexample to the Graduated Pension Scheme,and State Earnings Related Pensions (SERPS),that these payments will be deducted fromtheir New Zealand Super on reaching the ageof eligibility, presently 65 years of age.New Zealand Police AssociationMy concern is, that while New Zealand istaking some trouble to attract well-trainedand dedicated police personnel from overseas,your members are not alerted to the fact thattheir pensions savings are being jeopardisedand further, that they will not realise whathas happened until reaching the age ofretirement.There is presently considerable dialogue goingon in New Zealand with regard to the overseaspensions debacle. Additionally, a petition hasrecently been presented to Parliament seekinga special Commission of Inquiry to reviewthese matters. This petition contained some7,000 signatures and to give an idea of themagnitude of the problem, there are presentlysome 52,000 NZ senior citizens affected bySection 70 and from whom the Governmentmakes an estimated $400 million annually!I believe that this matter is of majorconsequence to every member of the NewZealand Police, whether you are directlyaffected or not and including any member ormember of their family who is is consideringgoing overseas for their great ‘OE’. Furtherinformation can be obtained from the PensionsAbuse website www.info@nzpensionabuse.org.nz and you should, of course, check withyour Association.Your services to the community are far tooimportant to have them eroded throughfinancial and social injustice on retirement.W Austin Fraser(Levin)Readers might like to refer to the article on p182to learn more – EditorGoing the extra mileI’d like to take this opportunity to commendingthe Thames Police, and Paul Bowman inparticular for their quick work.We were the victims of a burglary on a recentSunday night and by 9.00 the followingmorning Thames Police had the allegedoffenders locked up, and had recovered ourstolen property.The officers involved were due to finish theirshift at midnight, but worked all night andgot a great result. They were still on duty at10 on Monday morning – 10 hours after theywere supposed to finish. That is dedicationover and above the salary - genuine dedicationto making our community a better and saferplace to live.Well done, thanks very much.Peter Golden(Thames)Arthritis and the importance of dietAfter reading the Health Watch article aboutarthritis in a recent issue of Police News Iwas somewhat dismayed at the lack of anysuggested remedy. Arthritis is a conditionthat is affecting more and more people, andthe reason that I write is to say that I believethere is a cure. The cure is easy and based oncommon sense.August 2006195

PoliceNewsThe Voice of PoliceThe article suggested that if we have arthritisthen we should seek help from our GP.Unfortunately, if that is all you do then you arelikely to retain the condition, and at best besupplied with a cocktail of anti-inflammatorymedications that treat only the symptoms ofthe condition and not the cause.So what is the cause? I believe that the causesto most arthritic conditions are dietary. Wehave been designed to eat mainly raw fruitsand vegetables, nuts and grains, meats and fishetc. Full food value is mostly obtained fromfoods eaten raw or cooked as little as possible.In recent times our diets have become largelycomprised of cooked foods, junk foods and‘dead’ foods. Coupled with eating poor qualityfood, we overeat and snack, never giving ourbody’s digestive system a chance to rest andheal.Fasting is one of the body’s natural ways ofhealing and ‘purging’ out all the toxins thatwe’ve put in. Your body needs periods offasting several times a year to achieve thisinternal clean up. Finally, even if we believewe do have a reasonably good diet the sadtruth is that NZ soils are lacking in certaintrace minerals critical for our health. Thefarming community is fully aware of thisand consequently farm animals are givensupplements to remedy the defiency. NZ soilsare either lacking completely or are very lowin Boron, Selenium, Iodine, Copper and othertrace minerals. Any crops grown in them willnot have sufficient levels of these elements andminerals. It is vital that these trace minerals areput into your diet, so the current solution is totake mineral supplements.I almost had to leave the Police about 16 yearsago due to arthritis. The medical professionwas of no benefit to me and I’m afraid to saythey have not changed. I’m now 100% free ofarthritis, thanks to the information I found outabout arthritis in several books by naturopaths.I know that there may be cases, which mayhave other causes, but I am confident that thedietary solution will fix most conditions.If any of your readers are interested in furtherinformation please don’t hesitate to contact mevia the Lotus Notes system. The informationis free and it may dramatically improve yourhealth.Stuart Main(Alexandra)Recruitment and staff retentionThe July issue of Police News spends aconsiderable amount of time and space dealingwith the issue of recruitment and retention ofstaff.From my personal experience, the