police - New Zealand Police Association

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The Voice of Police
VOLUME 41 • NUMBER 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008
Tagging – the unsightly
acts of attention-seekers
■ SAFEGUARDS NEEDED IN POLICE DNA DATABASE
■ NEW POLICE CODE OF CONDUCT TAKES EFFECT
■ TAGGING – THE SEARCH FOR NOTORIETY
PoliceNews
The Voice of Police
The Voice of Police
VOLUME
UME 41 • NUMBER
NUM
MBER
MB
ER 1 • JAN
JANUARY/FEBRUARY
ANUARY/
UARY/FEBRUAR
UARY/F
EBRUARY 2008
008
NZ Police Association Police News is the magazine of the
New Zealand Police Association and incorporates the New
Zealand Police Journal first published in 1937.
Editor: Steve Plowman
January/February 2008, Vol. 41, No.1
ISSN 1175-9445
Deadline for next issue Friday, February 15 2008.
10
IMPROVING THE LINE
Published by the New Zealand Police Association
P.O. Box 12344, Willbank House, 57 Willis Street, Wellington.
Phone: (04) 496 6800, Facsmile: (04) 471 1309
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.policeassn.org.nz
Printed by City Print Communications, Wgtn.
Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the
Association.
COPYRIGHT: 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.
Contents
12
TAGGING THE TAGGERS
From the President
3
Law Commission looks at prior conviction disclosure
3
Safeguards needed in Police DNA database
4
Alternative diversion scheme for Levin youth
5
Useful tips when buying a home
6
New medals to recognise Timor Leste/Solomons service
6
Well-earned retirement for Association Director
7
New Police Code of Conduct took effect 1 February
8/9
Association subs set to rise in late February
Bequest led to NZ Police Dog Charitable Trust
10
“Sophie’s Story” used in Indonesia
10
6th Rodgers Wing chalks up 50 years
11
Tagging – the scourge of our streets
22
PAPANUI REPEAT
• Where crime begins? It’s a matter of some debate as
to whether tagging vandalism is the gateway to other
crime or not but either way the unsightly and increasing
damage to businesses, council property and private homes
has its victims calling for blood. Police do their best but
officers say it is inherently a “community problem”, which
ultimately communities need to address. Victims say the
courts often take a ‘wet bus ticket’ approach to those
responsible. Some home and business owners in Auckland
have vowed to take the law into their own hands if they
catch taggers, so incensed are they at the incessant tagging
of their properties. Some taggers are in turn arming
themselves and the potential for violence is increasing.
See page12. - Photos by Bex Shannon; montage by John Creagh
2
January/February 2008
9
12/16
View from the bottom (I Am Keen)
16
Annual Conference resolutions
17
Dave and Edge receive bravery awards
18
Memorial Wall
18
Track to Exile – book review/Copper’s crossword
19
Keen on Wine/Holiday home availability chart
20
Sports News
21/23
Letters to the Editor
24/25
Religious diversity in New Zealand
26/27
The new Code of Conduct
and how it affects you – p8
New Zealand Police Association
“The absence of such probing interviews,
combined with the fact that offenders rarely give
evidence means that those looking for a cause
from such cases take comfort from the lack of
an admission of any sort.”
Conspiracy theorists abound
Well it’s a new year and already the conspiracy
theorists are girding their loins for another
crack at the establishment represented by
Police and the Justice system.
A self-appointed sleuth has written the now
inevitable book claiming that once again
the forces of evil have come together to
set Mark Lundy up for the murder of his
wife and daughter, alleging the jury were
hoodwinked into convicting him.
I reckon I could write a book that would
have half of New Zealand believing
David Gray was an innocent party in the
Aramoana massacre, by applying the Joe
Karam formula of ignoring the vast body
of overwhelming evidence and focusing on
peripheral matters, which distract from the
real facts.
For those who mention the Privy Council
decision, I point out how well we have been
treated recently by English referees.
So why is it that in most recent whodunnit
murder inquiries, the ‘cops got it wrong
book’ is as inevitable as the post mortem?
Could it be because we never get
confessions or even partial admissions any
more? Or perhaps it’s that the interviewing
detectives don’t get the opportunity to put
inconsistencies and require explanations
for irregularities to the offenders, who hide
behind their lawyers invariably not allowing
offenders to be interviewed at length.
The absence of such probing interviews,
combined with the fact that offenders rarely
give evidence means that those looking for
a cause from such cases take comfort from
the lack of an admission of any sort.
Law Commission looks at complex issues
relating to disclosure of prior convictions
In April of last year, the Law Commission
was asked to review the existing law on the
extent to which the court in a criminal trial
is made aware of the prior convictions of
the accused.
President of the Law Commission, Sir
Geoffrey Palmer, said recently that the
Commission had also been asked to consider
any other allegations of similar offending
by the accused or any other issues around
the accused’s bad character, as part of the
review process.
Discussion Paper
The Law Commission subsequently released
a Discussion Paper on what Sir Geoffrey
described as “technically complicated and
controversial issues.”
Sir Geoffrey said that disclosure of the
defendant’s previous convictions or
misconduct to a jury “has always been a
difficult area of the law.” “You have to be
very careful that you don’t allow a trial to
be polluted by prejudice,” Sir Geoffrey told
Radio NZ recently.
The review was prompted after the acquittals
of former police officers Bob Schollum, Brad
Shipton and Clint Rickards on rape charges
last year. After the verdict suppression
orders were lifted disclosing that both
Schollum and Shipton were serving jail
terms for an earlier rape conviction. That
prior conviction had been suppressed
during the later trial.
Options
“The Discussion Paper puts forward a
number of options for further reform and
it awaits submissions on this topic,” Sir
Geoffray Palmer said.
“The Commission has aimed to produce
a thorough analysis of the issues as a
clear platform against which to consider
change.”
Sir Geoffrey said that submissions on the
Paper would close on 15 February.
He said the Law Commission would make
recommendations after taking into account
all submissions.
The Paper can be found on the Law
Commission’s website www.lawcom.govt.nz
The Police Association is taking a keen
interest in the Law Commission’s Paper.
Whatever the reason, the seemingly neverending stream of totally unbalanced and
poorly researched books alleging the wrong
person was convicted, eagerly reported by an
equally unquestioning media, is causing the
public to lose faith in the Justice system.
The Police, the Crown and the judiciary are
guilty of being slow to react to these claims,
although finally a Crown solicitor did
respond in the Watson case. Unfortunately,
he has given the lie of Watson’s innocence
an 18-month start, which caused a lot of
damage.
We live in a media age. The old-worldly
reluctance of the judicial establishment to
engage in the media in these cases is outdated
and dangerous, creating a vacuum in which
these conspiracy theorists make mischief.
The world has changed and the system must
change with it. The judiciary, in particular,
must put aside their disdain for the media
and engage with it to maintain faith in the
system. Failure to do so will mean juries will
become extremely reluctant to convict in
cases in which they know they will be
criticised later for returning a
guilty verdict.
Enzo’s killer
jailed for
14 months
A Tauranga man has been sentenced to 14
months in jail for brutally killing police
dog Enzo.
Tairyn Murphy, a 27-year-old Welcome
Bay labourer, was found guilty late last
year of killing the police dog without
lawful excuse. The maximum sentence for
the offence is two years in prison.
Murphy had drowned the dog by holding
its head under the water in a small stream
in the lower Kaimai Range in August.
Murphy was also convicted of resisting
arrest.
