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VOLUME 47 | NUMBER 4 | may 2014
A BUMP
IN YOUR
CAREER
Challenges
of a police
pregnancy
ODE TO PETE
Poem for the departing
Commissioner
NEED FOR SPEED
Outlaw MC gangs and the
meth trade
TAKE A BREAK
Dummies’ guide to
annual leave
Contents
Do you know how much
Police Life Insurance you have?
See our handy online tool in the 'Insurances' section of our website:
Police News is the magazine of the
New Zealand Police Association,
originally the New Zealand Police
Journal, first published in 1937.
May 2014, Vol. 47, No.4
ISSN 1175-9445
Deadline for next issue:
Monday, May 19, 2014.
Published by the New Zealand Police
Association
P.O. Box 12344, Willbank House,
57 Willis St, Wellington 6144
Phone: (04) 496 6800
Facsmile: (04) 471 1309
www.policeassn.org.nz/products-services/insurances/how-much-lifeinsurance-do-you-have-or-need
Editor: Ellen Brook
Stuck on you: Police Remembrance pins
for Kate and Wills, 87
VISIT YOUR WEBSITE
Farewell, Pete Marshall: Ode to a
retiring Commissioner, 88
Insurances
Memo to the Castle: The Association
briefs Mike Bush, 89
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.policeassn.org.nz
Battle stations: Serious assaults on
police continue, 89
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
nzpoliceassociation
Twitter: @nzpoliceassn
Social media alert: The perils of
posting, 90
Printed by City Print Communications,
Wellington.
Union backlash: Police associations
under attack worldwide, 91
Opinions expressed are not
necessarily those of the Association.
© NZPA Police News must not be
reproduced in part or as a whole
without the formal consent of the
copyright holder – the New Zealand
Police Association.
Pregnant pause: What to expect when
you’re expecting in the police force, 92
Need for speed: How outlaw
motorcycle gangs control the meth
trade in New Zealand, 96
Regulars
From the President 87
Home Loan Package News
94
Iam Keen 101
Most Wanted 102
Pasifika for Police 102
Annual leave: Your rights and
entitlements, 98
Fast Facts: AGMs are starting around
the country this month, 104
103
Brain Teaser
104
Keen on Wine
105
Useful Information
111
Cover: Taupo Constable Bayley Orr.
Book online or see the wait list
for holiday homes
www.policeassn.org.nz/
products-services/holidayaccommodation
Grants & Benefits
Full Police Welfare Fund
members can apply for a range
of cradle-to-grave benevolent
grants and benefits
http://www.policeassn.org.nz/
support/membership/welfarebenefits-grants
Newsroom
Police Association members are
entitled to discounts with a wide
range of retailers
www.policeassn.org.nz/productsservices/member-discounts
Letters110
111
Holiday homes
Member Discounts
Sport107
Memorial Wall
One-minute lifestyle security
check
www.policeassn.org.nz/productsservices/insurances/one-minutelifestyle-security-check
Work out how much group life
cover you have (your sum insured can
vary by salary) www.policeassn.org.nz/
products-services/insurances/how-muchlife-insurance-do-you-have-or-need
Visit our online newsroom
for media releases, upcoming
events and our Police News
digital archive
Flashback103
Copper’s Crossword Just some of the services on offer
Lending & Financial Services
Melbourne 2014: The Australasian Police and
Emergency Services Games, 107
Police Home Loans and Police
Financial Planning that can
benefit you
www.policeassn.org.nz/productsservices/lending-finances
Those wishing not to receive a personal copy of Police News should contact the editor ([email protected]) to be removed from the distribution list.
86
MAY 2014
police news – the voice of police
News/views
The saying goes that the best victories are
often never celebrated. How many times
in our careers have we done great work,
gone the extra mile, used great initiative to
catch a crook or given excellent service to a
complainant, and the only witness has been
ourselves?
We just have to settle for the satisfaction
of knowing we did a good job. Conversely,
credit and accolades, and even awards,
sometimes fly for a job or achievement that
has fallen into your lap and didn’t require a
great deal of effort or personal input. It’s the
way of the world. Enjoy both situations.
It’s a little like that here at the Police
Association. On a daily basis, our field
officers and industrial staff, including our
lawyers, are achieving great outcomes for
individuals who have been poorly treated
in a variety of ways in the workplace. Some
HR decisions have been baffling at best and
we have detected a distinct move away from
the co-operative approach that has worked
well in the past for everyone.
The problem is, because most of those
successful cases involve confidential
settlements, we are unable to share or
celebrate them with other members or
discuss them here.
Importantly, those cases should set a
benchmark for what is an acceptable way
to treat staff. We, as police, live under
strict Code of Conduct provisions that are
quickly enacted whenever the behaviour of
staff is perceived to have been fallen below
expected standards.
It is the Association’s job to ensure that
the same expectations and standards can
be demanded of the department when it is
happy to breach entitlements of police.
The Commissioner must act as a
good employer and is subject to specific
obligations under the Code of Conduct as
well as legislation.
Money may be tight, but that is not
sufficient reason to treat police officers
and employees unfairly, and other options
need to be considered to live within budget.
The oft-used refrain, “Our people are our
greatest asset”, needs to become more than
a CV entry.
Obviously, it’s a two-way street and we all
have to play our part and do the right thing
as well. We are not interested in justifying
or defending unacceptable behaviour.
We can, however, demand a proportional
response in those cases.
So your Police Association staff will
continue to beaver away and keep the
powers-that-be honest where necessary.
Just know that, although we can’t hold
parades and ceremonies each time we
get the right outcome, when you, or your
mate, need our assistance, you have a very
competent team available to help you get
the right result. Private celebrations are still
a lot of fun.
[email protected]
HUIA PIN GIFTS FOR
ROYAL COUPLE
Inspector Anaru George presented the
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with
Police Remembrance pins when they
visited the Police College last month
during their tour of New Zealand. The
couple spent an hour at the college
meeting recruits and VIPs, including
newly appointed Commissioner Mike
Bush. They laid a wreath at the college’s
Memorial Wall. Mr George explained
the significance of the pins, created by
the Police Association and introduced
in partnership with Police to honour
the memory of police officers slain on
duty.
The Remembrance Pin presentation at the Police College. Photo: GARETH DAVIES
new zealand police aSSOCIATION
MAY 2014
87
News/views
IN BRIEF
Occasional poet Police Association President Greg O'Connor
marked the retirement of outgoing Commissioner Peter Marshall
with the presentation of a pair of police boots and a tribute in verse.
Farewell, Pete Marshall
A Rosmini boy
One of the best they’ll get
Headed off to the College
To be a cadet
POTTS OF ADVICE
Opera singer Paul Potts took
time out from his recent New
Zealand tour to accompany
police duo Bryan and Bobby
to Royal Oak Primary School
where he spoke to 650 children
about how he endured bullying
throughout his school life
without speaking out. The
English star, who found fame
after winning the Britain’s Got
Talent TV show, joined Bryan
and Bobby to promote Pink
Shirt Aotearoa, a national
campaign to raise awareness
about the power to prevent
bullying. Potts said he was
impressed that the children
knew that it was okay to ask
for help if they were troubled
by bullies. Though bullying had
destroyed his confidence as
a young person, singing had
helped him persevere, he said.
Now, with a film made about
his life (One Chance) and an
international tour, he wanted to
share his story and help others.
As part of the campaign, a Pink
Shirt Day will be held on May
23. Photo: CONSTABLE BRIAR
DOUGLAS, AUCKLAND POLICE
PHOTOGRAPHY
Who then would have thought
That this cool slim young pup
Was destined for places
Where with ministers he’d sup?
As he locked up villains
His talents shone through
Promotion came quickly
As the reputation grew
A stint at the College
Training detectives to solve crime
And turning beer-drinking
wooden tops
Into connoisseurs of fine wine
Then it was back up to the great
satan
Where his name was on bosses’
lips
No sooner back in Auckland
Than on his shoulders appeared
pips
That was the launch pad
For his global assault
This debonair grey charmer
Whose appearance had no fault
He soon had Canberra charmed
Even the Aussies were impressed
Set the standard for LOs
And the bugger never looked
stressed
His time there was soon up
And the champagne flutes packed
away
Because on his return he was
exiled
To the depths of Hawke’s Bay
He could well have remained there
The locals would have agreed
But promotion soon beckoned
Canberra had sprouted a seed
They offered him a district
North Shore opened its arms
But he left it to Roger
Even though they’d laid down the
palms
America beckoned
The land of the crooner
What a career decision
Washington or Takapuna?
So it was off to the Sols
Probably to see his time out
Not quite the diplomatic trough
But less chance of gout
The accommodation was okay
It was no grass hut
And those pearly white teeth
Not stained by betel nut
At home a new boss was sought
“Search the world” was the motto
A minister was dispatched east
To see if Pete had gone troppo
He’d survived and thrived
Still not a hair out of place
The police minister was convinced
By that boyish charming face
Commissioner Marshall it was
Loved by his troops
Visited stations all over
Giving them free boots
The Yanks loved him
A natural diplomat
And even the wine and cheese
diet
Couldn’t make him fat
A new language was born
The old ways soon were cursed
Every sentence must contain the
phrase
“Prevention First!”
On his return he made strides;
APEC and America’s Cup.
But a South Canterbury speed trip
Was to trip him up
Three years went real quick
Now time for the pension
A great police career
Far too much to all mention
Cause when the top job came up
And Pete’s name some were yellin’
He realised then
He’d upset big Helen
Since those days at Rosmini
All round the world he’s trekked
But he’ll be remembered by all
As Peter Perfect!
FORENSIC SCIENCE
AWARDS
Nominations are being sought
in New Zealand and Australia
for the John Harber Phillips
Award, which recognises
long-lasting contributions to
forensic science. Launched in
2010, the award aims to reward
excellence and innovation and
to promote improvements
in the field. Jon White, chief
executive officer of ANZPAA
(Australia New Zealand Policing
Advisory Association), said the
forensic science community
was “brimming” with inspiring
and hard-working people.
Nominations close on August 1
and forms can be downloaded
from anzpaa.org.au.
88
MAY 2014
Getting the boot… outgoing Commissioner Peter Marshall
receives a farewell gift of boots from Police Association
President Greg O’Connor.
police news – the voice of police
News/views
Association briefs new Commissioner
Police Association President
Greg O’Connor met incoming
Commissioner Mike Bush
last month to give him the
Association’s take on the key
issues he would face during
his time in the top job.
Mr O’Connor explained that the
Association prepared such briefings to
ensure a new leader began with a clear
appreciation of members’ perspectives.
“While the Commissioner has considerable
knowledge from 35 years’ service in Police,
sometimes important perspectives can be
lost as issues and concerns travel up the
chain from the frontline to Police National
Headquarters. The Association can shortcircuit that process, and make sure the
Commissioner is directly in touch with the
things that matter most to his troops.”
The briefing highlighted the industrial
and welfare roles of the Association, and
drew the Commissioner’s attention to key
matters likely to require his attention during
his tenure.
Those included the
hoc basis because the competing
disturbing number of serious
service demands can’t be met.
assaults still being inflicted on
Concerns were also expressed
police – often on staff working
about the increasing need
alone – and the importance
for personal grievances and
of full training and access to
mediation to be pursued for
tactical options for all staff who
members to settle minor matters
are required to work frontline
that in the past would have been
shifts.
resolved through dialogue. The
While recognising that New
Association warned that a more
Commissioner Mike Bush
Zealand’s geography makes
confrontational approach to
single crewing unavoidable in
members’ concerns on matters
some situations, concern was expressed
such as leave, rostering, allowances and
that it was becoming more common as
restructuring threatened to undermine
resources were stretched. The Association
engagement and the goodwill that is crucial
proposed a working group to establish
to Police’s effectiveness.
clear ground rules for single crewing, and
Perhaps most importantly, Mr O’Connor
reiterated its policy of moving to general
stressed to the Commissioner the
arming.
importance of a constructive and coThe briefing expressed support for
operative working relationship between the
what has been achieved through Policing
two organisations. “From time to time we
Excellence, but warned that the gains had
will have competing objectives, but mutual
come at a cost – particularly in noninterests dominate the relationship. It is
constabulary support staff. Restructuring
almost always possible to find mutually
and centralisation have taken a toll both
beneficial, or at least satisfactory, outcomes
on those directly affected and those left
through constructive dialogue and cowithout station support officers and other
operation, rather than confrontation, where
crucial support. This is resulting in some
the will exists to do so. The Association is
stations closing public counters on an ad
committed to such an approach,” he said.
Strategy needed to
reduce attacks on police
With three more serious assaults on police
officers in the past month, the Police
Association says it’s time to put the same
emphasis on reducing such attacks as there is
on combating other crimes.
In one incident, two officers required
hospital treatment after being bitten while
arresting an offender in Napier.
A few days later, a lone officer
transporting an alleged drunk driver to
Wanaka was kicked from behind, had his
eyes gouged and his face scratched.
Though the injuries were largely
superficial, it wasn’t the first assault on this
officer. Six years ago he suffered serious
injuries following another routine drinkdriving stop.
In the third attack, an Auckland officer
received a head injury after being knocked
unconscious while trying to break up a
brawl.
