Police News May - New Zealand Police Association

May 2004 Police News The Voice of Policeinadequate, carried out by non-Youth Aidtrained Sergeants. These are all concernsidentified by the Ministerial Taskforceon Youth Offending, and are now in thehands of Police head office.Despite these limitations Police YouthAid boxes above its weight and makesan extraordinary contribution. Indeed,contrary to the predictions prior to thepassing into legislation of the ChildrenYoung Persons and Their Families Act1989 the Youth Aid division has adoptedthe principles of the Act as its own,contributing to some stunning successes.Given the very positive and substantialcontribution of Police Youth Aid, I amsure many of its officers would have beendisappointed by the negative treatmentyou have given to youth justice.Youth Aid officers need the support ofall police officers in encouraging victims,offenders, and the community to play aresponsible part in the system. It wouldbe to the real detriment of youth justice iffrontline police officers were to lose faithin what is being achieved by the system -and might be further achieved - because ofselective examples and very partial argumentof the kind shown in your article.A J BecroftPrincipal Youth Court Judge(Wellington)Editor’s replyThank you for your comments onthe article. It is refreshing to find amember of the judiciary willing toacknowledge the good work of policeofficers in this field and I thank youfor your contribution to this ongoingdebate. Police News contacted ChrisRoper for his comments because he haddecades of experience in this field andit is heartening to see that you agreewith many of his comments. I reportedthe opinions of several officers, whohad legitimate concerns about aspectsof the youth justice system from theirdaily experience. As ‘the Voice of Police’,Police News responded to their concernsby allowing them to express theiropinions through my article. You will beaware that Police regulations preventpolice officers from being directly criticalof specific judicial decisions, but thatin no way makes their opinions lessvalid on these matters. I understandthe Law Commission has maderecommendations to Governmentconcerning how victims are treatedwithin the justice system, followingresearch it conducted with victims andothers who come into contact withthe courts system. Granted, the areaof youth justice is complex - and thearticle acknowledged this, but it alsoemphasised the necessity for agencies towork together, for key interventions tobe put in place at a very early age andfor agencies to have the courage to savechildren from a life of crime by removingthem, permanently if necessary, fromthe dysfunctional, alcohol and drugsoaked environments, which arethe genesis of their offending. In theinterests of fairness and balance, I havepublished your letter in full. - Editor.Time for carefulconsiderationHaving read your article in the latestPolice News, March 2004 entitled“stabbing/slashing attacks on policeofficers”, I feel I must respond to several ofthe points mentioned in the article.You mention that the department’s figuresindicate a 2300% increase in stabbingattacks, which I think, is very unlikely. Thenumber has probably risen but I wouldrefute that it is a total increase, rather that theincidents are becoming more severe and arenow being reported more often. Health andSafety In Employment Act 1992 (Sections19 and 25) requires ALL employees toreport ALL accidents/incidents and nearmisses as their responsibility under theAct. If reporting and investigating wereencouraged both by the Associationand management, especially in relationto GDBs (General Duties Branch), thenthere would be more accurate figures tosupport the implementation of preventionstrategies, which may include vests.Police culture is a big issue at presentand the “voluntary servitude” attitude iscertainly prevalent as part of that culturewhen it comes to safety. Many officerswould agree that “I am going to serve theNZ public and getting hurt comes withthe territory” rather than thinking that “Iam going to keep myself as safe and fit aspossible so I can help as many as possible”.Getting hurt doesn’t have to come with theterritory. Reporting accidents, in order thatsome other officer doesn’t have to get hurt, ispart of that change.I agree, wholeheartedly, that the PoliceDepartment has an obligation underthe HSE Act 92 (Section 6) to take “allpracticable steps” to protect it’s stafffrom hazards. However, following a taskanalysis (under section 10), it might bethat the best option is covert vests and ifso it is then the employee’s responsibilityto wear the required protective equipment.It would be mandatory, not optional.If you talk to some of the English copshere in Auckland, you will find that theirexperience with covert vests is not all thatgood. They say the vests are uncomfortableespecially when sitting in vehicles etc.Therefore, serious discussion has to beundertaken on this topic. It is also veryrare that following a task analyses thatonly one protective option is implementedbut rather a number of strategies areneeded, so we need to ask the questionswhat are they and how practical are they?I would be very surprised if cost is the realissue. A cost analysis of the 48 stabbingswould most probably show that vestswould pay for themselves in a very shortperiod of time.The new amendments to the HSE Actencourages the involvement of staffa lot more and gives them a lot moreresponsibility. I hope that the Associationwill work with members to turn theattitude to safety around and make the joba lot safer for all.Irene Allen, Staff Safety Officer(North Shore/Waitakere/Rodney PoliceDistrict)Thanks for your letter. The figure of a2300% increase in stabbing/slashingattacks is correct. It comes from thePolice’s own documents. This issuecontains an update on a trial of bodyarmour, which Police are about toundertake. Rest assured that seriousdiscussion is taking place on this issue,both within Police and within the PoliceAssociation - and jointly. - Editor.Media damageIt has been sometime since I called myselfa member of Police, it has been about thesame time since I entered a Police station,and although a few friendships survive,very few police officers are part of my lifeanymore. I keep in touch through PoliceNews and, unfortunately, the newspaper.The damage that media comment withits irresponsible, unresearched andunbalanced information has caused,is clear for all to see. The increasinglyfrequent scathing attacks on your ownranks through the letters in Police Newscontribute even further to undermine thevalued role that you all perform.I write only as an observation, in thatwriting a letter to the Editor does notform part of a solution. I believe itfrequently does more harm than good andpotentially fuels the belief that stating anopinion makes it a fact.Putting pen to paper is the last solution.I believe you should exhaust allopportunities to address the issues thatyou are confronted with in a mannerthat respects the privacy of individuals,the dignity of the Police and seeks toachieve realistic resolutions. Especially inthis environment, at this time, where thePolice are under such incredible scrutiny,professionalism is crucial to maintainingthe respect and value that the majority ofsociety affords the Police.In saying that pen to paper is the lastresort, I forward a copy of a letter Isubmitted to the New Zealand Herald.86