Enzo’s body was found submerged and
wedged under a rock in a small stream in
a river basin. Police prosecutor Sergeant
Barry Woon said Murphy had been
hiding out at his partner’s home and fled
into the bush after two police officers
arrived to speak to him about outstanding
warrants.
Mr Woon said Murphy had drowned Enzo
when handler Constable Kayne Cording
lost sight of his dog in dense bush after
releasing him to capture the fugitive.
3
PoliceNews
The Voice of Police
Safeguards needed in Police DNA database
The Police Association is backing a Police
initiative to introduce a Crime Investigators’
Elimination Database (CIED), to more
quickly eliminate irrelevant DNA samples left
at crime scenes by attending or investigating
officers, but says that safeguards are needed
to prevent its misuse.
Low Copy Number (LCN) DNA analysis
techniques, available in New Zealand since
December 2006, provide a way to develop
DNA profiles from samples that were
previously too small to analyse. However, as
the sensitivity of DNA analysis increases, the
risk of scene contamination also increases
significantly.
Rapid elimination
The CIED will enable rapid elimination of
‘innocent’ scene investigator contamination
from DNA profiles developed from crime
scene samples.
Following consultation, key features of the
draft policy included:
• Samples would be voluntarily submitted
by investigators, and destroyed following
profiling;
• DNA profiles would be deleted when the
member withdraws consent or ceases
employment with Police;
“The draft policy has been
reworked by Association
delegates, and Police has
provided sufficient confidence
for the Association to endorse
the CIED with the appropriate
safeguards.”
The Institute of Environmental Science and
Research (ESR) currently maintains two
law enforcement DNA databases: the Crime
Sample Database (CSD), which stores DNA
profiles gathered from crime scenes; and the
National DNA Database (NDD), which stores
profiles of convicted offenders. CSD profiles
are used for comparison with suspects and
known offenders.
Draft policy provisions
In April this year, Police produced a draft
CIED policy, which was consulted with
a range of Police Association members.
The Police Association accepts that there is
a clear necessity for the CIED, and a motion
was passed at the Association’s 72nd Annual
Conference in support of its development.
Mr Fleming said, however, the Association
wishes to safeguard police and their families,
both now in the future, by ensuring that
policy is incorporated in suitably drafted
legislation to protect against ‘policy creep’
and the potential misuse of samples.
While these are valid concerns the Association
maintains they can be addressed by writing
safeguards into legislation.
“However, the safeguards need to be
enshrined in legislation. Police have taken
on board the Association’s submissions in
this regard, and the Policing Bill recently
introduced into Parliament contains clauses
governing the CIED that provide sufficient
confidence for the Association to endorse
the CIED, subject to those safeguards being
finally passed into legislation, ” Mr Fleming
said.
“The CIED will save time and resources that
could be used in other areas,” Mr Fleming
said.
Government has approved the establishment
of a CIED through the Police Act Review.
Clear necessity
“The draft policy was reworked by
Association delegates to safeguard against
misuse, and those concerns were accepted
by Police,” Mr Fleming said.
Association Industrial Advocate, Greg
Fleming, said the CIED would have a
positive impact on the efficiency of Police
investigations.
Comparison of profiles against the CIED will
occur prior to loading of crime scene profiles
onto the CSD. This will ensure that DNA
profiles from Police staff and other forensic
practitioners are neither added to the CSD,
nor searched against historical crime scene
samples.
• The Police Association would be
represented on a CIED governance group,
along with ESR and Police; to monitor
the CIED’s use and adherence to correct
protocols.
“Our representation on a CIED governance
group to monitor its use and adherence to
procedures is also reassuring,” he said.
- Association Industrial Advocate, Greg
Fleming.
• The CIED will be held and managed
by ESR as entirely separate and distinct
from the existing CSD and NDD, and be
accessible only for crime scene elimination
purposes. For example, the CIED will not
be able to be used in employment-related
disciplinary matters or for identifying
familial links;
• DNA profiles generated for the CIED
would not be admissible in criminal
proceedings; and
“All successful newspapers are ceaselessly querulous and
bellicose. They never defend anyone or anything if they
can help it; if the job is forced on them, they tackle it by
denouncing someone or something else.”
- H. L. Mencken (1880 - 1956), newspaperman.
DNA vetting
The Police Association also backs Police plans
to use DNA for pre-employment vetting. The
Police intention is to compare DNA profiles
from recruits with the CSD to verify that they
have not been involved in past crimes.
Mr Fleming said the Association welcomed
the move, and wished to allay any concerns
that DNA samples would be used for medical
or other purposes.
“This will sit alongside the existing preemployment vetting for fingerprints and is
a welcome initiative,” he said.
“Criticism is prejudice made plausible.”
– H. L. Mencken.
“The direct use of force is such a poor solution to any
problem, it is generally employed only by small children
and large nations.”
- David Friedman, writer.
4
Alternative diversion
scheme for Levin youth
By Bex Shannon, Association
Communications Assistant
Levin Police and the Horowhenua District
Council have jointly implemented a new
diversion scheme that requires youth
offenders to don a fluorescent work vest
and listen to advice from the local mayor.
The ‘last chance’ diversion scheme,
implemented last September, offers a
select few youth offenders the chance to
redeem, and in some instances humiliate
themselves for a few days, instead of being
put through the legal system. Participants
in the scheme spend 15 minutes in a oneon-one mentoring session with local mayor,
Brendan Duffy, followed by two hours of
rubbish collecting around the streets of
Levin or at the nearby beach.
The offender is made to wear a fluoro vest,
allowing his mates, victims, and the local
community to identify him as a community
worker – often the colour of the vest is
reflected in the cheeks of the offender. The
mayor also gets his hands dirty collecting
rubbish, giving him the opportunity to ‘get
in the ear’ of the offender while they bond
over work. The offender may be made to
participate in this routine anywhere from
three to five times.
Paying their dues
“It’s about paying back their dues to the
community in a constructive way. When
you are out on the street as a young person,
generally of school age, and your peers see
you picking up rubbish under the eyes of
the mayor then you don’t feel very good
about it,” Mr Duffy said.
“They hate it, they absolutely hate it. They’ll
try every trick in the book to not do it. But
the reality is that they have erred, they’ve
done something wrong and they have to
pay for it,” he said.
The diversion scheme was set up after a local
woman, frustrated at youths consistently
wrecking letterboxes, suggested to the mayor
that ‘we should tar and feather them’.
Setting a standard
Mr Duffy said he hopes the scheme will
make at least a small amount of difference
to the youths’ lives and the wellbeing of the
local community.
“I’ve heard mothers say, ‘there’s a naughty
boy with the mayor, that’s what would
happen to you if you don’t behave well’.”
Making kids think twice
“If as a consequence of seeing someone
walking round the streets, a young person
thinks twice before they act and don’t get
into trouble then there’s another bonus as
well,” he said.
Levin Senior Sergeant, Willie Roy, said
that police around New Zealand might use
similar initiatives, but he doubts “that any
of them involve the mayor giving up a day
of his time per week to do it”.
Police officers select young, first or second
time offenders, who they believe could
benefit from some good solid work and a
bit of sound advice, for the scheme.
Making a difference
“Ones we think it will make a difference to,
kids who we don’t think will re-offend as a
result of the scheme. It’s our own diversion
really, it’s not something that’s through the
courts or anything like that, it’s just kids
that we identify that we don’t want to put
in the system and we’d rather try this first,”
Mr Roy said.