Fortunately, two members of the public
came to his assistance.
new zealand police aSSOCIATION
Association President Greg O’Connor
said that with these continuing assaults, the
time had come where it was necessary to
put the same emphasis on reducing serious
assaults on police officers as there was on
reducing other crimes.
“After all, if the public don’t believe the
police are safe on the streets, they’re not
going to be reassured by statistics currently
being used as evidence that society is
becoming safer,” he said.
Sergeant Grant Gerken, the Association’s
Southern region director, said the recent
incidents highlighted “that there exists an
ever-increasing proportion of our society
who are only too willing to engage in
unprovoked attacks on police, and who
clearly view us as ‘fair game’ ”.
Continuing trials by Police of extrastrength capsicum spray and security
screens in patrol cars were encouraging and
their implementation would be welcomed,
he said.
Don’t put your
head in the sand
about employment
issues!
• Performance issues
• Rehabilitation requirements
• Code of Conduct matters
Contact your local field officer
for confidential advice as soon as
possible.
Contact details for field officers are
on the inside back cover or on our
website, www.policeassn.org.nz.
MAY 2014
89
News/views
Navigating
social media
minefields
Recent examples of photos of police officers
being used to illustrate unfavourable
stories in the media and on so-called “anticorruption” websites are a timely reminder
of the perils of revealing personal details
online. The images are usually photos of
members in social settings, sourced from
Facebook or other social media. The
photos are often not from members’ own
pages, but from family or friends’ pages
where the person has been “tagged”.
The dangers of making inappropriate
comments or posting evidence of
inappropriate behaviour online should
by now be well understood by all. The
Association continues to advise members
to follow this simple rule: you should
assume that whatever you post on the
Internet could one day end up on the
front page of the paper, regardless of what
security measures you take. However, the
use of social photos, perhaps taken at a
family wedding or Christmas, of an officer
who is subsequently alleged to have done
something wrong while on duty is an
invasion of privacy that many are not yet
prepared for. While the rule of thumb still
applies, there are simple steps you can and
should take to reduce the risk of your social
media memories becoming a news media
nightmare.
How to protect yourself on
Facebook
Go through your Facebook settings with a
fine-toothed comb to make sure it is
Charlie's
angels
A courier would be easier, but five
Christchurch AOS officers are cycling
and running from New Plymouth to
Christchurch to deliver donated tennis
equipment to Charlie McLaren, a nine year
old with dreams of being a professional
tennis player.
From May 5-16, Senior Sergeant Matt
Emery and Constables Chris Buckley,
Jeremy Hopson, Scott Allison and Darrin
Pavelka are making the 700-kilometre
journey, collecting donations along the
way to fundraise for surgery for Charlie,
90
MAY 2014
Virtual witness
Don’t mix the personal with the
professional online. If you have a workrelated profile, keep it that way and
don’t post personal content on it. On
your personal Facebook page you’re
not a police officer – and remember
that identifying yourself as such might
compromise your safety. Be aware
that your actions online might be
scrutinised carefully not only by media,
but by cop-haters, gangs and lawyers.
So think before you post, like or share
anything.
In a presentation to the South
Australia Police Association conference
last year, Professor Andrew Goldsmith
of Flinders University talked about
social media pitfalls for police and the
rapid rate of change that technology
has thrust upon us. He highlighted
the risks of social media and the fact
that information that may have once
languished in dusty filing cabinets
can now be pin-pointed in an instant
through online search queries.
The need for police to be careful
about their online behaviour takes
on more importance when they are
required to give evidence in court.
“Credibility is at the heart of
everything including being a police
officer and giving evidence. Defence
solicitors are finding things out about
you before court and are raising
character issues that have been
obtained through social media –
things which in the past were easily
forgotten,” he said.
secure and locked down to friends and
family.
Some areas to check include:
• Security settings – keep your Facebook
account secure.
• Privacy settings – restrict your page
to your Facebook friends as much as
you can, and disable features that allow
search engines to link to your Timeline.
This will stop people finding your page
and photos just by googling your name.
• Use the Activity Log to regularly review
all content, including historic content,
and to “un-tag” yourself from any posts
or photos that you don’t wish to link to
you online.
• Get familiar with the Timeline and
Tagging features. Enable Timeline
Review and Tag Review so you are always
asked to approve any posts that you are
tagged in, and turn off facial recognition
(click “Who sees tag suggestions…”).
• Keep a close eye on your public profile
settings – regularly check what your
profile looks like to the public using
the ‘View As’ function, and think twice
about your profile pic and cover photo,
as these are public by default. It’s best
to not have anything connecting you to
Police in these images.
If you are involved in
controversy at work
If you are accused of misbehaviour, or
involved in a high-profile or controversial
case at work, there is a high likelihood that
someone, somewhere, will be snooping
on your social media presence. In that
case, in addition to the above, we strongly
recommend you immediately review and
ramp up the privacy of your page. Make
sure your page is not public. Even if your
page is locked down to your friends,
treat everything you post as if it is public
and do not discuss the matter online. If
particular attention is likely to fall on you,
you should seriously consider deactivating
your Facebook account for a time, or
even deleting your social media accounts
altogether if the situation warrants it.
The $100,000 surgery, available
only in America, will identify
and sever the sensory nerve roots
in Charlie’s spine that cause the
muscle tightness, allowing him to
straighten his legs and walk freely.
“It’s an opportunity to try and
help get him out of a wheelchair,”
Matt said. “There have been a
lot of negative stories around
Christchurch at the moment, so it’s
a chance to do something positive.”
On their way through
From left, Scott Allison, Darrin Pavelka, Jeremy Hopson, Matt
Emery and Chris Buckley with Charlie McLaren (wearing AOS
Wellington on May 9, the officers
headgear).
will join a social Lawyers v Police
who lives in Christchurch. He has spastic
charity tennis match at the Renouf
diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy that makes
Tennis Centre.
his leg muscles so tight he can only walk
To find out how the fundraising is going,
with bent legs and on the tips of his toes.
visit Facebook: New Legs for Charlie.
police news – the voice of police
News/views
Union backlash includes police
Police and other public employee groups are under attack worldwide as a backlash against
organised labour grows, the Police Association has been told.
T
he result has been the
portrayal of trade unions
and associations as a barrier to
economic growth and recovery,
declining union participation and,
in the worst cases, the banning of
collective bargaining.
Elaine Bernard, executive
director of the Labour and
Worklife programme at Harvard
Law School, visited New Zealand
earlier this year and spoke to the
Police Association about the future
of trade unions in the face of a
structured offensive co-ordinated
through international right-wing
think tanks.
Dr Bernard has had a particular
interest in police labour for many
years and was a guiding light
behind the formation of the “Big
50”, an annual gathering at Harvard
of the 50 largest police associations
in North America. Previously,
she said, many of the association
leaders had never met each other
and rarely had the opportunity to
meet on common issues.
Dr Bernard said police
associations were waking up to the
fact that they needed to develop
strategies to maintain their strength
in the face of growing opposition.
“There is an international attack on
police and public employees,” she
said. “In the US, these groups have
gone from eliciting admiration and
sincere respect to a view that they
have too much power and are overpaid slackers.”
There had been an international
decline in union density, though
not necessarily in collective
bargaining coverage. But,
significantly, decline in union
membership has also led to
a parallel fall of middle-class
incomes. In the US, where union
density has been declining since the
mid-1950s and is now down to less
than 12 per cent, police and public
employees are now a majority of
union members.
Dr Bernard said public
new zealand police aSSOCIATION
sector unions, including police
associations, remained as the last
major unionised workforces and,
as such, were a key target under the
guise of public-spending “austerity”
measures following the banking
collapses and bailouts of 2007-08.
In the US in 2011 there had been
more than 700 bills, initiatives
and orders aimed at eliminating
or curbing the rights of public
employees, including attacks on
their pension (superannuation),
healthcare and disability schemes.
Some states, such as Wisconsin,
had even banned the right to
collective bargaining. Support had
been drummed up in other states
to cut police pensions, not just for
future employees, but for current
officers as well.
The attack on the delivery of
policing was happening in many
countries around the world and
the effect had been a significant
reduction in the standard of living
of police officers.
One thing that police
associations had come to realise,
Dr Bernard said, was that they were
“not special” in any way that would
exempt them from being targeted.
“They know that if other unions
can be broken, they will be next.”
It was important to make new
police members aware of why
associations mattered to them.
“They often think it is the police
service that gets them their
good pay and conditions – they
have no idea it comes from their
association.”
“Gen Y”, “Millennials” and a new
generation of officers were entering
policing with different views and
it was up to the leadership of
police associations to educate the
membership. It was important that
associations started to take the
initiative on the many complicated
issues they faced – such as
privatisation and new technology –
and not just be reactionary.
New Zealand was lucky, Dr
Police labour expert
Elaine Bernard says
police associations
worldwide are waking
up the fact that they
need to develop
strategies to maintain
their strength in the face
of growing opposition.
Police
associations had
come to realise
that they were
“not special”
in any way that
would exempt
them from being
targeted. “They
know that if
other unions can
be broken, they
will be next.”
Bernard said, to have just one
police force. The US had many,
with similarly divided police
associations. “We sometimes joke
about police unions in the US as
‘disorganised labour’.”
Beyond the securing of wages
and benefits, effective associations
were also vehicles for building a
“community of interest” among
members and with the wider
community, exercising rights for
their members and, in doing so,
promoting democracy. For police,
it involved emphasising that they
were in the “public safety business”,
and positioning themselves
as credible, publicly respected
spokespeople on public safety
issues.
The good news was that the craft
or professional unions, such as
teachers, nurses and police, had
so far survived because of their
solidarity and common work and
skills. It had also been harder for
privatisation to make in-roads into
their core business.
In illustrating the value of an
informed, mobilised membership
and hinting at the tactics required
to achieve well-attended meetings,
Dr Bernard said she liked to tell the
story of the Houston Police Officers
Union.
“The Houston guys knew their
pensions were good and would be
a target, so they sought support
from their members and kept them
informed at monthly lunchtime
meetings, with food provided.
As a result, they get impressive
membership turnout to meetings,
and they use the meetings to
educate members on where they
anticipate problems, such as
pensions. By having an informed
membership, they are able to head
off problems.”
Elaine Bernard visited New Zealand
in March with the support of a
Fulbright Award and was hosted
by Victoria University’s Centre for
Labour, Employment and Work.
MAY 2014
91
Cover story
Finding out you’re pregnant
is exciting, but for a police
officer it can also signal the end
of her career on the frontline,
and that’s not always easy
to accept. Three women
talk to KELLY QUILL
about the challenges
they faced from
the time they told
colleagues their
good news, through
their pregnancies,
maternity leave
and beyond.
U
nlike in many other jobs, when
a frontline officer gets pregnant,
it has a radical impact on her
working life. Once your uniform
starts to strain at the seams, you’re
reassigned to lighter duties, but
when you return to work, the career
landscape can look very different.
And if you think passing the PCT is
difficult when you’ve put on a bit of
weight, try doing it post-Caesarean
section. It’s not so easy regaining
physical fitness when there are
extra restrictions on what you
are allowed to do, such as lifting
heavy weights, or if you’re still
breast-feeding.
Though the physical aspects
of the job are vital for a police
officer, including accommodating
safety concerns on the street
before and after having a child,
that is something most women
can accept and work through. The
biggest challenges they face are
around flexibility of working hours
and dealing with pressure to be
available for fulltime shift work after
returning from maternity leave.
On top of that, colleagues can
sometimes be unsympathetic to
returning mothers, especially if they have
opted to take up a flexible employment
option (FEO) role.
For many women, the changes in
their working life with Police after they
have a baby are beneficial. In one case
documented here, however, a female
employee felt pushed to the edge and
had to reconsider her future with
Police.
It takes a high level of perseverance
to continue a constabulary career with
Police once a woman has started a
family. Three who are doing just that tell
their stories.
Taupo Constable Bayley Orr proudly showed off
her bump before having her son four years ago.
92
MAY 2014
police news – the voice of police
Cover story
It takes a high level of perseverance to
continue a constabulary career with Police
once a woman has started a family.
Constable Amber Thompson
South Auckland
Amber joined Police in 2006 as a general
duties constable and returned from having
her second child a year ago.
Her first pregnancy progressed without
incident, she says. At the end of the first
trimester, she was encouraged to step back
and take on lighter, safer duties. Often,
this can mean a move to administrative
or traffic-based duties, but Amber was
seconded to prosecutions, a role that she
found fulfilling.
Her second pregnancy, however, was
markedly different, she says. While
colleagues in her former unit had previously
been supportive around the limitations
imposed by her condition, the second time
around, workmates were less understanding.
“A view held and expressed by some was that
women in the unit were getting pregnant to
get out of work,” Amber says.
Part of the reason for the change in
attitude, she thinks, is that at the time she
was one of three female staff members in
a seven-member unit who were expecting
– and with a recent history of other
pregnancies.
Amber says she was acutely aware of the
strain on the rest of the unit members who
had to pick up the slack. After a couple of
months, she and another pregnant colleague
transferred to another area for the remainder
of their pregnancies.
Returning to work after maternity leave
brings fresh concerns, Amber says. Officers
who want to return to a frontline role must
be able to pass their PCT. For those who’ve
had a Caesarean section, as Amber has,
regaining that level of fitness can be a little
more difficult. Fortunately for her, she says,
she’d retained a lot of the advice she received
from her physical education officer, Don
Coster, when she first joined Police, and was
able to get up to speed without too much
trouble.