treatmentof existing staff by HR and senior managementleaves a lot to be desired. I recall vividly ameeting held in Auckland on 28 March 2002between senior Auckland CIB heads and thenCommissioner Robinson. At that meeting, theCommissioner made it clear that I had “too muchCIB experience” to be considered for promotionto the rank of Detective Superintendent.At the time, I had 33 years Police service,with 25 years as a CIB officer and had beena Detective Inspector for nearly 17 years.It was then I decided to exit from the NewZealand Police, as clearly there was no futureadvancement for me in the organisation.Within three months I finished work andsubsequently medically retired due to sufferingwith Legionnaires’ disease.It seems that CIB staff have a limited futurein that branch, yet they are regularly calledupon to work long hours solving high profilecrimes. I recall being told that I should haveopted to transfer to the Uniform Branchearlier in my career. The Commissioner wasobviously unaware that I attempted to do somany years earlier, only to be told at that timethat I had too much CIB experience to be ableto supervise uniform staff.It is time that the ‘CIB dinosaurs’ are givena fair chance in the promotion stakes afterhaving given good service in the CIB. With theattitudes that exist towards the existing staffwith a policy that does not value specialisationor experience, it is difficult to feel sorry for anadministration, which is now finding difficultyin recruiting and retaining staff.M l Whitham(Auckland)‘Temporary’ sergeantsA recent Police “Personnel News” lists thosetemporary sergeants who were successfulin the recent sergeant’s qualifying course. Itake my hat off to the officer who had beena “temporary” sergeant since 2000. He hasobviously been doing such a superb jobthat his management team did not considerit necessary to train him to do the job he’dactually been doing for six years. Many of theother staff had been successfully performingthe role for two or three years, as is always thecase with any qualifying course, some for evenlonger. The last seniors’ course was the same.What this actually does is to totally discreditthe course. If someone can be in a role forso long, without actually undertaking thequalifying course to train for that role, thensurely the course is irrelevant.Remember, it is a “qualifying”, not a“development” course. This implies that officersneed to do it before they are qualified to performthe role but clearly this is not the case.Without completing the course, temporarysergeants cannot become substantive.However, the relevance of the qualifyingcourse is brought into further question sinceit is accepted practice for temporary sergeantsto become senior sergeants without everdoing their sergeants’ qualifying course, andbecoming substantive.My own district apparently shows little regardfor the course. No current GDB sergeant hasever been offered a course while at Henderson,including those in the rank for over three years.I fully support the concept of a promotioncourse, (I did one 10 years ago in a place far,far away). However, if they are to carry anyweight, then newly promoted officers shouldundertake the course within the first fewmonths of their new posting, and districtsshould adopt a structured list on a “first in,first served” basis. I don’t know if my owndistrict even has a waiting list.When I was last promoted two years ago,my letter of appointment finished withthe sentence: “The Commissioner directsyou to attend the next qualifying course atthe RNZPC.” Having never been offered aqualifying course, despite enquiring with myown HR Department, I throw myself at themercy of Professional Standards for failing tocomply with the Commissioner’s directions.Ian Brenchley(Henderson)With heartfelt thanksOver the last three and a half years my belovedhusband Matt has been fighting a terriblebattle with an aggressive brain tumour. Afteran incredibly brave fight he passed awaypeacefully on 19 May.I would like to acknowledge, through theAssociation, all the support and sympathy Ihave received from the Police.I was given a lot of time off to nurse and spendtime with Matt, always without question. Mycolleagues rallied around and looked aftermy workload and responsibilities. There wasalways an available ear to listen and a shoulderto cry on.The sea of blue uniforms at Matt’s funeral wassuch a mark of respect for both Matt and I,and so very humbling.What my family has experienced throughoutthis time is something I never dreamed ofhaving to go through, but I am so grateful forthe real Police culture and family.Thanks to Wing 230 for their kind donation toMary Potter Hospice, which cared for Matt.Becs, Liam and Ashleigh Todd(Waikanae)Replies: Tracy Grant – points noted; To theanonymous letter writer who wrote regardingstationary issues - no name or address supplied,so your letter cannot be published in this instance.– EditorHave you moved recently?If you have 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 your membershipnumber, new address and if you’re aserving member - your new station.196August 2006