Mr Roy said that even though it was early
days, he believes the scheme is working
well.
“Knowing the mayor as I do, I suspect he
would get through to some of these kids.
He’s not only the mayor, he’s a business
owner and operator in the town, he has an
interest as well,” he said.
“The mayor has had people come up to him
when he’s been out doing it saying ‘bloody
good work’, that sort of thing. I suspect the
feedback from members of the public who
are out there and have seen it happen is
pretty good,” he said.
Police raid on
sleepy Cretan
village brings
big surprises
New Zealand Police often execute drug
raids on houses and gang pads around the
country, but a recent raid in a lawless village
in Crete would be enough to send shivers
down the spine of any police officer.
According to a report by the The NZ Herald
police raided the Cretan mountain village of
Zoniana in a convoy of a dozen vehicles. The
ambush was obviously not unexpected.
More than 40 armed police officers were
shocked at the force of the response. At
least 20 gunmen opened fire on them with
Kalashnikov assault rifles before they could
pass the first houses in the village.
One-sided gun battle
The one-sided gun battle lasted a matter of
minutes as the officers withdrew with three
officers wounded, one seriously.
Zoniana appears to have been a hive of
organised crime with orchards full of
cannabis plants. Drug dealing, protection
rackets and armed robbery appear to have
been rife.
The ferocity of the ambush on the local
police unit prompted authorities to fly in
75 officers from an elite unit in Athens in
response. The bullet-ridden signposts that
mark the entry and exit to the village make
it clear the law is not welcome. There is no
police station. By the time the main force
of police officers arrived at the village, up
to 200 local men had disappeared and
hundreds of hectares of cannabis plants had
been removed from earth among the olive
orchards.
14 arrests
Fourteen arrests were made. A local man
who claimed that he was a shepherd was
found to have more than €1.5 million
(NZ$2.9 million) in his bank account.
Media claim the initial raid was prompted
by the arrest of a man from Zoniana who
was picked up driving a new Porsche and
said he was a builder. Unconfirmed reports
said the man had up to €6 million ($NZ8.85
million) in the bank.
“Well we can’t quite do that, but I just
thought on a personal basis that as a leader
of a community I needed to be doing
something to set a standard or at least
give tangible leadership to try and find
solutions,” Mr Duffy said.
Use of 0800 Ten Nine phone line
“After they’ve finished I give them my card
and I give them my phone number and I say
if you ever want to contact me you should
feel free to do so.”
Important and immediate industrial and legal advice can then be arranged through the
Association networks.
Association representatives maintain this telephone line (0800 8366 463) on a 24-hour basis.
It is to be used ONLY for matters that cannot be deferred, such as Police shootings, fatal
pursuits or deaths in custody.
Please do not phone this line for non-urgent matters.
5
PoliceNews
The Voice of Police
Some useful tips when buying a home
Since 1997 The National Bank has provided the Police Home Loan package, in conjunction with the Police Welfare Fund. Police
Home Loans is committed to providing you with the tools and resources you need to get the home you want. This is the first of a
regular series of articles with home buying tips and information from The National Bank. For more home buying tools, resources
and information, visit our Home Buyers Centre, www.homebuyerscentre.co.nz
Buying a home in the current market
newsletters or economic updates, please visit
Indicators suggest the housing market is
slowing. There are fewer sales, price growth is
softening and the time taken to sell a house is
increasing. That’s good news for homebuyers,
even though house prices still remain high by
historical standards.
www.homebuyerscentre.co.nz
In the current market, buyers can expect many
sellers to be more open to negotiation. And
since there are also likely to be more homes
for sale, buyers can be more discerning as
there will be other options if a particular seller
has unrealistic price expectations.
On the other hand, house prices are unlikely
to see the same level of growth as they have
enjoyed over recent years - which means
that buyers may not receive the same level of
capital gain. In this environment, it pays to do
your homework to ensure you buy a quality
home in an area where house values are likely
to be more stable. Valuation and building
reports are useful tools to help make sure you
are buying the right property.
If you’re interested in reading our economists’
home loan interest rate strategies, or would
like to register for our Emailed homebuyer
Home affordability
While the real estate market is slowing, homes
are still much less affordable than they used to
be. In 1992 it took just under 40% of average
household earnings to make the mortgage
payments on a median house (based on a
25 year mortgage with a 20% deposit at a
two-year fixed interest rate). Now it takes
nearly 60% of average household earnings to
pay the mortgage on a median house. That
makes it harder for first homebuyers to get the
deposit they need – which means developing
a regular savings habit is more important than
ever. Setting up an automatic payment to
your savings account to transfer money before
you even see it is one good way to help you
get into a regular savings habit.
If you’re saving for your first home, our
Home Ambition package can also be useful.
It provides help with creating and following
a realistic savings plan, a free ‘Streetwise
Homebuyer’ book, and other great features
that can help you get into a home faster.
If you don’t have a deposit but want to get into
a home anyway, you may be able to with the
help of parents or family members. There are
three innovative options designed for different
circumstances. Also, if you have a good
income and a strong budget surplus you may
be able to borrow up to 100% of the purchase
price. Eligibility criteria and conditions apply,
so talk to us to see if we can help you.
More information
For more information on the Police Home Loan
Package, our Home Ambition package, or our
low or no deposit options, call 0800 800 808.
Note: Our lending criteria, Home Ambition Criteria,
terms, conditions and fees apply. A copy of our
disclosure statement may be obtained through any
branch of The National Bank of New Zealand (part
of ANZ National Bank Limited). For borrowing over
80% of a property’s value, a Low Equity Premium
on a graduated scale will apply. This material is
provided as a complimentary service of The National
Bank. It is prepared based on information and sources
the Bank 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 entering into
any transactions. To the extent permitted by law. The
National Bank disclaims liability or responsbility to any
person for any direct or indirect loss or damage that
may result from any act or omission by any person in
relation to the material.
Medals to recognise service in Timor
Leste and the Solomon Islands
The Governor-General has approved two
new medals to recognise New Zealanders’
service in Timor-Leste and the Solomon
Islands.
Prime Minister, Helen Clark, said the
New Zealand General Service Medal
(NZGSM) (Timor-Leste) is to be awarded
to New Zealand Defence Force and New
Zealand Police personnel who have served
in Timor-Leste since 28 April 2006,
providing stability and security following
the outbreak of violence in April and May
of that year.
“The NZGSM (Timor-Leste) will be
awarded to more than 600 New Zealand
6
Defence Force and to 87 New Zealand
Police personnel. At the present time, over
170 New Zealand Defence Force personnel
and 23 New Zealand Police personnel are
deployed to Timor-Leste”, Ms Clark said.
First deployment
New Zealanders were first deployed to East
Timor in 1999. This service was recognised
with the award of The East Timor Medal.
The Governor-General has agreed that the
end date for eligibility for that medal will be
27 April 2006.
“New Zealanders currently serving in
Timor-Leste are on a different mission
and it is appropriate that this service
is recognised with a different medal”,
Minister of Defence, Phil Goff said.
Headquarters New Zealand Defence
Force will arrange for the presentation of
the NZGSM (Timor-Leste) and NZGSM
(Solomon Islands) to eligible currently
serving Defence and police personnel.
Eligible persons who have left the New
Zealand Defence Force or the New
Zealand Police should apply in writing
to the Staff Officer Medals, The Medals
Office, Headquarters New Zealand
Defence Force, Private Bag 905, Upper
Hutt.