Other things female officers should keep
in mind if considering returning fulltime,
she says, are the time and requirements
necessary for reaccreditation. “Trying to
recertify while working fulltime would be
quite stressful,” she says.
Amber was “dying to get back on the
street” after both pregnancies. Only six
months into her second year-long maternity
leave, she gave a month’s notice of her
intention to return early, but says that the
responsibility of finding a role was largely
left up to her and it took another month to
find the right job.
She wanted an FEO position, but she
found that within her district there were too
many part-timers in some areas, while other
supervisors were reluctant to take on parttime staff, preferring fulltime shift workers.
Overall, there wasn’t a lot of support for
being FEO, she says, which made the whole
process quite stressful. “You’ve got to find a
boss who’s willing to give you a go.”
Having secured a position with the
Balmoral Road Policing Team, and a roster
that suited, Amber was distressed to find
that some colleagues seemed to think that
as an FEO she wasn’t pulling her weight. “I
understand it, in a way. An FEO worker is
taking the role of a fulltime employee, but
isn’t there all the time, perhaps placing strain
on the rest of the team. In truth, though,
most FEO workers work really hard while
they’re there.”
Amber allows that having a family may
not have been the best career move she
could have made. However, when she and
her husband made that decision, she says,
she was realistic about the impact it would
have on her progression in Police. “It’s just
one of those things. Lots of people end up
taking time out at some point or another, so
I don’t feel I’m really that far behind anyway.”
Rachel*
South Auckland
Rachel’s main concern with her first
pregnancy was that, as a first response
frontline officer, she was often involved in
unpredictable situations. She recognised
that, being pregnant, she felt vulnerable,
and the potential consequences of any
distraction were too great, for her own
safety as well as that of colleagues. The
decision to transfer to traffic inquiries early
on was an easy one to make.
Following a smooth second pregnancy
and brief return to traffic inquiries,
Rachel transferred to a family violence
role in another district. When she became
pregnant three years later she encountered
resistance from her supervisor, who told
her she had to find another job “because
you’re pregnant”.
Having previously worked well with him,
and being an experienced and competent
police officer, Rachel felt there was a lack of
insight and understanding of her ability to
do her job while pregnant.
Rachel sought assistance from the Police
Association and Police Welfare. Following
mediation, she continued in her role and
proved that she could do most aspects
as she had previously. It was only when
she could no longer fit her vest and with
potentially volatile clients that she would
find other ways to get the job done.
Her supervisor also made returning from
parental leave difficult, she says. He refused
to take her back on her previous working
conditions, which had included flexible
hours. Instead, she says, he insisted she
could return only if she was prepared to
work newly applied rigid hours that didn’t
fit in with her family or police husband’s
roster.
Rachel submitted her FEO application,
but management didn’t seem willing to
find anything suitable, she says, offering
shift work only. “If I wanted anything else,
it was up to me to find,” she says. “It was
ridiculous. One of the main reasons the
FEO policy exists is for mums returning
to work. I’ve always thought of Police as
a second family. But during this whole
process, I really felt like we were just a
number, and I started questioning whether
I was working for the right organisation.”
Leaving Police was a distinct possibility.
Continues page 95
new zealand police aSSOCIATION
MAY 2014
93
Police Home Loan Package News
Buying a new home or refinancing can be
an expensive process, even with today’s
lower interest rates. We aim to make it
easier on Police Welfare Fund members’
pockets. So for the time being those
drawing down a new Police Home Loan
will be eligible for six months free home
insurance through the Welfare Fund’s
Police Fire & General Insurance*.
Members eligible for the free cover
should contact our Member Services
Team on 0800 500 122. You will need a
copy of your loan document from ANZ.
Police Home Loan Package
Whether you’re refinancing, buying your first
home, selling, investing in property, building
or looking for ways to manage your current
home loan – a Police Home Loan through
ANZ may be able to help.
The Police Welfare Fund Home Loan
package provides attractive benefits to Police
Welfare Fund members and their immediate
family, like:
•No Home Loan application fee
•A contribution of $500 towards legal fees
For borrowing 80% or lower of a property’s
value:
•Discounted floating rates
•0.50% pa off the standard ANZ Flexible
Home Loan interest rates
•0.25% off the standard fixed interest rates
Our Police Home Loan package is highly
competitive and flexible.
For more information or to apply
for the Police Home Loan
Package visit
www.policeassn.org.nz
ANZ’s lending criteria, terms, conditions and fees apply. A low equity premium may apply
where a loan amounts to over 85% of the property’s value. A registered valuer’s report will
also be required for lending over 80% of the property’s value. Eligibilty to apply for a Police
Home Loan package is at the discretion of the Police Welfare Fund Limited and applicants
must be current members of the Fund. This home loan package is not available for low
documentation home loans or loans approved through a broker. For a copy of the ANZ
Disclosure Statement and full details (including terms and conditions) contact any branch
of the ANZ.
*Police Fire & General Insurance will be subject to the standard underwriting
terms and conditions and is provided through the Police Welfare Fund not by
ANZ. Members are eligible for one period of six months free Police Fire & General Home
Insurance premium only, per member, regardless of the term of Police Home Loan taken.
Police Fire & General Insurance is underwritten by Lumley General Insurance (NZ) Limited.
94
MAY 2014
Major renovations – what to think about
This month, we conclude our series on home renovations with
a look at major renovations (typically $50,000 plus). Renovating
on this scale can be an expensive exercise – but there are good
reasons why you’d want to undertake this.
Often, people love where they live (eg,
they have friends in the area and kids at
local schools), and don’t want to move.
However, they may need a bigger home
for a growing family, or there may be
something about the layout or flow of
their home that just doesn’t work for
them.
Sometimes, people may be happy to
move for the right house, but just can’t
find it (at least in their price range). In
either case, renovating can be a good way
to get the home they want, while staying
in their neighbourhood. But given the cost
and the inconvenience, it’s not something
to enter into lightly. Here are some of the
things you should consider before you
start.
Don’t rush into it
Changing your mind during the design
and/or building process usually adds cost
and delays to your project, so take the
time to think carefully about what you
want. As with any renovation project, be
clear about what you really need, and
what is nice to have.
Choose your architect and builder
wisely
You’re going to spend a lot of time with
them, so finding an architect/designer and
builder you’re comfortable working with is
essential. Ask for recommendations from
friends, family and colleagues, and do your
research. Check out other projects they’ve
worked on and talk to homeowners who
have used them.
Check the rules
Depending on what you’re planning, you
may need to arrange building and/or
resource consents. It’s essential to
understand what’s required before you
start – your local council will be able to
advise.
Living through the building phase
Will you be able to live in your home
during the renovation? If so, how will you
manage the disruptions – will you need to
make special arrangements, eg, cooking,
bathroom, etc? Remember that
renovations often take longer than
expected. If you will have to rent during
the renovations, you’ll need to factor this
into your planning – and your budget.
Make sure you’re protected
Talk to your insurance company early on
and let them know what you’re planning.
You may need to arrange different cover
during the renovations, as your normal
house insurance may not cover you. You
should also make sure your tradespeople
have adequate insurance cover in place in
case anything goes wrong.
Budgeting
Make sure you understand all the costs
you’re likely to incur during the
renovations – eg, you may need to engage
an engineer or surveyor. You’ll make
progress payments as the renovations
proceed, so you’ll draw down your home
loan in stages, and there may be
requirements at each stage before the
money can be accessed (eg, valuation
reports).
How ANZ can help
At ANZ, we’ve helped thousands of New
Zealanders through the renovation
process, and we can explain what happens
and what you need to do at each stage. If
you’re planning on renovating, you may
need to finance your project by topping
up your home loan or taking out a new
loan. Now’s the ideal time to take
advantage of our great home loan rate
and get up to $1,500 cash* to tailor your
home to just how you like it. And if you’re
a Police Welfare Fund member, you can
receive special discounts on home loan
interest rates and other benefits through
the Police Home Loan Package, helping
make your money go further.
To find out more or to register for the
Police Home Loan Package, simply
contact ANZ’s Police Home Loan
Package team on 0800 722 524 or visit
your nearest ANZ branch.
* $1,000 for new lending of $100,000 or more; $1,500 for new lending of $250,000 or more. Minimum 20% equity required. Offer not
available with any other home loan offer. The Police Home Loan Package (anz@work Elite Package) details are subject to change. ANZ’s
eligibility and lending criteria, terms, conditions and fees apply. This material is provided as a complimentary service of ANZ. It is
prepared based on information and sources ANZ believes to be reliable. Its content is for information only, is subject to change and
is not a substitute for commercial judgement or professional advice, which should be sought prior to acting in reliance on it. To the
extent permitted by law ANZ disclaims liability or responsibility to any person for any direct or indirect loss or damage that may result
from any act or omissions by any person in relation to the material.
ANZ Bank New Zealand Limited.
police news – the voice of police
Cover story
From page 93
Eventually, she made contact with a
particular area commander – a woman
with a young family and a husband in Police.
The commander understood the pressures
of juggling a career and family, Rachel says,
and also recognised the value and skills,
such as stability, multi-tasking and a high
work ethic, that mothers brought to the
workforce, Within a couple of days, a job
that perfectly suited her skills was found
and approved. “It just took finding the
right person with the right attitude,” she
says. “If I hadn’t been in contact with her, I
probably would have left Police.”
*Not her real name.
Sergeant Marcia Murray
Auckland
Marcia returned to work after just a few
months of maternity leave, and found she
tired easily and struggled with the lack
of facilities available for breast-feeding
mothers.
What was most surprising, she says, was
the discovery that a “maternal gene” had
kicked in and she wanted to be at home
with her baby. She recalls that before having
her son, she’d relished the adrenaline rush
that accompanied attending armed offender
incidents. Afterwards, however, she found
that in those few seconds before turning
a corner around which there might be an
armed offender, the thought, “Oh my God,
if I get shot, who is going to tell my baby
his mummy is never coming home?” would
cross her mind.
Luckily, it was a fleeting thought before
her training kicked in and she got on with
the job.
She decided to leave Police to be a
fulltime mother, re-joining three years
later, and keen to get her career back on
track, with the goal of being re-promoted to
detective sergeant as soon as possible.
As a re-joiner, she says, there seemed to
be an expectation of needing to serve an
undefined “stand-down” period before she
could be promoted.
She was questioned by a panel member
about her readiness to re-promote eight
months after re-joining. She wasn’t
successful that time.
She’s now in the same role she was in
when she was pregnant. Reflecting on the
effort she put in over the past five years to
achieve this, Marcia says she often wonders
whether she’s actually any further ahead
than she was before having her son.
Focusing on her career path also had
an impact on her husband, she says. Also
a police officer, he put his own career on
the slow track to accommodate childcare
arrangements, for which Marcia is grateful.
“He has put my career first for the last five
years and juggled his work around my
shifts and childcare.”
There had been a stigma attached to
him starting his shifts after dropping the
couple’s son at school, rather than at 7am
with his workmates, she says. He has also
found that their district wasn’t particularly
supportive of flexible employment options,
and not just towards mothers.
As a result, he’s transferred to another
district, which Marcia says is sad and
disappointing after 17 years’ service.
Thankfully, he is now working in a
supportive workplace, which has made a
huge difference, she says.
Marcia puts the lack of support for
flexible working hours down to the changes
Police has gone through in recent few
years. “There are very few positions [in our
district] that don’t involve a component of
shift work and, with additional pressures
placed on members, it is getting extremely
difficult to find a ‘work-life’ balance.”
Based on her experiences, there are
two things Marcia would recommend
to expectant mothers. Firstly, look after
yourself and listen to your body. If you’re
struggling because of pregnancy, look at
your options and have those discussions
with your supervisor. Secondly, if you’re
taking only six months’ maternity leave,
consider your options should you “do a
Marcia” and decide you need to spend more
time at home with your baby.
“I think if I had taken a longer period off
work, I would not have struggled so much
when I did return and would likely have
never left the job.”
Police super scheme and parental leave
You are still eligible for your Police super scheme employer contributions while you are on
parental leave. However, you must make up the member contributions you have missed
before Police will make the employer contributions. You need to do this within one year of
returning to work. If you do, Police will contribute a lump sum amount to cover the employer
contributions that would have been made while you were on leave. For example, if you are
on a salary of $60,000 and take 12 months’ parental leave, if you pay your contributions
($4500), the employer will contribute $6384 (after tax). It is a handy way of more than
doubling your money – turning $4500 of superannuation into $10,834 overnight. How are
you going to find the money to pay your contributions? Consider using one of your Police
ex-gratia payments.
new zealand police aSSOCIATION
What to expect
at work
Parental leave is broken down into three
categories:
Maternity leave – up to 14 weeks unpaid taken
by the mother, beginning up to six weeks before
your due date.
Paternity leave – up to two weeks unpaid taken
by the father, beginning from the day the labour
begins.
Extended leave – up to 52 weeks unpaid taken
by either or both parents over a continuous
period up to the child’s first birthday (less any
maternity or paternity leave taken).