Mark Leys takes
on well-earned
retirement
Retiring Region 2 Director Mark Leys was
farewelled on 13 December at a dinner
in Manurewa attended by 40 Police
Association stalwarts.
Last month Mark retired after 32 years
service and 15 as Region Director.
Police Association President, Greg
O’Connor, and former Vice-President,
Richard Middleton, spoke of Mark’s
passion for providing members with the
best possible representation in times of
need and his commitment and dedication
to improving the lot of police officers and
their families.
Night shift
• Mark Leys (centre of photo and far end of table) enjoys some farewell drinks with Police
Association friends and colleagues in December upon his retirement.
Richard Middleton explained how Mark
managed to cover his territory during his
early days as Director. After knocking off
night shift on Monday mornings, Trevor
Mays picked him up and drove to Kaitaia
while Mark crawled into his sleeping
bag on the back seat. They would attend
appointments between Kaitaia and
Auckland during his RDO’s and return to
work for late shift on Thursday.
Greg O’Connor presented him with a
caractiture (every cartoonist’s dream
subject) and Local Committee Chairman
Spencer Matthews presented Mark and
his wife Anne with a picture of One Tree
Hill, a symbol of his “patch”. Mark’s
knowledge and experience will not be
lost on the Association as he pursues
projects on a part-time basis, between
many tramping trips he has planned in
NZ and Australia.
All who have had the pleasure of working
with Mark over the years wish him and
Anne a long and happy “retirement”.
• Recently retired Sergeant and Police Association Director, Mark Leys, is still keeping
busy despite hanging up his handcuffs. He was pictured recently in his new-found career.
He’s the jolly fellow in red.
Canada retreats from cannabis
decriminalisation legislation
Canada’s new Conservative Government
will scrap draft legislation, which would
have decriminalised the possession of small
amounts of marijuana, according to a report
from Reuters.
The legislation, drawn up by the previous
Liberal Government, alarmed police officials
in Canada and the USA, who said it would
encourage an already booming cannabis
trade.
The Liberal Party lost the election last
January, relinquishing 12 years in power.
The new government has promised a crack
down on crime.
Under the former government’s Bill, people
found with small amounts of marijuana
would have been fined but would not have
received a criminal record.
Canadian police say that judges often hand
down lenient sentences to people found
guilty of running ‘grow’ operations.
Canada’s illegal pot industry is estimated to
be worth C$10 billion (NZ$12.63 billion) a
year. British Columbia is the main exporter
of marijuana, where organised criminal
enterprises export potent marijuana, known
as BC Bud, to the United States.
Sport:
Rotorua
quadrathon
cancelled
The Rotorua Police Association annual
quadrathon is taking a break in 2008 due to
logging in the area in which the quadrathon
usually takes place.
Access to the biking and running tracks has
been prevented.
An alternative route for the event is not
currently available, but organisers say that they
are hopeful that the event will be able to be
held next year.
7
PoliceNews
The Voice of Police
New Police Code of Conduct
took effect 1 February
The new Code of Conduct, applying to all members of Police, and
also contractors and the like, has been introduced and is effective
from 1 February 2008. Police Association CEO Chris Pentecost
explains.
The 2006 Collective Agreements included a
provision for a joint arrangement for managing
the development and implementation of a
Code of Conduct to enable more flexible
management of employment related issues.
The work done to develop this Code of
Conduct is consistent with that provision.
Subsequently, the introduction of a Code of
Conduct was one of the recommendations of
the recent Bazley Commission of Inquiry.
Association involvement
The Association has been fully involved in
the development of the Code of Conduct,
the new disciplinary processes (in diagram
form on the adjacent page) and the revised
Police Regulations necessary to allow the
implementation of the new Code. We are
satisfied they reflect modern employment
principles, natural justice, fairness and equity.
We have also had input into supporting
material such as the Employee Guide to the
Code which is available on the Police Intranet.
Members have also had an opportunity to
make submissions on the content of the Code.
performance issues and misconduct, short of
misconduct that could result in a member’s
dismissal. This progressive disciplinary
process, which reflects current employment
law processes and procedures, provides for
performance improvement plans, counselling
and warnings and (for sworn staff) replaces
the current adverse reports and reprimands.
One key point with this process is it allows
less serious matters, and specifically those
for which dismissal is not contemplated, to be
dealt with in a timely manner and minimise
periods of stand-down and suspension.
Under the Code and agreed processes, the
first decision point is whether a matter is
criminal or not. If it is criminal, and unless
the employee agrees otherwise, the
criminal process must be completed before
employment consequences are considered.
Where criminal offending is alleged and
charges are laid, the matter will normally
proceed to a hearing. At the conclusion of the
hearing, a second decision will then be made
as to whether the behaviour, which gave rise
to the charge(s), could be considered a breach
of the Code.
For actions considered as possible serious
misconduct (or for repeated less serious
misconduct and for which a member has
received a final written warning) and where
dismissal is a possibility, a formal disciplinary
hearing will be held before a member (or
members) of a panel specifically appointed
by the Commissioner. The Commissioner
must consult the service organisations as to
these panel members. No member of Police,
sworn or non-sworn, can be dismissed
without such a hearing, thereby retaining the
equivalent of the tribunal for sworn members
and introducing this additional step in the
process for non-sworn staff. This hearing
will generally follow the procedures of an
Employment Relations Authority hearing,
inquiring into the facts of an allegation and
reporting the outcome of the inquiry to the
Commissioner. No recommendation as to
penalty will be made, as this is a decision for
the Commissioner, as employer, to make.
The Commissioner must then first advise
a preliminary decision as to penalty. The
member will then have an opportunity to make
submissions on the proposed penalty before
the Commissioner makes the final decision
whether to dismiss or impose an alternative
sanction.
Progressive approach
Other recourse
The new Code of Conduct, and revised
Police Regulations, essentially introduces a
progressive disciplinary process for alleged
Where an employee wishes to challenge any
decision as to penalty or outcome he or she
has recourse to the Employment Relations
The new Code replaces the current Code of
Conduct pertaining to non-sworn staff. It also
replaces the current criminal type inquiry and
disciplinary process used for sworn staff.
8
Authority and/or the Employment Court. Also,
where an employee believes he or she has
been treated unjustly during the disciplinary
process, he/she has the right to bring a
personal grievance against Police.
The new Code of Conduct was distributed
with the Personnel News on 18 January, the
aim of which was to supply all members with
a copy of the new regulations. In conjunction
with this, Police are asking members to sign
an acknowledgement that they have received
a personal copy of the Code of Conduct, they
have read and understand the Code and that
they may be subject to disciplinary procedures
for breaches of the Code.
The Association believes the Code is not an
unreasonable document and the associated
disciplinary processes, reflecting general
employment principles, are fair and equitable
and provide good protections for members.
Accordingly we believe members, having had
the opportunity to have the Code explained
to them and when satisfied they understand
their obligations under the Code, can sign
the acknowledgement. Members are also
referred to the Employee Guide to the Code
of Conduct, available on the Police Intranet.
Any questions you have on the Code and
its application should be raised with Police
HR or supervisors. We emphasise members
should not sign the acknowledgement until
all their questions or reservations have been
addressed.