Giving notice
The Police Wellness and Safety department
advises that early notification of pregnancy
is advisable to avoid the allocation of duties
that could potentially place the member, her
unborn child and work colleagues at risk. Sworn
members must give at least three months’ notice
of intention to take parental leave and non-sworn
must give a month. They must also write to the
district commander with the estimated birth
date and commencement of maternity leave
and provide a doctor’s certificate specifying
any duties that should not be performed. A
meeting will be held to decide what, if any,
changes will be needed over the course of the
pregnancy to meet operational requirements.
Where a pregnant member is stationed at a
sole charge, two-person or small station, she
may seek, or be assigned, special work, flexible
options, or be temporarily transferred to
alternative duties within the district. If alternative
duties are required, the member has the right
to confidentiality from supervisors and those
preparing rosters.
Returning from parental leave
Unless your position is identified as a “key
position”, in which a temporary replacement is
not practicable, your job must be kept for you
until your return from parental leave. If your
job cannot be held open, you are entitled to
a position similar to the job you held before
taking parental leave at the same location or
at a location within a reasonable commuting
distance. If your position is disestablished while
you are on parental leave, the restructuring
provision would apply.
Leave payments, other benefits
Government-funded paid parental leave aims
to partly compensate working families for the
loss of income that arises when a parent takes
parental leave to care for a newborn or adopted
child. The parent is eligible for up to $488.17 a
week (before tax) for up to 14 weeks.
Police ex-gratia payments aim to encourage
employees to return to work and stay in the
organisation. Payments are calculated based on
the amount of leave taken, the amount of time
back at work, and the rate of pay that a member
was on before beginning parental leave.
Police Association Welfare Fund members
are eligible to receive a birth benefit of $50 on
the birth of a child, or $200 for twins. Adoptive
parents receive $300 towards the legal costs
of adoption. Visit http://www.policeassn.org.
nz/products-services/employment-advice/-advocacy/leave-holidays/parental-leave
and the New Zealand Police intranet for more
information.
MAY 2014
95
News/views
Need for speed
In the second of our two-part series on the methamphetamine trade in New Zealand, we
report on the role of the outlaw motorcycle gangs; their recent expansion throughout the
country and the threat of drug-related gang wars.
“S
peed” and motorcycle gangs have
gone hand in hand since the drug
first hit the scene at the tail-end of
the hippie era. Some believe that Auckland’s
Hells Angels, the first international chapter
of the notorious United States gang, were
the first to bring the old Hells Angels P2P
“family recipe” for speed (amphetamine) to
New Zealand as early as the 1970s, though
the first local clandestine lab (clan lab)
wasn’t discovered until the 80s. Others say
the gangs favoured importation until being
upskilled by visiting US cooks as late as the
mid-1990s. Either way, by the early 90s,
speed had become part of New Zealand’s
outlaw biker lifestyle.
By that time, the drug had evolved.
A clampdown on P2P precursors in the
US in the 80s had driven cooks there to
discover a new recipe for illicit production
of an even more potent form of the drug
– methamphetamine. Meth was quickly
recognised as the “working man’s cocaine”,
and its market potential quickly expanded
out of biker bars and truck stops and into
boardrooms and middle-class suburbs.
Some of the first solid evidence of outlaw
motorcycle gang (OMCG) involvement in
local methamphetamine production came
from police surveillance of the Hells Angels
during Operation Shovel in 1997. Then in
1998, a large lab linked to the Highway 61
gang was uncovered by Operation Asphalt.
By that year, the drug was widely available
and the epidemic had begun.
It was around this time that the Police
Association began to brief members of
96
MAY 2014
Parliament and senior police about the
emerging threat. The warnings went largely
unheeded, with the focus at the time being
on volume crime.
It was not until 2003 that the then
Labour-led Government established its
“Methamphetamine Action Plan”, key to
which was reclassifying meth from a Class B2
to a Class A drug – making those dealing in
it liable to terms of up to life imprisonment.
The plan also established the first dedicated
Police clan lab teams and funded community
programmes and research into the drug.
While action was welcome, it was too
little, too late. By 2009, the problem had
not diminished and the new Nationalled Government announced its own
“Tackling Methamphetamine: An
Action Plan”. Initiatives included making
pseudoephedrine-based medications
prescription only, reinvesting proceeds of
crime back into anti-meth initiatives and
focusing on tackling imported precursors.
That initiative led to the announcement last
month of a fulltime police liaison officer
stationed in Guangdong province, China, for
this purpose.
Most of the pseudoephedrine precursor
from which methamphetamine is cooked
in New Zealand is sourced from China,
in the form of ContacNT cold and flu
tablets. Smuggling takes place at a variety of
levels: from individuals recruited as naive
“catchers” for mailed packages, through to
multimillion-dollar container shipments
arranged by professional organised crime
syndicates, such as that uncovered by
Operation Ghost last year.
A glance at the figures makes the attraction
of the enterprise obvious. ContacNT costs
about $3 a capsule in China. Each capsule
contains 90 milligrams of pseudoephedrine.
With a yield of up to 80 per cent in the hands
of a good cook, $45 worth of ContacNT will
produce a gram of methamphetamine. Sold
as retail “points” (0.1g), each of which fetch
around $100 on New Zealand streets, a $45
investment makes a $955 profit.
With margins like that, methamphetamine
is serious money. In a 2010 report, OFCANZ
(Organised and Financial Crime Agency
New Zealand) estimated the size of the
market in New Zealand to be $1.2 billion
a year at street-level prices. And wherever
there’s serious money to be made from illegal
enterprise, organised crime will be at the
heart of it.
When it comes to meth, it’s still very much
the biker gangs’ game. In 2005, experienced
organised crime squad detective sergeant
Darryl Brazier estimated, according to a New
Zealand Herald report, that motorcycle gangs
were responsible for 90 per cent of the drugs
trade in New Zealand. OFCANZ deputy
director Detective Superintendent Ray Van
Beynen told Police News the estimate would
still be valid today despite “OMCG methods
of operation [becoming] more sophisticated
as they go to great lengths to avoid detection”.
“OMCGs are heavily involved in the meth
trade – in particular in the manufacture
and distribution of methamphetamine,” he
says. According to an OFCANZ report, 78
per cent of the clan labs dismantled in 2008
were known to be linked to gangs. “They are
also heavily involved in ‘taxing’ or extorting
police news – the voice of police
News/views
non-gang manufacturers and dealers,” Mr
Van Beynen says, and, while Asian organised
crime groups have been responsible for
many of the large-scale importations
targeted by OFCANZ, there are “clear links”
between those groups and the OMCGs.
As for the third “layer” of organised crime
in New Zealand, the so-called ethnic gangs,
they tend to play their biggest role in smaller
provincial New Zealand cities and towns.
Mr Van Beynen points to the example of
a joint Blenheim Police and OFCANZ
operation where “the entire local chapter of
the Mongrel Mob was arrested for meth and
other drug offences, with the meth being
sourced from ‘up north’.”
Armed and dangerous
With big money comes high stakes. Ripoffs, stand-over robberies and “taxing”
(claiming, then collecting under threat
of violence, fatuous debts) are common.
Gang members and associates are now
routinely armed as protection against other
criminals, heightening the risks of lethal
violence.
But by the mid-2000s, the major New
Zealand OMCGs had, by all accounts,
divided up the methamphetamine market
by negotiation and agreement. With plenty
of willing consumers and their cash to go
round, gangs grew fat on meth profits, and
grew smarter in their business. Whereas
in the early days of the meth epidemic,
leading Hells Angels, Head Hunters and
other OMCG members were regularly being
arrested and tried for methamphetamine
offences (though less often convicted, with
hung juries seeming to experience their own
epidemic), from the mid-2000s the gangs
have kept a lower profile.
Key to staying off the public’s radar was
the decision to keep membership tight.
Numbers thinned over time to just the
senior, long-standing gang members; those
who could be trusted to keep their mouths
shut, and who had learnt the wisdom of
staying out of the low-level violence and
petty offending that brought unwelcome
police attention to the whole gang. Instead,
senior gang members focused on growing
wealth and influence by cultivating links into
business and high society – Auckland’s big
money and celebrity circles, in particular.
Being off the public radar doesn’t mean
Police aren’t actively monitoring and
targeting organised crime involvement in
meth, however. “OFCANZ’s focus is on the
higher end offenders, targeting in particular
importers and wholesale distributers, of
which the majority of offenders are Asian
organised crime,” says Mr Van Beynen.
In addition, OFCANZ’s “highly effective
and active Motorcycle Gang Unit” is focused
on OMCGs and their high-level criminal
new zealand police aSSOCIATION
activities. The unit has been “very successful
in serious drug investigation and the seizure
of large quantities of firearms”, Mr Van
Beynen says, as regular major busts confirm.
Supply side showdown
Despite the increased government
focus over recent years, New Zealand’s
methamphetamine problem shows no
signs of abating. The latest Illicit Drug
Monitoring System report (IDMS),
published by Massey University’s SHORE
Research Team in April, shows no real
change in the availability or price of
methamphetamine since the IDMS started
in 2006, despite the large seizures by
Customs and Police.
Drug users interviewed for the report
described a steady or increasing number of
users, despite P’s bad press and increasingly
frightening reputation.
Though the consumer end of the
methamphetamine market appears stable, the
supply side looks set to be shaken up by the
arrival of big Australian OMCGs, the Rebels
and the Bandidos – with consequences that
could spill over into the streets.
Motorcycle gangs have always relied on
Serious money: ContacNT costs about $3 per
capsule in China. Each capsule contains 90
milligrams of pseudoephedrine. With a yield of
up to 80 per cent in the hands of a good cook,
$45 worth of ContacNT will produce a gram of
methamphetamine. Sold as retail “points” (0.1g),
each of which fetch around $100 on New Zealand
streets, a $45 investment makes a $955 profit.
strength in numbers. That’s why they link
chapters nationally and internationally.
Rivals need to know that, if they buy a fight,
they will face an army. The recent arrival
of the Australian gangs could be seen as a
reaction to perceived weakness of the New
Zealand gangs – the flipside of keeping local
numbers tight. Police infiltration of the
Red Devils, a Nelson-based Hells Angels
feeder gang, has probably reinforced that
perception.
Australian gangs have been establishing
chapters throughout New Zealand since
about 2011. At their core, many of these are
either “patched over” chapters of smaller
established New Zealand OMCGs or
new chapters coalescing around former
members of such gangs. For example,
the Rebels have taken members from the
Tribesmen and other gangs to establish
a reported presence in Northland, Bay
of Plenty, Taranaki, Manawatu, Nelson
and Christchurch. Meanwhile, the Hells
Angels’ traditional international rivals,
the Bandidos, have established a South
Auckland presence and are reportedly
moving into Christchurch, Dunedin and
Invercargill, apparently taking former
members of the Road Knights, Rock
Machine and Highway 61 gangs.
Mr Van Beynen says the new affiliations
are “largely driven by commodity based
‘business’ reasons, including meth”. They
are also keen to develop an international
aspect to their gangs, he says.
Going south
The focus on the South Island in the
expansion is striking. Partly this may
be due to the “old” OMCGs that have
traditionally covered the south affiliating
internationally to bolster their strength. But
it is also likely to be driven by opportunities
represented by the Christchurch rebuild
and the Queenstown party scene. As Mr
Van Beynen notes: “The Christchurch
rebuild has attracted a large amount of
legitimate business into Christchurch.
Wherever there is an expansion of
legitimate business there is inevitably
an expansion in illegal activities as well.
OMCGs are taking advantage of that.”
Established gangs, including the Hells
Angels and Head Hunters, are well aware
of the growing threat to their dominance
and control of the New Zealand market.
Traditionally Auckland-based, they are now
in a hurried expansion mode, furiously
recruiting new members and trying to gain
solid footholds in the South Island as well.
While New Zealand has been relatively
free of high-level gangland confrontation
for many years, the arrival of new groups
threatens the equilibrium. Conflict over the
meth trade has the potential to spill over
into killings and the sort of open public
violence seen in Australia.
As Canterbury University gang expert
Jarrod Gilbert said in a media release in
January: “In a crowded room, somebody is
always going to get elbowed… but putting
on colours is easy – being able to defend
them is another story. The existing clubs
have had to fight for their right to survive
and some may be reluctant to see new
groups emerge without challenge. While
New Zealand has been remarkably peaceful
in recent times, the prospect of gang wars
is significantly increasing and I believe is
inevitable.”
MAY 2014
97
Feature
The vital issue of your
LEAVE
“There is a
requirement to
have less than
50 days of leave
by the June 30
this year.”
“Your target is
to have your
leave balance
at 40 days by
“…this is for
June 30.”
you to manage,
or take the
kicking.”
“…must book
leave into
PeopleSoft to
show a balance at
less than 50 days
by June 30.”
Sound familiar? It’s that time of year again when many employees are given the directive to take
leave. These directives don’t comply with your entitlements under the collective agreements and
do not need to be complied with.
What you need to know
• You should be planning regular leave
breaks
• You are entitled to accumulate leave
up to your individual 18-month leave
entitlement limit
• Your leave should be planned and
managed within your individual leave year
• When you have a leave request you should
apply through PeopleSoft as soon as
possible
Entitlement
Constabulary employees are entitled to
20 annual leave days (25 after five years’
service), 11 statutory holidays and two
Commissioner’s holidays in the first five
years of service (no Commissioner’s holidays
after five years).
Non-constabulary employees are entitled to
20 days’ annual leave (25 after five years), 11
statutory holidays and, in the first five years
of service, three Commissioner’s days (no
Commissioner’s holidays after five years).
How does leave accrue?
Annual and PCT leave is accrued on a
fortnightly basis.
Statutory holidays and Commissioner’s
days are accrued as they occur.
Shift workers’ leave is calculated at the
end of the financial year (at June 30) for the
previous 12 months. Your timesheets should
be up to date at this stage of the year so all
qualifying hours and shifts are included for
calculation.
98
MAY 2014
If a statutory holiday falls on a Saturday
or Sunday it is transferrable (‘Mondayised’)
to the following Monday. For example, in
2015, Anzac Day and Boxing Day will fall
on a Saturday, so will be transferred to the
Monday for people who were not rostered to
work these days.
So:
• If you are rostered and work on Anzac
Day 2015 you will receive a HOL day for
working this day.
• If you are not rostered to work Anzac
Day 2015, but rostered and work on
Monday, April 27, 2015 (Mondayised
Anzac Day), you will receive a HOL day
for working this day.
• If you are rostered to work both the
Saturday and the Monday you will
receive one HOL day. You do not accrue
two days for working both the actual and
the Mondayised day.
• If you are a fulltime shift worker who is
not rostered to work either the Saturday or
the Monday (eg, you are on rostered days
off), you will still receive the HOL day for
use at a later date.
Leave year
Every employee has their own “leave year”,
which starts from the anniversary date of
joining Police. For example, if an employee
joined Police on October 15, 2001, his or her
“leave year” for this year is October 15, 2013,
to October 14, 2014.
Police managers often use the date of June
30 to manage leave because this is the end
of the financial year and they want to reduce
leave liability. This date has no relevance to
leave-year dates. Leave management should
be tied only to the employee’s leave year.
Leave plans
Police can expect employees to have a leave
plan; this is a reasonable expectation for
managing leave. The leave plan should
cover the employee’s particular leave year
and also:
• Ensure employees have the opportunity
to take their leave
• Ensure employees are properly consulted
about taking their leave, so they can, as
far as possible, take leave when they want
to. Any discussions about leave should
be two-way
• Take operational requirements into
account. Both employees and managers
need to plan around this. Police should
not cancel an employee’s leave at the last
minute when an operation should have
been planned earlier or if an operation
can occur when the employee returns
from leave
• Be flexible. The leave plan is a “living”
document, so it should have some
flexibility because amendments may well
be needed due to unforeseen operational
requirements and changes to the
employee’s personal circumstances. The
main consideration is reasonableness. It
is reasonable to expect employees to have
a leave plan, but a reasonable plan would
include some flexibility.
police news – the voice of police
Feature
Leave entitlement v leave
accruing
Did you know leave falls into two different
categories? Leave entitlement and leave
accruing.
Leave entitlement: This is the balance of
your unused leave on your anniversary date.
For example, an October 15 anniversary date
means your leave year begins on October 15
each year. If on October 15 you have a leave
balance of 22 days, this becomes your “leave
entitlement”.
Leave accruing: This is the leave you
accrue from your anniversary date to the
next anniversary date. Leave remaining
unused at your next anniversary date
becomes your leave entitlement.
While the Police system does not separate
out leave entitlement and leave accruing,
they are important when establishing
your 18-month accumulation of leave.
This accumulation does not include leave
accrued. You are able to see how much leave
you had on your last anniversary date by
looking at “Absence Transaction History” in
PeopleSoft.
Accumulation of leave
Employees do not have to take their whole
leave entitlement in one year. Under the
respective collective agreements, members
can hold a balance equivalent to 18 months
without approval from Police. Before your
next anniversary date, you can carry the
equivalent of 18 months’ leave entitlement
and leave accrued since your last anniversary
date. Within your leave year, your total
leave balance can exceed the 18-month
calculation. This should not be treated as
a target, but it is an entitlement under the
collective that you can exercise.
For Police employees, your accumulation
of leave is a combination of annual leave,
statutory holidays, Commissioner’s holidays
(where appropriate), shift workers leave,
TOIL and Deferred Day Offs (DDOs).
Constabulary employees’ leave also
includes PCT leave. Your 18-month leave
accumulation limit can be made up of a
single type of leave or several types – for
the constabulary example (see panel), they
could hold 52 days of annual leave, seven
statutory holidays and three PCT days (62
days total) and remain under their limit.
The accumulation limit is not separated out
for each leave type.
The purpose of leave is rest and recreation
which is an important part of managing
health and safety. Employees should be
aiming to take some, if not most, of their
leave in the year it is accumulated. That
said, it is reasonable to accumulate leave for
new zealand police aSSOCIATION
Calculating leave
To calculate your leave accumulation
entitlement, you multiply your yearly
leave entitlement by 1.5.
For example:
For a constabulary employee with more
than five years’ service who works
regular shifts, the calculation is:
25 annual leave days x 1.5 = 37.5 annual
leave days
11 statutory holidays x 1.5 = 16.5
statutory holidays
5 shift workers leave days x 1.5 = 7.5
shift work holidays
3 PCT days x 1.5 = 4.5 PCT days
Total leave entitlement accumulation
limit = 66 days
For a non-constabulary Police employee
with more than five years’ service who
works Monday to Friday day shifts, the
calculation is:
25 annual leave days x 1.5 = 37.5 annual
leave days
11 statutory holidays x 1.5 = 16.5
statutory holidays
Total leave entitlement accumulation
limit = 54 days
a specific purpose such as an overseas trip,
family visiting, a sports tournament or a
convention. This should be covered in your
leave plan, so Police is aware leave is being
managed.
Taking leave
The Holidays Act states that annual leave
should be taken on a mutually agreed date
and an employee’s leave request should not
be unreasonably declined. It is important
for recording purposes that you apply
for leave even when you believe it will be
declined. This will show your intention
to manage your leave balance and may be
helpful if you are subsequently directed to
take leave.
Directions to take leave
The Holidays Act states that an employee can
be directed to take leave when agreement
cannot be reached between the employee
and the employer (in this case, Police) over
when leave is to be taken. A direction can
apply only to annual leave that has been
accrued and not taken within 12 months
of the leave being accrued. The collective
agreements provide a greater entitlement
to members to carry a larger leave balance
(18-month equivalent, so Police can only
issue a directive to take leave when your
leave balance is over your 18-months leave
entitlement – not including your leaveaccrued balance).
A direction to take leave should be a last
resort. A reasonable employer will discuss
options with an employee before a direction
is given. Before a direction is issued, it is
reasonable to have discussions between
employee and manager, with real attempts
to come to agreement over when the leave
is taken. The best way of avoiding direction
is to have a leave plan so your supervisor
knows your intent in regard to your leave
balance. The Holidays Act also allows the
employer to have a “close down” period
(for example, if the employer “closes down”
over the Christmas-New Year period). If
a direction is being issued or a close down
period is being scheduled, Police must give
the employee at least 14 days’ notice.
Directive to be under a leave limit
at June 30
Every employee has their own leave year.
Unless your anniversary date is June 30, this
date has no relevance to your leave planning.
Your relevant collective agreement allows
you to hold an 18-month accumulation of
leave aligned with your anniversary date.
Leave balances and development
opportunities
Leave balances should not affect your
development opportunities. For example,
an application for study leave should not
be declined because you have “too much”
annual leave unless you have exceeded
the 18-month maximum. Nor can you be
disadvantaged in an appointments process,
or from taking up a vacancy, because of a
high leave balance.
Compensatory leave
TOIL and DDOs are both examples
of compensatory leave – leave that
compensates you for working hours
additional to your rostered hours. Both
these leave types should be taken at the
earliest opportunity. Police can also reroster you (with a minimum of 14 days’
notice) to avoid you having to work on a
rostered day off (RDO) and accrue a DDO.
COMMON SCENARIOS
I entered a leave request three months
ago and Work Force Management
(WFM) still haven’t approved or declined
my application
Under the Police Leave Management
Policy, Police is obliged to either approve or
decline your leave application within two
weeks. There will be times when this needs
to be extended (eg, Christmas and New
Year), however the timeframe should be
reasonable. A three-month delay appears
unreasonable and members should follow up
with the leave approver.
MAY 2014
99
Feature
Police require me to include a key
results area (KRA) in my Performance
Appraisal, which requires me to manage
my staffs’ leave to a balance of less than
40 days
For example, if you have a large TOIL
balance, Police can suggest that you amend
your annual leave request to TOIL. You
must consent to the change.
Police can include a KRA on effective leave
management. However, Police cannot
include a KRA that enforces a balance that
is not in line with the staff collectives. The
KRA should be excluded or reworded to
reflect the entitlements of the collectives.
I have a TOIL balance of 30 hours and
am being forced to take it
My leave balance is only 37 days, but I’ve
been told to get my leave down – what
can I do?
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100
MAY 2014
Send an email to your local HR office and
state the following: “I have been directed
to reduce my leave balance to a level that
does not align with my entitlement under
the collective agreement. I am notifying
you that I am exercising my right under the
collective agreement to accrue up to my
18-month entitlement.”
I know that Police want my leave balance
to be low, but I want to accrue leave to go
on an overseas holiday next year – can I
do this and how do I approach Police?
If you will be under your 18-month
entitlement, you don’t need to do anything
as you are entitled to continue accruing
leave. However, it is always a good idea to let
your supervisor know your leave intentions.
If you want to accrue more than your
18-month entitlement, you will need to gain
approval from your local HR office.
My supervisor has told our team that
we are not required to work on public
holidays anymore and we have to take
these days off as HOLs – can they do
this?
Yes, Police as the employer can determine
whether you are required on a public holiday
and direct you to take the public holiday as it
falls. Police is complying with the intention
of the Holidays Act, which is designed to
encourage employers to give their employees
the day off on a public holiday by imposing
a financial cost (an alternative day off and
payment of time and a half) if an employee
is required to work.
I went on a week of annual leave and
came back to work to see that Police
have changed the annual leave into TOIL
Police cannot change approved leave without
consulting you and gaining your approval
first. If your leave is changed, then you
should email WFM or your supervisor
requesting the leave be changed back.
Police want me to change the type of
leave I applied for – can they do this?
Police can request that you change the type
of leave you have applied for, but it cannot
change the leave type without your consent.
The collective agreement states: “TOIL is
intended to be used as soon as possible after
being incurred, and supervisors are expected
to facilitate this wherever possible consistent
with operational requirements.”
In addition, the TOIL Management
Policy states: “Employees are permitted to
accumulate a total of up to 20 hours TOIL
without the requirement for a plan to take
that TOIL at the earliest opportunity.”
Therefore, members are able to hold
a balance of 20 hours before they can be
directed to take TOIL.
My supervisor wants me to make up
a 12-month leave plan and enter it on
PeopleSoft
Ensuring leave plans are entered in
PeopleSoft allows members to have requests
approved and, therefore, the ability to make
appropriate plans for leave. It also provides
Police with ample opportunity to organise
cover and manage staff numbers. However,
leave plans are a “living document” and an
element of flexibility is required.
I have applied for a professional
development opportunity and have been
told that if I want to be considered I
need to reduce my leave balance to less
than 30 days – can Police do this?
Under the Code of Conduct, the
Commissioner has an obligation to “provide
the opportunity for development and
enhancement of individual abilities”. Police
cannot withhold this obligation where
members are exercising their rights under
their respective collective agreement. In the
example above, Police would be breaching
its obligations under the Code of Conduct
and disadvantaging the member. This
is in breach of its obligations under the
Employment Relations Act 2000.
I’ve been trying to take leave, but keep
getting my applications declined – now
my supervisor is directing me to take
leave when I don’t want to – what should
I do?
Contact your local HR office and email a
screen shot of your applied and declined
leave requests and state that you believe it
is unreasonable to be directed to take leave
when you have been trying to have leave
approved. If you have a leave balance over
your 18-month entitlement, you need to put
a leave plan together with your supervisor.
police news – the voice of police
View from the bottom
BY CONSTABLE IAM KEEN
This column is written by a frontline police officer. It does not represent the views or
policies of the Police Association
House of cards
Some say we should have
learnt with Customfleet, but
contracting out Police building
maintenance to Transfield
might not be entirely to blame.
There was almost certainly
a corresponding cut in the
maintenance budget and the
troopies tell me they’re starting
to feel like we’re heading
towards Third World conditions
as bits fall off our premises
and don’t get fixed. “Deferred
maintenance” is simply a polite
way of saying, “who knows
when”.
There’s something especially
Kiwi about a morning visit to
the bathroom armed with a
copy of The Press, but all the
stories of unrepaired plumbing
have got me paranoid about
settling in to find backed-up
sewage suddenly lapping
around one’s nether regions.
That’s far from my idea of the
classic bidet.
One explanation I heard
was, “It’s a commercial reality”.
Call me old fashioned, but a
hygienic and functional men’s/
women’s room at work is pretty
much a basic.
Blown light bulbs have to
wait for the sparky’s next
visit, which means a week or
so of staff being in the dark
in important places such as
stairwells and bathrooms.