No compulsion
In strict legal terms we remain of the view that
Police cannot require or compel an existing
employee to sign the acknowledgement
(although they can make the Code a condition
of employment for new employees). Nor do
we believe Police can penalise an employee,
such as withholding their CSI, merely
because the employee has refused to sign
the acknowledgement. However, it is also our
view that given the content of the Code is not
unreasonable or unduly harsh. The level of
consultation, with employees and the service
organisations, that has occurred with the
development of the Code and the disciplinary
processes, means Police can, as employer,
rely on the Code to discipline a member who
has not signed the acknowledgement, as
long as Police can demonstrate they have
distributed the Code to the member and
given them a reasonable opportunity to have
any questions or concerns about the Code
addressed.
Members need to note there will always be
“grey” areas associated with actions and
behaviors, and consequently whether the
Code has been breached. No doubt at the
initial stages there will be numerous instances
where the Code will be need to be legally
tested. The Association is well resourced to
assist members as these “grey” areas are
identified and progressively resolved. If it
is alleged you have breached the Code you
should first seek advice from your relevant
Field Officer or the Association National Office
before responding.
Code Disciplinary Process
Complaint/Performance Issue
Criminal
Breach of CoC
Investigation
Misconduct/
Performance
Investigation
No
Employment
Trial
Counselling, Performance
Improvement Plan
Not Guilty
Warning(s)
Dismissable
Guilty
Subscriptions were last increased in January
2006. This increase is necessary to meet
cost increases, especially those associated
with increased staffing, including new Field
Officers and legal staff at National Office.
While it is appreciated that this is the second
increase in two years, overall the Association
has managed to keep subscription increases
to a minimum and since 1996 increases
have been under 20%. A comparison to the
subscriptions of other service organisations,
especially for specialised groups, confirms
that these increases in subscriptions are
very competitive.
New fortnightly fees
Effective from the pay of 20 February
2008 the new fees are as follows:
Members
New fees
Previous fees
Sworn – fulltime
$18.00
$17.30
Non-sworn – fulltime
$11.00
$10.50
Part-time subscriptions
Also from the pay of 20 February 2008
the part time subscription rates will be as
follows:
• For members working up to three days
or 24 hours each week, the subscription
will be based on 60% of the relevant
(sworn or non-sworn) fulltime rate.
Sworn rate
(was $10.40)
$10.80 per fortnight
Non-sworn rate $6.60
(was $6.30)
per
fortnight
• For members working more than three
days or 24 hours each week and less
than four days or 32 hours each week,
the subscription will be based on 80%
of the relevant (sworn or non sworn)
fulltime rate.
Sworn rate
(was $13.85)
Non-sworn rate $8.80
(was $8.40)
per
fortnight
• For members working four days or
32 hours or more each week the
subscription will be the relevant (sworn
or non-sworn) fulltime rate.
Sworn rate
(was $17.30)
Disciplinary Hearing
Finding of Fact
Commissioner
Penalty
Clothes befitting
a jail ‘bird’
Association subscriptions
set to rise in late February
Police Association subscription fees are
fixed “from time to time” by Conference.
Conference agreed in November to increase
subscriptions by 4.05% for sworn members
and 4.75% for non-sworn members.
Serious Misconduct/
Dismissable
Non-sworn rate $11.00 per fortnight
(was $10.50)
Members who are switching from fulltime
to part-time hours or vice versa, or are
changing their part time hours, are asked to
contact the Association Member Service
Centre on 0800 500 122 or 44446 on
the Police Network so they can be placed
on the relevant subscription rate.
The implementation date of the new
subscriptions, 20 February 2008, will allow
the new collective agreement adjustments
to be applied to members, and avoids
further complicating the Christmas and
New Year pay periods. The increases will be
automatically deducted through the Police
payroll system.
A British prison was broken into to deliver
a stockpile of lavish women’s clothes to a
transvestite inmate recently.
Everthorpe Prison officers found knickers,
lavish ball gowns and denim mini skirts in
the cell of a convicted burglar transvestite,
as well as mobile phones and a stockpile of
drugs, according to The Sun.
An accomplice on the outside made several
deliveries to the prison, using a ladder to
scale the 20ft perimeter wall.
“He’d walk across the yard with the ladder,
use it to bridge gaps, then climb up to the
cell window,” a prison insider said.
The deliveryman had pulled the window
bars apart with a crowbar and inserted a
dummy grille that could be easily removed.
It is believed that a CCTV camera monitoring
the area was either in a black spot or had
been disabled.
Everthorpe staff initiated a wide-scale
investigation that led to the identification of
transvestite prisoner involved.
Police who
received New
Year Honours
Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Robert Kenneth ABBOTT, of Auckland.
Inspector.
Graeme Russell CAIRNS, of Christchurch.
Superintendent.
Queen’s Service Medal
Hamish Craig BLANCH, of Nelson. Senior
Constable.
Gavin John Lewis LEONARD, of North
Shore. Senior Constable.
Michael John RAYNES, of Lower Hutt.
Senior Constable.
Michael James WHITEHEAD, of Cambridge.
Detective Senior Sergeant.
9
PoliceNews
The Voice of Police
Bequest led to
valuable work of
NZ Police Dog
Charitable Trust
By Steve Plowman, Editor, Police News
The New Zealand Police Dog Charitable
Trust was set up in 2006 to improve the
effectiveness of the New Zealand Police Dog
Section.
The trust came about after a bequest from
the late Shirley Ellwood, who died in
Brisbane in 2001.
Shirley Ellwood became a great admirer
of the work of the Police Dog Section after
working voluntarily for police in Rotorua
and Australia. The former nurse, fashion
designer, Canterbury lawn bowls rep and
NZ bowling umpire loved dogs and her
bequest continues the great work she did
for many community organisations.
• The Police Dog Charitable Trust has as one of its aims the improvement of breeding stock
such as these good looking eight-week-old pups
project and that the officer will be released
from normal duties to complete any travel
or project work. Applications should be
marked “Staff in confidence”.
The money in the trust has been set aside
to improve police dog bloodlines, acquire
and train suitable dogs and provide training
for their handlers. While consideration may
be given for grants of up to NZ$10,000 the
average is between $4,000 and $6,000.
Grants are only available to members of
Police who are members of the dog section.
A grant may provide part of the cost for
a project/fellowship with the remainder
of the cost being met by the member’s
Police district. Projects must align with the
purpose and objectives of the trust, and
with the New Zealand Police Dog Section
Strategy.
• The Trust Fund is only to be applied for
or in connection with charitable purposes
within or for the benefit of New Zealand;
• Projects are subject to Police policy,
procedures and financial management
practice, and Inland Revenue Department requirements regarding the
charitable status of the trust;
• Projects must be carried out in the
year directed by the trustees and this is
normally the year commencing 1 July
that the project was approved;
• Recipients must submit a full report on
their project within two months of the
completion of the project;
• Recipients may be required to present
their findings in person to any forum as
directed by the trustees; and
• The decision of the trustees is final.
Grants
Applications
Grants are subject to any conditions the
Trustees may consider necessary including
the following:
Applications must be endorsed by the
applicant’s supervisor or O/C of their
dog section and indicate support for the
Further information and application forms
are available from:
The Secretariat,
NZ Police Dog Charitable Trust, Box
47-076, Trentham, Upper Hutt.
Improvements
Applicants must nominate two referees.
Applicants should also discuss their
application with the nominated referees so
that the trustees are able to have informed
discussion with them when making the
referee check. The Trustees will make
direct contact with the referees and will
conduct referee checks similar to the Police
appointments process. The trustees will
also consider whether the project and the
applicant will reflect well on Police and the
trust.