These areas always seem to
fall victim to bad behaviour by
light bulbs. Keep the stories of
building maintenance coming
via the Police News editor,
please. Scruffy interior walls,
moth-eaten carpets and weedinfested gardens are all part of
the picture; others defy belief.
Cars with a twist of lemon
It’s not just Police buildings…
Have you noticed how the
mileage has crept up on our
cars? I recall that some years
ago the best disposal time for
a vehicle was when it reached
80,000 kilometres. Today’s
vehicles have warranty until
100,000km and Commodores
still attract reasonable resale at
moderate mileage.
So it seems odd to hear that
many in our fleet have cracked
200,000km and have large
repair bills, and yet a whole
bunch of new cars are still
waiting to be delivered for some
reason. Are we really getting
the best deal here? Mobility
means cars are our new offices.
We might not get the leather
upholstery fitted to the bosses’
SV6s, but something clean and
functional would be nice.
On the subject of bosses’
cars, next time your district
commander or an executive
member you work with expects
you to be frugal and not claim
an allowance you’re otherwise
entitled to just because you’ve
been given a “development
opportunity”, perhaps ask them
how often they lend out their
company car to general staff. I
understand this is a requirement
of their contract when the
vehicle is not being used; I just
don’t know of any bosses who
actually do it.
Long live the king
We have a new Commissioner
for the next three years. The big
question now is, who will be the
new deputy? I sense there’s a
people’s favourite, especially here
in the south, but stranger things
have happened. We all know
that despite the official role of
State Services, the Commissioner
and minister of the day have an
important input. This is the new
Commissioner’s first big decision.
Rightly or wrongly, some
critics have said he was seen as
parochial when selecting some
key appointments while Deputy
Commissioner Operations. Now’s
his chance to prove otherwise.
The result should be out about
the same time you read this.
HEROISM ACKNOWLEGED
The heroic efforts of a police officer
and seven volunteers who died 100
years ago during a fire and ensuing
explosion in a grocery and drapery
store were marked this year with the
unveiling of plaque, pictured, on an
Upper Hutt city street. It marks the spot
where the Benge and Pratt store stood
before fire broke out on the premises
just after midnight on March 28, 1914.
Constable Mahoney, who lived nearby,
was the first on the scene. He and seven
new zealand police aSSOCIATION
other volunteers were in the process
of dampening the fire and recovering
stock when a violent explosion, later
found to have been caused by illegally
stored gelignite, destroyed the building.
The police officer and four volunteers
died instantly and three other men
died from their injuries in the following
days. On the centenary of the tragedy,
descendants of the victims attended the
unveiling of the plaque by Upper Hutt
Mayor Wayne Guppy.
MAY 2014
101
Notebook
most wanted
Little coppers
Te reo on the move
Are you completely mad?
We all know policing can run in families,
so why not start them off young with a
police bib. Made in New Zealand by Little
Poppet Clothing, these bibs are so cute it’s
almost a crime to be seen in them. For your
own little officers, or as a gift, you can get
them for $20 from the New Zealand Police
Museum in Porirua or buy them online from
littlepoppetclothing.co.nz. You can get the
full set of three emergency services bibs for
$50.
It’s billed as the
world’s first
Maori language
and culture app.
Te Pumanawa,
launched early
this year, was
developed by
Maori language
academic
Rapata Wiri
who combined his interest in te reo and
technology to create the mobile app. Te
Pumanawa (the breath of life) contains
interactive video clips and more than 50
interactive quizzes and educational games.
At the end of each module there is an
assessment to test your knowledge. The
app even links to Qualifications Authority
accreditation as a Maori language shortaward certificate. A free trial is available at
maori.ac.nz.
Mad about adventure sport, that is. If you
are, and you’re a woman, this race might be
right for you. Spring Challenge is spin-off
from “adventure racing”, which combines
multiple expedition-type sports with crosscountry navigation skills. In this case, the
race involves rafting, mountain biking and
hiking. Teams of three navigate through a
series of control points using a map and
compass. There are three events to choose
from, depending on your group’s ability and
stamina – a
three-hour
event, six
hours or
nine hours.
Spring
Challenge
was started
by one
of the
country’s most experienced adventure
racers, Nathan Fa’avae. He believed that
women were keen to try adventure racing
but that the format of three males and one
female was a deterrent. His instincts proved
correct when the first Spring Challenge
in 2007 attracted 330 entries. Last year’s
event in Queenstown had a record field
of more than 900. This year’s challenge is
being held near Hokitika, September 26-28.
For more info, visit springchallenge.co.nz.
A very general guide to pronouncing Pacific
words is to try to get the vowel sounds correct.
They are similar to Spanish and Japanese.
Pacific vowel pronunciations are best illustrated
by the following English words:
“A” – as pronounced in the word “far”.
“E” – as pronounced in the word “rest”.
“I” – can be pronounced as in the word “fit” or
as in the word “lie”. For example, if you refer
to the Tuvalu words for thank you – fakefetai
lasi – the “i” in the lasi is pronounced like the
“i” in fit and the “i” in fakefetai is pronounced
like the “i” in the word lie. This particular vowel
can cause confusion because of this difference,
but, generally, it’s pronounced in the manner as
used in the examples.
“O” – as pronounced in the word “moss”.
“U” – as pronounced in the word “ruler”.
In Fijian, the letter “c” is pronounced as “th”.
For example, “moce” is pronounced as “mothe”.
Pasifika – Basic Greetings
102
English
Samoa
Tonga
Cook Islands
Tokelau
Niue
Fiji
Tuvalu
How are you?
O a mai oe?
Fefe hake?
Peea Koe?
Ea mai koe?
Malolo na kai a
koe?
Ni bula Vinaka?
Ea mai koe?
Could you
come with me
please?
E mafai ona e
Sau/Susu mai
faamolemole?
Kataki
fakamolemole
teke lava o ha’u
mo au?
Aru mai iaku?
Fakamolemole
hau ta olo?
Fakamolemole Au kerea ni o
rawa ni lako
maike nakai e
koe ke o a taua? vata kei au?
Fakamolemole
e mafia ne koe
o taitali mai?
What is your
name please?
O ai lou igoa
faamolemole?
Koe ha ho’o
hingoa?
Koai toou
ingoa?
Ko ai to igoa?
Ko hai e higoa?
O cei na
yacamu ni?
Kooi tou igoa
fakamolemole?
Thank you
for your help,
goodbye
Malo aupito
Faafetai mo le
fesoasoani, tofa ho’o tokoni mai
soifua
Meitaki no taau
tauturu, ka kite
Fakafetai
lahi no tau
fehoahoani
Fakaue lahi
Vinaka vaka
levu, ni moce
Fakafetai mo
tou fesoasoani
tofa
MAY 2014
police news – the voice of police
Notebook
flashback
Hard sell
Retailers who advertised in early New Zealand
Police Journals took every opportunity to
highlight links between their products and
policing as these adverts from the 1950s show.
Even the most casual of connections to the needs
of police officers was mined to sell everything
from breakfast cereal to shoes to hair products and
overseas holidays.
One firm, however, stands out for sheer
inventiveness. Home furnishing retailer Scoullars
(of Wellington, Hastings and Blenheim) declared
in one ad: “Furniture foils felons! Some tough boys
broke into these precincts recently, but the spell of
our magnificent bedroom suites prevented
their giving adequate time and attention to
the family vault. While we don’t normally
describe our furnishings as burglar proof
it’s pleasing to think that they and the Force
have some much in common. Do call.”
Another gem from the Scoullars
copywriting department reads: “He’s back
again. We’re referring to our friend from the
Force. It almost amounts to loitering with
intent the way he interrupts his beat to stand
for long periods, gazing into our windows.
Doubtless the attraction is our fine display of
rich carpets and restful easy chairs designed
to relieve tired feet, but we like to think that
he is admiring the craftsmanship and quality
of our other exhibits as well. We wish he’d
come in.”
COPPER’S CROSSWORD
by Constable Cunning
12345
6
ACROSS
DOWN
6. Safe places to overtake (7,5)
8. Type of evidence admissible at
judge’s discretion (7)
9. Evaporate (3,2)
10. A large sea eagle (4)
12. An old-fashioned term for a British
policeman (6)
14. A number or finger? (5)
15. Cleared up (6)
16. A period of time dating back (4)
19. Present something for acceptance
or rejection (5)
21. Impressive (7)
22. Somebody constantly causing
problems (12)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Given file or tasked to do job (8)
Relating to the community (5)
Representative (5)
Type of radio or communication
device (7)
5. Openly resist (4)
6. Safeguard (10)
7. Suitable attire for exercising (10)
11. An offer (3)
12. Tie accessory? (3)
13. Part of a truckie’s paperwork (3,5)
14. Swindle (7)
17. Releases offender on conditions
(5)
18. A burglary tool? (5)
20. Mould into something (4)
7
89
10111213
14
1516
1718
192021
22
Across: 6. Passing lanes, 8. Opinion, 9. Dry up, 10. Erne, 12. Peeler, 14. Digit, 15. Tidied, 16. Ages, 19. Offer, 21. Awesome, 22. Troublemaker.
Down: 1. Assigned, 2. Civic, 3. Agent, 4. Handset, 5. Defy, 6. Protection, 7. Sportswear, 11. Bid, 12. Pin, 13. Log books, 14. Defraud, 17. Bails, 18. Jemmy, 20. Form
new zealand police aSSOCIATION
MAY 2014
103
Notebook
2. What colour
is the “black
box” voice
recorder in
airplanes?
NZPA
1. How man
“c”s denote
the value of a
diamond?
fast facts
Get involved with your AGMs
3. The inaugural
FIFA World
Cup took
place in 1930
in which
country?
4. Which
Scottish
author created
the character
Peter Pan?
What happens at an AGM
At the AGM, the committee for the next
year will be decided. Position/office holders
(secretary, treasurer and conference delegate)
health and safety officers and general
committee members are all elected.
Members attending this year’s AGMs will
be briefed by the Association executive on:
• Pay round planning
• The political landscape before September’s
general election
• The Association’s law and order policy
5. At room
temperature,
what is the
only metal
that is in liquid
form?
6. What is
Morocco’s
largest and
most famous
city?
7. Which of these
movies did
not debut in
1997: Liar Liar,
Men in Black,
Toy Story 2 or
Titanic?
8. In which
summer
Olympics
were women
allowed to
participate for
the first time?
9. Bees are
found
on every
continent of
earth except
for which one?
10. What was
Elvis Presley’s
middle name?
Answers: 1. Four - cut,
clarity, colour and carat;
2. Bright orange;
3. Uruguay; 4. J M Barrie;
5. Mercury; 6. Casablanca;
7. Toy Story 2 (1999);
8. The 1900 Olympics in
Paris; 9. Antarctica;
10. Aaron.
104
MAY 2014
Police Association annual general meetings
(AGMs) are happening during May, June
and July in each of the 35 Association area
committees across the country.
With a pay round next year, this is an
important time for our members to get
involved with the Association.
Current constabulary and police employee
collective agreements expire on June 30, 2015.
Negotiations will kick off in the first quarter of
2015, but preparation is well under way.
At the area committee AGMs, nominations
will be sought for pay advisers. There will be a
total of 14 advisers selected nationwide – seven
police employees and seven constabulary. Pay
advisers will play an important part in the
negotiation of the next collective agreements.
If you are interested in putting yourself
forward to be a pay adviser, you need to attend
your area’s AGM.
statement that we are sending to all political
parties
• Issues we have briefed the incoming
Commissioner on
• Possible rule changes and Police Welfare
Fund updates such as new Holiday Home
locations and changes to Life Insurance
cover.
The AGM is also a chance for you to raise
questions about matters that concern you –
it’s not often that you can ask questions of the
Association executive directly in this way.
Who attends
Meetings are attended by a representative from
the Association executive. This year, President
Greg O’Connor or National Secretary Chris
Pentecost will be attending the meetings.
You are encouraged to attend the meeting
in your area, even if you don’t intend to take
up a position on the committee. This is your
opportunity to find out what is happening
at a national level, but don’t be shy to put
your hand up if you think you’d like to help
represent the interests of members.
Annual general meetings 2014
In 2014, the meetings start on May 28
and most will be concluded by July 4.
You can view the full schedule on our
website at: http://www.policeassn.org.nz/
newsroom/events/annual-general-meetings.
Our homes make getting away on holiday affordable
A Police Welfare Fund Holiday Home for just $60 a night is great value
OHOPE
TURANGI
Situated in the Eastern Bay
of Plenty, six kilometres
from Whakatane, Ohope
is rightly lauded for its
11-kilometre stretch of
white sand with views
to East Cape, Whale Island and the volcanic White
Island. The area also offers plenty to do, summer
and winter: watersports, including surfing, kayaking,
sailing and windsurfing; fishing tours; diving,
including White Island dive tours; mountain biking
and hiking; hot springs; horse-riding; golf, including
the Ohope International Club, rated one of the top
20 links in the country; birdwatching at Port Ohope
and Ohiwa Harbour; White Island tours, by sea or air,
to one of the world’s few accessible live volcanoes;
scenic cruises on Lake Taupo.
The Police Association has two homes in Ohope
($60 a night), each sleeping five and just oneminute walk to the beach. They both have a TV
and DVD player, washing machine, dryer, spare
blankets, pillows, high chair, bath, microwave,
radio and a fenced yard.
At the southern end of Lake
Taupo, the Turangi township
lies at the natural centre
of the North Island, about
four to five hours' drive
from either Auckland or
Wellington. Built on the banks of the Tongariro River,
Turangi lays claim to the slogan “Trout Fishing Capital
of the World”. But the world-class fishing is just one
of the activities that attract visitors. With Lake Taupo
on its doorstep and Tongariro National Park in its
backyard, the town is blessed in the adventure activity
department.
The Police Association has two homes in Turangi
($60 a night). One unit sleeps eight, the other
sleeps five. Both units include a TV, DVD player,
washing machine, dryer, shower/bath, spare
blankets, pillows, port-a-cot, high chair, security
alarm, car port and barbecue.
There are dates available for houses at both of
these wonderful holiday destinations and others
around the country. Visit www.policeassn.org.nz/
products-services/holiday-accommodation, or call
us on 0800 500 122.
police news – the voice of police
Notebook
Keen on wine by Ricky Collins
Picking grapes, scoring wines
At the time of writing, harvest
time is just around the corner
for hundreds of New Zealand
wineries and, hopefully, all their
effort over the past year comes
to fruition.
Choosing just when to pick
their grapes can be tricky for
winery owners, viticulturists
and winemakers as they have
to deal with several factors.
For boutique wineries, the
availability of pickers can be one
of those factors.
Mark Borrie and Trevor
Deaker have owned the
relatively small Central Otago
vineyard Tussock Ridge since
2001, producing pinot gris, pinot
rose and pinot noir under the
name of 8 Ranges Wines. Every
few years, I join a crowd of their
friends and family to spend a
weekend picking their grapes.
After a day-and-a-half of
harvest you certainly know what
manual labour is like, but it’s
Ageability:
5.4%
Grapes under cover at 8 Ranges
Wines vineyard, which overlooks the
Clutha River.
also great fun and a chance to
get some hands-on experience
at a winery.
Tussock Ridge overlooks the
Clutha River between Alexandra
and Clyde, and is just above
the Central Otago Rail Trail. It
has panoramic views of eight
mountain ranges, so, spending
time there picking grapes is
certainly not hard on the eye.
Length:
6.1%
Wine colour:
0.3%
10
Length: 6.1%
2013 8 Ranges
Pinot Gris: 3.7
5
Wine
aroma:
4.4%
0
Varietal or
Varietal Blend
Characteristics:
6.8%
Mouthfeel/Texture:
6.8%
Terroir:
3.7%
Aroma/flavour
consistency:
9.5%
Depth and
complexity of
flavour: 16.7%
Balance:
9.5%
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
15
Wine
and food
matching:
4.8%
The finish of
this wine:
8.8%
Wine faults:
17.0%
When I visited Tussock Ridge
a couple of weeks ago, it was
pretty obvious that Mark and
Trevor’s vines were in great
shape for this year’s harvest.
While there, I also evaluated
two 8 Ranges wines from the
2013 vintage using the new wine
scoring system I’ve developed.
I’ve built my system using
multiple criteria decision-making
software, known as 1000Minds
(1000minds.com). Rather than
me just picking a score out of
100 for each wine, I select the
most appropriate descriptor for
each of the 13 criteria I’ve built
into my wine scoring model. The
software then uses mathematical
algorithms to calculate an
accumulated percentage score,
out of 100 per cent, from the 13
criteria descriptors I choose.
I use these criteria:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Wine faults
Colour
Aroma
Varietal or varietal blend
characteristics
Aroma/flavour consistency
Balance
Depth and complexity of
flavour
Terroir
Mouth-feel/texture
Finish
Length
Wine and food matching
Ageability
It may sound convoluted, but
the feedback I’ve had is that it is
a robust and transparent means
of explaining my score for each
wine I taste and evaluate.
So, here are my thoughts on
the two 8 Ranges wines and the
scores I awarded them using my
1000Minds wine scoring model.
2013 8 Ranges Pinot Rose
Direct Order Price $25
Score 91.2%
8 Ranges has traditionally
focused on making a highquality pinot rose and its 2013
release lives up to its high
standards. It’s very aromatic
with strawberry and cream
featuring. Taste-wise, there’s
a blend of different red
berries, some nuttiness and
a touch of spice. It has very
good balance and a lovely
silky finish. This is a great
summer wine, best served
chilled on a hot day.
2013 8 Ranges Pinot Gris
Direct Order Price $25
Score 88.8%
This is a very bright, shiny
wine, with pear and spice
on the nose. On the palate
the pear is less obvious,
with pineapple and citrus
fruits dominating. There’s a
zing to it on entry, followed
by a broader mouth-feel,
good structure and balance.
While this is a drier-styled
pinot gris, it has definite
fruit sweetness that’s very
appealing. This wine should
age very well and be even
better when matched with
fresh fish. I tried it with blue
cod caught that day and it
was sensational.
Members – new discounts for you
We’ve added another provider to our discount programme – Snowplanet,
New Zealand’s first and only all-year indoor snow resort.
At Snowplanet you can ski, snowboard, tube and toboggan on the 200m long slope, and
dine in style at the Snowplanet Restaurant and Bar. The world class facility is open every
day of the year and is located only 20 minutes north of Auckland at Silverdale.
Members will receive half price day passes at Snowplanet.
To find out about the terms of this discount and others available through the Member
Discounts programme, go to our website: www.policeassn.org.nz, sign in, then click on ‘Member Discounts’
from the ‘Products and Services’ menu. You need to be logged in to view the discounts.
new zealand police aSSOCIATION
MAY 2014
105
Notebook
India on a glorified lawnmower
Not everyone would agree that travelling around India on a “glorified lawnmower” is a good
way to spend nearly three weeks, but that’s what these two “reasonably practical Kiwi girls”
are going to do.
From August 3-21, Senior Constable Tracee
Knowler, of Northland, and Kristin Edge,
a reporter for the Northern Advocate,
will be competing in the Rickshaw Run,
a pan-Indian adventure that covers
3500 kilometres between Shillong in the
northeast and Kochi in the south, travelling
in a motorised, seven-horsepower, threewheeled auto-rickshaw.
The pair are raising money for the
Miriam Centre, which supports victims of
sexual abuse in Northland. They are aiming
for least $70,000, through the givealittle.
co.nz website, to fund a fulltime counsellor
for 18 months.
The cause is close to Tracee’s heart.
Having policed in Kaitaia for 12 years
before taking up her current post as
Hauhora Police Station’s sole-charge officer,
she was part of the team that investigated
and prosecuted paedophile teacher James
Parker and businessman Daniel Taylor.
“New sexual abuse cases would come
across my desk every day,” says Tracee.
Serious crime in the Far North area
included an exceptionally high level of
sexual abuse, a lot of which was against
children. The small size of Northland’s
communities often makes it especially hard
for victims to seek help, Tracee says.
“For the victims who are brave enough
to speak out against offenders, once the
court process is complete, they and their
families are left to their own devices with
no ongoing support to help them come to
terms with what has happened and move
forward with their lives.
“The Miriam Centre is one of the very
few good agencies that can give ongoing
106
MAY 2014
Tracee Knowler during one of her deployments to
Bougainville in 2009 and 2011.
support after the investigation and
prosecution. However, it also struggles for
funding, often relying on the goodwill and
determination of volunteer staff.”
Tracee is using her Indian adventure as
an educational opportunity, too, by talking
to children at schools in her area about the
trip and, more importantly, about keeping
themselves safe and who to turn to for help.
Other than the race’s requirement that
the first $750 raised by each team goes to a
charity in India, everything the two women
raise will go to the Miriam Centre.
Tracee and Kristin are paying their own
travel costs (about $8000) and living off
“the smell of an oily rag”.
They have called their team “Chickshaw
Blues” and are expecting many challenges,
including the risk of “Delhi belly” and the
fact that they have to plan their own route
to Kochi.
There’s not much comfort from the
Rickshaw Run’s website, which offers this
advice: “We won’t tell you how to avoid
the bandits or which roads will collapse
underneath you, that’s your job.” Instead,
competitors should avoid “box-ticking”
and choose their own route based on “how
much adventure the seat of your pants can
handle”.
Considered India’s lowest form of road
transport, “barely fit for a brief journey
across town”, the auto-rickshaw is perhaps
one of the least suitable vehicles on the
planet for long-distance travel. These noisy
tripods are not designed with comfort,
safety or reliability in mind and they’re
almost guaranteed to break down. With no
back-up available, Tracee and Kristin will
be their own mechanics, so there’s sure to
be some No 8 wire in their luggage.
If you would like to make a contribution
to Tracee and Kristin’s cause, visit
givealittle.co.nz/cause/chickshawblues.
Find out more about the Rickshaw Run
at theadventurists.com/rickshaw-run.
police news – the voice of police
Sport
To contact Police Sport,
email Dave Gallagher at [email protected]
Kiwis hold their own at Melbourne games
More than 3000 emergency services workers from Australia, New Zealand, Papua New
Guinea and New Caledonia descended on Melbourne over the Easter and Anzac Day period
to take part in the 2014 Australasian Police and Emergency Services (AP&ES) Games.
It was the highest number
of entries since the biennial
games started 30 years ago.
Police officers made up the
bulk of the almost 300-strong
New Zealand contingent that
flew over for the week. Though
they were outnumbered 10 to
one by the other competitors,
that was no barrier to the
winner’s stand – police teams
and individuals achieved
63 podium finishes (and
some results were yet to be
announced at the time of going
to press).
Testament to the Kiwi
passion for rugby, many
police members were playing
touch. Team Aitken, from
Christchurch, returned home
with gold medals after winning
the men’s tournament, and
it was an all-New Zealand
Police final in the mixed
division, with Team Pickard,
Christchurch, taking the win
from Blue Steal, from the Hutt
Valley
Our seven indoor rowers
added 10 golds, four silvers
and one bronze medal to their
carry-on luggage.
The three police swimmers
did exceptionally well, placing
either first or second in their
age categories for each event
entered. Congratulations
to Gaylene Macfarlane for
winning five gold medals,
Andrew Jensen for six golds
and three silvers, and to
Jennifer Nelley for her three
golds and four silvers.
With 50 events on offer,
the games are a great way for
to step away from the grind
of the frontline and enjoy
the company of colleagues in
another arena.
The next AP&ES Games will
be in Queensland in 2016. See
apandesgames.com.au for full
results.
The Bay of Plenty police netball team were happy to receive their silver medals, unable to beat the Victoria police team
in the final.
Constable Dayna Reiri looked comfortable during the half
marathon and easily claimed the gold medal.
Gregory Lexman, left, and Brian Leach representing
New Zealand Police at the opening ceremony of the
Australasian Police and Emergency Services Games.
new zealand police aSSOCIATION
Palmerston North officers Brenton Wallace and Mark
Glentworth before their three-hour mountain bike
challenge.
Swimmers Jennifer Nelley and Andrew Jensen show off their
stash of gold and silver medals. Photos: Dave Gallagher
MAY 2014
107
Sport
It’s all
cricket
Cricketers met at Auckland’s
Cornwall Park on March 4-6
to compete in the 2014 Police
Association National Police
Cricket Tournament.
The five district teams from
Christchurch, Wellington,
Hamilton and Auckland (two
teams) each played four T20
games in the first two days.
Each was played with a sporting
spirit and the final came down
to Canterbury and Wellington,
with Canterbury defeating the
defending champions.
On the final day individual
players were selected to
compete in the North v
South Cup. Over two 40-over
games, the North Island team
demonstrated a dominant
display of skill to regain the
silverware.
A high standard of skill
Players from the North Island team, who won the North v South cup.
was observed throughout the
tournament, and Wellington’s
Paul Bascand was named Player
of the Tournament for his
superb individual performance.
In full swing
A full field of 144 players
challenged themselves and
their scorecards at the 2014
Police Association National
Golf Champs at the Wairakei
International Golf Course and
Sanctuary last month.
Overcast skies and occasional
light rain failed to detract from
the calibre of golf played over
the four days, though the course,
described by many as both
“awesome” and “brutal”, was
particularly cruel to one player,
who carded a 68 over-par first
round despite his 29 handicap.
On the other end of the scale,
Lower Hutt competitors Tom
Slaven and Elton Nicholson were
on form. However, a last round
par from Tom wasn’t enough to
claim Overall Best Gross Player
from Elton, who scored a four
round total of 299.
At the prizegiving, Police
Association Region 2 director
Dave Pizzini described the event
as “one of the best ever”. It also
raised almost $2500 for the
Taupo Victim Support group.
Next year’s tournament will be
hosted by Auckland.
Wairakei is possibly the New Zealand’s only golf course where you have to
wait for the local wildlife to move off the fairway before playing your shot.
108
MAY 2014
The North v South Cup
doubled as a selection trial
for players to represent New
Zealand in the 2015 Australia
and New Zealand Police
Results:
Overall Best Gross – Elton
Nicholson
Overall Best Nett – Adam
Bicknell
Senior Division
1st Gross – Tom Slaven
2nd Gross – Mark Clifford
3rd Gross – Bruce Miller
1st Nett – Geoff Ruddick
2nd Nett – Lance Bright
3rd Nett – Wayne Kidd
Intermediate A
1st Gross – Richard Lewis
2nd Gross – Shane Mulcahy
3rd Gross – Brent Mora
Cricket Championship to be
held in Auckland. The New
Zealand team will defend the
championship they won in 2012
for the first time.