Fax or Emailed material will not be
accepted. The trustees require original,
signed documents.
• SOPHIE’S STORY IN INDONESIA: Detective Senior
Sergeant John Brunton and Detective Sergeant Nick
McLeay recently ran a clan lab course in Indonesia
for police officers and chemists from the Philippines,
Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. During the
course the New Zealand detectives used the Police
Association-sponsored “Sophie’s Story” video, about
a young woman’s experience of seeing her brother
descend into P addiction, as a learning aid. John
Brunton, Manager, National Clandestine Laboratory
Team, said the video was “well received and created a
lot of interest and discussion”.
10
• Many Police staff around the country
got into the spirit of Movember
and raised awareness and money
for prostate cancer research last
November. Equally, at the end of
November there were many spouses
who were glad to see “the fuzz” come
off the generous fundraisers too.
The poster (at left) is of one of the
Movember brigade, Constable Adam
Quigley, also known as 'FONZIE' or
'QUIGILICIOUS' from The North
Shore Policing Centre, North Shore
City. It was produced by a designsavvy colleague of his.
6th Rodgers Wing celebrates 50 years
Recruits from the 6th Rodgers Wing
celebrated 50 years since they graduated
from the Trentham Military Camp in 1957
by reuniting with wing mates and revisiting
some old memories.
Held during Labour Weekend, the reunion
was organised by Pam Sowter, the first
policewoman in New Zealand to top a
recruit wing of 92 men and eight women.
recruits who had passed on. Ex-Inspector
Roger Winter, read apologies.
On Saturday morning, Recruit Nigel Allen
conducted a tour of the Police College and
its facilities, with most of the old Wing
members left highly impressed by the instant
fingerprint machine. The tour was followed
by a trip through the Police Museum, and
down memory lane - many of those present
recognising their old uniforms, motorbikes,
cell conditions and weapons.
Members of the 6th Rodgers Wing present
would like to thank the College for their
hospitality.
A dinner was held at the Police College in
Porirua on the Friday night and Deputy
Commissioner Maurice Cummings, featured
as the guest speaker. Master of Ceremonies
for the evening was ex-Superintendent
Mick Tarling, who welcomed those present
and made special mention of Dick Manning
and John Crane, who had traveled from the
far North and Dunedin respectively.
Mr Tarling asked for a few minutes silence,
after reading a long list of 6th Rodgers Wing
• Members of the 6th Rodgers Wing during their reunion held over Labour weekend.
11
PoliceNews
The Voice of Police
They lurk in your neighbourhood in the wee small hours of the morning, usually on a walking route home. Armed with spray
cans, they will ‘mark’ out their territory with their scrawls like mongrel dogs urinating against your fence, before they slink
off into the night. These particular ‘dogs of the night’ are taggers and graffitists and they cost businesses, councils and
homeowners millions of dollars a year.
They often return to the scene of the crime and their handiwork attracts other taggers, intent on leaving their mark to
indicate imagined territorial rights and of course, notoriety amongst their peers.
Property owners – especially in places like South Auckland, where the council spends $30,000 a month on a virtual war on
tagging – are threatening to take the law into their own hands. In response some taggers are now armed.
The frustration felt by the property owners is palpable. They say councils and Police have lost the ability to deal with
the problem, leading to a siege mentality where the property owners feel compelled to act themselves. The chances of
someone being seriously injured in the process are becoming very real indeed.
Police Youth Aid officers are the first to admit that the problem of reoffending is widespread and that many young people
engaged in tagging and grafitti are too young to feel the full force of the law. Penalties are generally so light as to be
ineffectual.
Due to technological innovations there is now a whole new spectrum of graffiti from desktop-graffiti (school) to toiletgraffiti (latrinalia), tourists-graffiti (proskynemata) to American graffiti (spraycans!) and their derivates: on stickers, modern
(multicolour) stencils, Internet-graffiti, telex and teletype-graffiti (and related forms, engravings and scratchings (a revenge
method instituted by taggers due to spray can sales bans) on all possible surfaces one could imagine.
In this series of articles Police News reporter and Communications Assistant, BEX SHANNON examines the world of tagging.
Fame the motive for tagging
Whether lauded as artists or
frowned upon as vandals,
taggers share one common
goal: to achieve fame and
notoriety through their scribbles.
They tag houses, walls and vehicles, and even
go so low as to vandalise schools, churches
and maraes. A blank space to a tagger is like
candy to a baby, and the more tags that appear
12
on that one blank space, the greater the public
perception that the area is no longer safe. So
they tag more frequently, in more obscure
places, higher, lower, bigger, and bolder,
claiming territory, infamy, and developing a
blatant disregard for others’ property.
Being ‘cool’
“They want to be ‘cool with the boys’ and
there is peer pressure to out-do each other in
quantity and daring locations of tags,” Theo
Gommans, Wellington’s Eastern Suburbs
community constable told Police News.
Most taggers are male, aged 14 to 16 years
and are still at school. They often work alone
or in groups of two or three, between the hours
of 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. Constable Gommans
believes that kids tag to achieve celebrity status
amongst their peers and local community.
“They’re doing it because it’s a game to
them…they just don’t realise the damage that
they’re doing and the consequences,” he said.
Where it all began
Graffiti or ‘tagging’ first took off in New York
during the 1960-70s in the form of gang
territory markings and political statements. One
of the first ‘writers’ to come into prominence
was ‘Taki 183’, a delivery messenger, who
left his tag wherever he made a delivery. He
subsequently featured in numerous magazines
and newspapers and was lauded as a celebrity,
spurring thousands of New York youth to follow
suit.
Constable Gommans said that while tagging
can be highly offensive and causes a significant
amount of damage, he doubts whether it leads
offenders into a lifetime of crime.
names are not up there therefore it frustrates
them. There’s other things we can do, like
get rid of fences, grow plant coverage, put in
security cameras etc,” he said.
The word “graffiti” derives from the Greek word
“graphein”, which means ‘to write’.
“I wouldn’t go as far as to say that tagging
leads to career criminals, because it’s a
different mindset for them,” he said.
Preventative measures
‘Graffiti’ encompasses all types of street
drawing, while a ‘tag’ is simply a person’s
name or ‘tag’ that can be written up quickly
and with ease, ensuring minimum risk of
getting caught. Tagging is the most prominent
form of graffiti found in New Zealand, and was
popularised here in the late 1980s through rap
music, television and video games.
Notoriety
To this day, graffitists such as Britain’s Banksy
are lauded as artistic heroes, commanding
thousands of dollars for a single canvas of
work. However, while some harness their talent
in the form of art, most simply scrawl their tags
wherever there is an available blank space.
Not long ago, Constable Gommans could boast
that he had reduced tagging by 50% in some
of the hardest hit suburbs in Wellington –
Newtown, Kilbirnie and Island Bay. But tagging
is on the increase again, due to a lack of time
and resources available to effectively police
Wellington’s graffiti problem.
Punishment
As punishment for their wrongdoing, Mr
Gommans accompanies offenders while they
personally apologise to their victims for the
mess they left behind. He then spends a full
day supervising them as they paint over their
own and others’ graffiti - a job that is loathed
by all.
“I spend time talking to them saying ‘come
on guys this could ruin your lives. A criminal
record could mean x, y and z’.”
Wellington City Council, with the aid of
Constable Gommans, has developed and
implemented a new and unique, albeit simple,
way of catching culprits.