1st Nett – Kevin Hooper
2nd Nett – Nick Hibbert
3rd Nett – David McCullum
Intermediate B
1st Gross – John Ashfiled
2nd Gross – Paul Cordell
3rd Gross – Mike Aro
1st Nett – Peter Maher
2nd Nett – Mike Irving
3rd Nett – Rob Jones
Junior
1st Gross – Darren Hayes
2nd Gross – Eion Gorrie
3rd Gross – Dean Barnes
1st Nett – Karl Hansen
2nd Nett – Allan Collin
3rd Nett – Ralph Filipo
Overall Best Gross winner Elton Nicholson shows his form.
police news – the voice of police
Sport
SPORTS
DIARY
Police Association Cross
Country Championships
When: June 5, 2014.
Where: Palmerston North.
Contact: Claire Adkins, Claire.
[email protected].
Australasian Police
Basketball Championships
When: August 2-9, 2014.
Where: Cairns, Australia.
Contacts: Men - Timothy
Coudret, timothy.coudret@
police.govt.nz; Women
– Mary Lambert, mary.
[email protected].
Open to both social and
competitive players.
Police Sailing Association’s Nick Davenport encourages more members to join the Sailing Association, which is free and
open to members with boats. The Emergency Services regatta is open to all Police, Navy, Air Force, Army, Ambulance,
Fire Service, Customs and Coastguard personnel.
Sailing to victory
On April 4, the Police Sailing
Association hosted the
Emergency Services regatta on
Auckland Harbour. While the day dawned with
clear skies, one thing was
noticeably absent: the wind.
Fortunately, a slight breeze
developed in time for the start
gun, allowing the 13 yachts,
representing Police, Navy, Air
Force and Fire Service, to get
going. In an afternoon in which
the wind waxed and waned, the
lead changed hands many times.
At one point, many of the
boats used the outgoing tide to
drift, rather than sail, past marks
before Police members crossed
the line first, taking the win for
both the under and over 30-foot
classes.
Results
Division 1 (under 30 foot)
1st Andrew Johnson (Police)
2nd Sue Newlands (Police)
Division 2 (over 30 foot)
1st Brett Henshaw (Police)
2nd Trevor May (Air Force)
Hockey tourney
The 2014 NZ Police
Association Mixed
Hockey Tournament
was held at the
Gallagher Hockey
Centre in Hamilton on
March 27-28. Playing
in the shadows cast
by balloons from the
Balloons over Waikato
festival, the five teams
from across the North
Island may have had
difficulty concentrating
at times. However, at the
end of the two days the
determined Counties
team, who placed
last in 2013, emerged
victorious over the team
from Palmerston North.
The tournament also
served as a selection
trial for men’s and
women’s Police teams to
compete against Army,
Air Force and Navy
teams in the annual
Inter-Services Hockey
Tournament, which will
take place in Wellington
in July.
Results
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Counties
Palmerston North
Waikato
Waitamata
Bay of Plenty
new zealand police aSSOCIATION
Race walkers
Auckland’s Jared Free and Timaru’s Jonathon
Lord normally compete against each other for
their provinces and schools. But this month the
teenage sons of Sergeants Murray Free and
Grant Lord will put aside their interisland rivalry
to represent New Zealand in the IAAF World
Race Walking Cup in China. The duo will form
the NZ under-20 team in the 10km road race.
Police Association Ski and
Snowboard Championships
When: August 11-13, 2014.
Where: Whakapapa ski field,
Mt Ruapehu.
Contacts: Mark Farrell (Te
Puke) for information and
to enter, John Daunton
(Christchurch) for transport
plans from the South Island,
or Dave Cowie (Otautau,
Southland).
Note: Thirty-two beds have
been booked at Whakapapa’s
Christiania Ski Club for four
nights from August 10-13.
Demand will be high and
bookings will be made on
a first-come, first-served
basis. Shared transport
arrangements are being
made for South Island
competitors wishing to fly to
Wellington and drive from
there.
Connect
with us
The Association’s
Facebook page is another
source of news and
information as well as
providing members with
an opportunity to
connect with us online.
We encourage you to like
our page, www.facebook.
com/nzpoliceassociation.
MAY 2014
109
Letters
Signed letters are preferred, but in all cases the writer’s name and address must be supplied. Names will be published
unless there is a good reason for anonymity. The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or decline letters.
Email: [email protected] or write to Editor, PO Box 12344, Wellington 6144
Do you work for us or them?
I have two primary school-aged kids and a
wife who works part-time. I have no loans
or HPs and our mortgage is just under
$200,000. My Police salary is a joke, as
living costs and inflation have destroyed
it. I click a few buttons on the computer
every fortnight and it’s all gone in minutes.
Frankly, I don't know how my brothers
and sisters in blue manage in Auckland,
especially if they want to own a home.
It’s time for the Association to start
making some noise over staff morale and
pay. Budget freezes and crime stats be
damned; our next pay round requires a big
jump. I'm sick of arresting guys who are unskilled manual labourers earning in some
cases double what my hourly rate is.
The argument that “if you don't do the
job, Police have a waiting list of people who
will” doesn't fly. The Association is there to
look after my interests and my family.
I think our President needs to stop being
the “go-to” media mouthpiece for the New
Zealand Police and start driving “our”
Association from the front, specifically
advocating for its members, not the Police’s
public image. You are our union. Get us
better pay and working conditions. That is
your primary job.
When was the last time the Association
got its members a real “win” in pay? I can't
think of one in the past 10 years.
Please don't forget that when next year
rolls round.
NAME WITHHELD
Canterbury
Police Association President Greg
O’Connor responds:
The Association will be surveying members
late this year in preparation for next
year's pay negotiations. The survey will be
specifically on pay round issues. There is
no doubt that times are tough for many
members, and it is important we fully
understand members’ needs as we go into
what is likely to be yet another difficult
negotiation. Maintaining public relevance
and credibility, through engagement with
the media and politicians, is important
for an Association to remain strong and
effective in this kind of environment, as
leading Harvard expert Elaine Bernard
explains in this issue of Police News (see
page 91).
Death in the cells
In the April Police News, I read with interest
the article on deaths in police cells. How
times have changed.
In the mid-1970s when I was a sergeant
at Napier, a drunken male assaulted his wife
at a beer festival in the Centennial Hall.
He was arrested and during the processing
procedure became abusive and violent. A
struggle followed and in the restraining
process he fell and hit his head on the floor.
He never regained consciousness.
What followed was a nightmare. The
family turned against Police, particularly
the constable and myself. We were accused
of being murderers and subjected to all
types of abuse and threats.
The subsequent inquest was like a
murder trial. The family employed a
solicitor who endeavoured to put the blame
squarely on us. Fortunately, we were not
found accountable for the man’s death.
The point I want to make is that
following the incident it was business as
usual for us.
There were no days off or stress leave
and we were back to work the next day as
if nothing had happened; no visits from
staff welfare officers. The general consensus
was that we were policeman and just had to
toughen up.
A second incident was also in Napier.
I was the senior sergeant on duty and a
constable had arrested a male for assault
on his partner. The member placed the
prisoner in the holding area and then went
out to assist with another incident. I was
not advised of the arrest. Sometime later,
the prisoner was noted to be vomiting and
he collapsed. Attempts were made to revive
him, but without success. As it turned out,
he had a small container of cyanide in his
possession and it was later established that
his death was due to cyanide poisoning.
Despite the fact I was unaware that this
person was in custody, I was held indirectly
responsible. Once again, no support and no
welfare officer visit. We were back to work
as usual the next day and left to work our
own way through it. Fortunately, we did.
I share these two incidents to give an
insight into what policing was like back
then.
EDDIE WOOLMAN
Napier
Firearms licensing
Bully board: Police officers have no
exemption from testing before applying for
a firearms licence.
Quite rightly, the public don't
expect anyone to have exemptions in
such important processes. Similarly, a
professional soldier has no such exemption.
However, this raises issues. If police officers
can handle firearms safely on duty, why
can’t they do so off duty?
As with many operational issues in the
Police, this is also a health and safety matter.
Some officers will have had no firearms
training other than the standard issue rifle
Of course
they can
do it
Twenty-one members attended
the first office holders course for
2014 in Wellington in late March.
Back row, from left: Cam Smith,
John van der Heyden (Police
Association HR manager), Paul
Wiszniewski, Greg Johnson,
Dean Kaio, Stephen Yates,
Stephen Griffiths, Mark Toms,
Will Black. Middle row, from left:
Andrew Sumpter, Pete Crepin,
Blair Walker, Peter Gray, Zak
Thornton, Richard Parker, Cam
Donnison. Front row, from left:
Glenn Ryan, Kevin Stewart, Kelli
McGowan, Association President
Greg O’Connor, Amanda Craig
(Association senior industrial
officer), Martha Samasoni,
Jaimee McDonald.
110
MAY 2014
police news – the voice of police
Useful Information and
Contacts
and pistol, yet they are expected to safely
deal with all manner of firearms the day
they start work. They may have to: secure
firearms at a scene; assess an offender’s
firearm; or take firearms from a domestic
incident. They may even have to assess an
applicant for their firearms safety test.
Having knowledge of firearms licensing,
cabinets and keys, and how various
firearms work and are made safe is very
important. Obtaining advice at the time
might not be easy.
Perhaps recruits should hold a firearms
licence before they attend Police College,
with the police station providing the secure
storage, or they could be issued a firearms
licence once at college.
This would be a personal cost, but in
some parts of the world a police recruit
would have bought his or her own handgun
or patrol rifle and be proficient with them
before starting college.
If the organisation can afford to train
staff with firearms only once a year, it may
be that in the not-too distant future much
of the training may be the responsibility of
the individual as much as the organisation.
Courses run by the Mountain Safety
Council cover many aspects of different
firearms. A couple of lectures at college on
the subject wouldn't go amiss, either.
A police officer who is ignorant of how
a particular firearm works - and how it is
made safe - has no business handling it.
PETER VALENTINE
Timaru
Basic communication
I am a retired policeman, but still involved
with Police members and administration
through the local retired police club. A
couple of weeks ago at 2.35am on a Sunday
morning, I was woken by knocking on
my front door. I got up and found a welldressed young man, about 23 years old,
on my front porch. He was polite and
apologetic and asked if I had some petrol.
I said I hadn't and asked where his car
was. He said, “Round the corner, outside
Spackman’s [a local vehicle parts business]”.
I asked if he was alone and he replied that
his mate was with the car. I wasn't the
nearest house by any means. He left and I
didn't see which way he went.
I decided that I should inform the police,
just in case anything was going on, so I
phoned the Feilding station at the usual
number. The phone quickly switched over,
presumably to Palmerston North Police.
It rang and rang and rang... for about 10
minutes, when I gave up.
In view of my concerns and suspicions,
I phoned the station again about 11am
and was eventually put through to the
Wellington Communications Centre. The
young lady took down my details and why
I'd called, but could offer no explanation as
to why I'd got absolutely no response in the
early hours of the morning.
I didn't take the matter any further.
When I found that the local rural area
commander was away, I thought, “What's
the point, this is the modern system.”
However, I can think of no good reason for
what I experienced. At least there should
have been a response, even if it was an
automated apology because of pressure of
work or something.
As far as I was concerned, there could
have been much more to my stranger’s visit
than a need for petrol.
There could have been a rape or arson or
some other cause for great concern, and I
could have at least given a good description
of my visitor, or had a Police patrol look
around the area.
We hear much of improved and better
policing and contact with the community
to try to prevent crime, yet here was a
case where I couldn't even get the basic
communication working. And it's not an
isolated case as I get similar situations
reported to me.
Can anyone get this simple, basic
procedure of initial communication
improved? That would be a good start, I
reckon.
PETER MILLER
Feilding
New Zealand Police Association:
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027 268 9406
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Stewart Mills
027 268 9407
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Ron Lek
027 268 9409
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027 268 9410
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027 268 9427
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027 268 9411
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027 268 9419
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Dave Pizzini 027 268 9413
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027 268 9414
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027 268 9415
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Contact National Office
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Memorial wall
Region Six
Tasman and Canterbury Districts
Craig Prior
027 268 9412
Our sympathies to all our members’ families for those
who have passed away in recent months. We remember…
PERENARA, Henry James
14-Jan-14
Retired
Levin
HALL, Raymond Allistair
18-Mar-14
Retired
Christchurch
WEIR, Nicola May
26-Mar-14
Spouse
Dunedin
RAVEORA, Ruaiti
5-Apr-14
Serving
Auckland
WEST, Matthew James Masterton
14-Apr-14
Serving
Palmerston North
Clive
SCOTT, Anne Margaret
20-Apr-14
Spouse
HUMPHRIES, Frederick Murray
24-Apr-14
Retired
Tauranga
BURLING, Lorraine Margaret
30-Apr-14
Resigned
Paraparaumu
new zealand police aSSOCIATION
Region Seven
Southern District
Grant Gerken
027 268 9418
For immediate industrial and legal
advice (on matters that cannot be
deferred such as police shootings, fatal
pursuits or deaths in custody) ring
0800 TEN NINE (0800 836 6463)
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MAY 2014
111
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