Informants
“My new plan of attack is basically to start
getting the kids to turn each other in. The
Wellington City Council is offering a hundred
bucks for the names of each tagger,” Mr
Gommans said.
“What we did is put a couple of articles in the
paper and went around to a couple of high
schools and put up posters saying ‘if you know
the name of this tagger you get $100 reward
and your name will be kept confidential’. So I
started getting knocks on the door, and in two
weeks we’ve nabbed two really big offenders
and I’ve got a couple of leads on some others.”
Gateway to crime?
Contrary to Constable Gommans’ view,
Manukau Community Constable Ian Pengelly
believes that tagging is a gateway to more
serious crimes and disorderly behaviour.
“You’ve got kids who are going to start looking
at stealing their spray cans, then they get into
other stuff like alcohol and drugs. They’re
mixing then with other kids, and heading into
more serious crimes,” he said.
He believes there are many reasons why youths
turn to tagging.
“In my experience they are usually male aged
“To a certain extent it’s
not a police problem, let’s
be honest about it, it’s a
community problem. The
taggers are someone’s child
and a lot of these parents
have a rough idea that their
kids are doing it,” he said.
- Manukau Community Constable
Ian Pengelly.
14 to 19. It doesn’t matter what culture they
come from, or their religious or socio-economic
background. Everyone seems to think it’s the
little bad boy from down the road, but in my
experience it’s all the local rich kids,” he said.
Nuisance
“There’s a lot of reasons: to annoy others,
particularly adults, to gain recognition, fame or
notoriety, boredom, some of them say they’re
addicted to it because it’s illegal, therefore
they’re doing something bad. But most of them
do it to be famous, so they’re sticking their
tag in as many places as they can to say to
everyone that’s me.”
While tagging is illegal and the responsibility
of Police, Constable Pengelly feels the
public needs to take a significant amount of
responsibility.
“To a certain extent it’s not a Police problem,
let’s be honest about it, it’s a community
problem. The taggers are someone’s child and
a lot of these parents have a rough idea that
their kids are doing it,” he said.
“If you paint out tagging within 24-hours, their
New Zealand’s graffiti problem has given
birth to a range of initiatives to deter and
prevent taggers from leaving their unsavoury
scrawls. Water walls, murals, poster billboards,
specialised wall paint, video cameras, and
immediate paint coverage to name a few.
An embattled Papakura dairy owner erected a
$3,000 electric fence around the outside of his
dairy recently, with the aim of shocking taggers
out of their habit. The man told stuff.co.nz that
the fence was the only way of stopping vandals
from wrecking his property, after other methods
had been tried and failed.
Tony Bicknell’s wet wall system is another
popular anti-tagging alternative. The invention
uses sprinklers and security lights to deter
taggers. Sensors trigger walls of water that
wash away paint in seconds. The system costs
around $300 per metre.
Wellington property owner, Stanley Nobel,
said an exposed side wall of his Cuba Street
property was consistently targeted by taggers
until one of his tenants suggested leasing it out
to a billboard company. Mr Nobel had painted
over graffiti on several occasions and jumped
at the chance for a more effective graffitideterrent.
The site has been leased to Phantom
Billstickers for the past two years, and Mr Nobel
said he is very pleased with the outcome. The
company pays around $1.80 per square metre
of leased site, and leases approximately 300
sites nationwide, displaying advertisements for
local cultural events.
“They [billboards] have been very effective. That
one side of the building was terrible before we
put the billboards up. Some of the previous
tenants had painted over the graffiti and it just
came straight back,” Mr Nobel said.
Mr Nobel said he thought local government and
Police were keeping on top of New Zealand’s
graffiti problem relatively well, as he had just
travelled through Europe and was appalled with
the extent of graffiti there.
“It’s a hundred times worse over there, all
up the side of beautiful old cathedrals and
buildings,” Mr Nobel said.
“I think that unless you catch them and give
them a hundred lashes, there is really nothing
much people can do. Unless there are patrols at
night, but then that would be quite impossible,”
he said.
13
PoliceNews
The Voice of Police
• A Phantom Billstickers poster billboard erected on a fence to
prevent further graffiti attacks.
• Graffiti covers the doorway of a business.
• Tagging by ‘Konz’ a notorious graffiti nuisance in the Newtown
and Island Bay suburbs of Wellington.
Manukau leads fight against graffiti
Graffiti is a plague on the streets and
communities of New Zealand, costing millions
of dollars in annual clean-up costs, and
causing enormous emotional damage, but
Manukau City Council hopes its new Control of
Graffiti Bill will help to keep local streets free
of the spray-paint epidemic.
The council is hoping the Bill will pass into law
this year.
Police News estimates that graffiti costs the
country upwards of $15 million each year. In
the 2007 financial year, Manukau City Council
alone spent more than $1 million on its
multi-faceted Graffiti Management Strategy.
Each month the council’s graffiti eradication
agency, the Manukau Beautification Trust,
removes 3,000 to 5,000 graffiti marks from
locations all over the city, in an attempt to
tackle a continually growing problem.
As New Zealand’s third largest city, Manukau
has a population of around 330,000, with
about 41% of residents aged under-24.
According to the 2005 survey, ‘Quality of Life
14
in New Zealand’s Eight Largest Cities’, just
48% of residents felt a sense of pride in the
way their city looks and feels. More than 70%
perceived graffiti to be a problem in their
city, compared with just 22% of residents in
Dunedin. Some councilors believe that graffiti
could be a big General Election issue in South
Auckland.
Zero-tolerance
The council, in response to the outcome of
the Quality of Life survey, continual public
complaints, and surging clean-up costs, has
implemented a zero-tolerance approach to
graffiti.
“We used to only clean graffiti from public or
council-owned properties. But now we have
expanded to residential property as long as it
is visible on the street front. We add all tags to
our council database for future reference,” a
Manukau City Council spokesperson said.
Graffiti is painted over within 24-hours of
being reported. The council runs extensive
education and city beautification programs,
and works closely with different agencies and
communities to achieve better outcomes. It
recently hired private investigators to help
identify and apprehend taggers, following a
successful enforcement model implemented
by Auckland City Council.
However, the council spokesperson said
that preventative initiatives could not work
successfully without the support of legislation.
The council is now promoting a local Control
of Graffiti Bill, after years spent lobbying
central government failed to result in any
legislative changes. The Bill was introduced to
Parliament in late 2005 and passed its second
reading in June 2007 by 108 votes to 10.
Spray cans are used in 95% of graffiti in
Manukau City. The Bill seeks to regulate the
display and sale of spray paint, and creates
offences of marking graffiti and carrying a
graffiti implement. It also provides the Council
with the power to remove graffiti, penalising
graffiti offenders and providing the police with
power to request information and arrest an
offender.
“If you look at crime prevention theory,
the first basic step is really to control and
minimise the accessibility to those kinds
of graffiti instruments. Also, we want to
provide harsher penalties to make them more
deterrent,” the Council spokesperson said.
Manukau, Papakura and Franklin Councils
are part of the Auckland Region Graffiti Forum
(ARGF), which is facilitated by the Police and
Territorial Local Authorities’ Mayoral Forum
(TLAMF). The objective of the ARGF is to share
information and expertise regarding graffiti
eradication, while exploring opportunities for
collaboration to better control graffiti. The
Forum’s aim is to have Auckland graffiti-free
by 2012.
Police involvement
Counties-Manukau Community Constable,
Ian Pengelly, is heavily involved with the
forum and works closely with the councils
in the Counties-Manukau district. His role,
which involves keeping tabs on taggers and
assisting Police Area Commanders in dealing
with the local graffiti problem, emerged from
the ARGF along with a similar position created
for Auckland Central. Having just started in
September, Constable Pengelly is still coming
to grips with his new role.
“I’m trying to go out there to see who’s doing
what and what’s best practice. I don’t need
to reinvent the wheel, just keep it simple and
simply say ‘this is how we’re going to go
about it’ and try to get everyone on the same
page regarding graffiti,” he said.
Constable Pengelly believes people are
becoming less and less tolerant of graffiti, and
are fed up with seeing it everywhere.
let off. These guys are causing thousands of
dollars of damage. If you do tagging and you
don’t get caught for tagging, then there’s no
consequences so therefore they think, I‘ll go
the next step and do something bad because
I’m getting away with this.”
of retailers enforcing the voluntary ban.
Mr Pengelly, in partly supports the new
Control of Graffiti Bill developed by Manukau
City Council. He believes it will tighten up
availability of spray cans and will mean greater
consequences for offenders.
Serious issue
“The spray can is our biggest problem. It
creates the most damage. If you don’t have
a spray can you can’t spray something but
then again, why should everyone else be
penalised?” he said.
“We’re heading in the right direction with the
Bill, but pan Auckland would be better. Then
we’re all working on the same page where
graffiti is concerned.”
“I am certainly keen to see
practicable and effective
measures in place to curb
graffiti, like the Police-led
Auckland Graffiti Eradication
Programme. It is my intention
to support legislation that
will assist local councils
and community groups to
reduce and prevent the graffiti
defacing our neighbourhoods,”
Ms King said.
“The Beautification Trust charges $57.50 per
square metre to paint over. That can add up
to a lot of money and people sit there and say
‘well these kids get hit with a wet bus ticket’.
Wilful damage under the Summary Offences
Act is only three months in prison or a $2,000
fine,” he said.
Consequences
Constable Pengelly said that unless Police
and councils ensure there are significant
consequences for taggers, they will continue
to cause damage and may even get involved
in more serious crimes. An Auckland-wide
‘wipe-out’ scheme recently caught 480
taggers.
“I have heard of very prolific taggers being
Police Minister, Annette King, said that while
graffiti is a serious issue facing New Zealand,
and in particular Counties-Manukau, she is
unsure if she will support the Bill in its final
reading.
“It [graffiti] degrades neighbourhoods and
may encourage further tagging and additional
crime. It’s unsightly and expensive to clean
up and can create a sense of lawlessness and
fear of crime within communities,” she said.
“Because the Manukau City Council Control of
Graffiti Bill does not provide a solution for all of
New Zealand, I have not yet decided whether
it is the best legislative vehicle for achieving
this objective but I will certainly take all the
issues into consideration when it returns to the
House for its third reading.”
The Local Government and Environment Select
Committee recommended that the Bill not
proceed, preferring that a national initiative on
graffiti be developed in the next four years.
Voluntary ban
“I am certainly keen to see practicable and
effective measures in place to curb graffiti,
like the Police-led Auckland Graffiti Eradication
Programme. It is my intention to support
legislation that will assist local councils and
community groups to reduce and prevent the
graffiti defacing our neighbourhoods,” Ms King
said.
Porirua (near Wellington) implemented a
successful voluntary ban on the sale of spray
cans. A number of retailers have come on
board and agreed to restrict the sale of cans
to buyers under the age of 18.
Ministry of Justice Crime Prevention Unit
Director, Jeremy Wood, told Police News
the views of the Ministry are among those
represented in the Select Committee’s report
that recommends that the Bill not proceed.
Some shops lock cans away in cabinets,
or store them at the back of the shop, and
others have display cabinets that are visible
to counter staff. All participating shops have
staff on alert for shoplifters and signs detailing
the sale restriction. One major retailer has
a caution that flashes on the checkout
operator’s screen when a spray can is being
purchased, reminding the staff member to
check the buyer is over 18. This initiative
has been extended over the chain’s stores
nationwide.
He said a range of Government agencies are
currently working on a national strategy to
address New Zealand’s graffiti issue.
- Police Minister Annette King.
“Tolerance has dropped big time. You talk to
anyone and everyone hates it. Graffiti affects
everyone, mainly because it’s so visible. Either
it’s on your fence or on your neighbour’s
fence, or in your neighbourhood,” he said.
“It is too early to tell just how effective the
ban has been, but the amount of tagging in
the city centre has certainly dropped. We just
have to think, what would it be like without it
[the ban],” he said.
Police Area Commander, Inspector John
Spence, said he was pleased with the number
“An announcement regarding this strategy is
expected early this year. In the meantime, the
Ministry of Justice has been working with local
government agencies to manage graffiti,” he
said.
In August last year, Local Government New
Zealand, with support from the Ministry of
Justice, produced a guide entitled “Beat
Graffiti Know How Guide”, which provides
councils with strategies and tools to assist
15
PoliceNews
The Voice of Police
them to develop a local response to graffiti
problems within their communities.
praise, and Manukau City Council, along with
its residents, has done just that,” he said.
Mr Wood said the Ministry also runs
workshops and training days with its
community partners to share information
about graffiti eradication initiatives.
Like Constable Pengelly, Mr O’Connor
believes that taggers should face “meaningful
consequences” for their offending, if they are
to be stopped in their tracks.
Praise deserved
“They know they won’t go to jail for their
offending, so we need to create meaningful
consequences for their actions, like taking
away the things that they prize. A good hard
day’s work cleaning up their own mess might
help offenders to appreciate the frustration of
their victims, and the emotional and physical
stress caused by their attention-seeking
behaviour,” he said.
Police Association President, Greg O’Connor,
said that while the Manukau City Council Bill
may not be applicable to the whole of New
Zealand, Manukau should be praised for
trying to improve its graffiti situation.
“Any motivated effort towards improving a
community deserves a significant amount of
Another form
of deterrent
About a year ago, some Wellington flatmates
who rented an upstairs flat in Upper Cuba
Street, were constantly plagued by taggers
‘signing’ their front door - until they hit upon a
novel deterrent – hit back.
They painted their front door, which opened
onto the street, bright pink and placed a sign
in the middle of the door saying: “All taggers
have small penises.”
Perhaps the psychology of shame and
embarrassment could be the way of the future
as the door has never been tagged since.
Mixed opinions
A blog featured on www.texture.co.nz,
reveals New Zealanders’ mixed views on
graffiti:
• “Well my neighborhood is a complete
mess thanks to the Baby Gangstah
Bitches’. Real nice stuff all over the bus
stops and various fences…personally
I’d love to put my number eight right
up someone’s you know what,” Mark E
said.
• “Seems to me that tagging is always
a disaster, a bit like lifting your leg.
Graffiti - where some sort of effort has
been put in – and, as you say, the
location has been considered - is much
different,” Rob said.
• “Iain Sinclair (one of the great
contemporary flâneurs) writes about some
of the graffiti in Hackney, and what seem
to the uninitiated like random ugly scrawls
is actually political graffiti marking out
the territories and ideological disputes
between rival Kurdish factions: learning
to read them helps map out the hidden
cultural and political landscape of the city.
Perhaps if we were able to read tags,
we'd actually be closer to being able to
communicate with some of the youth
subcultures that are otherwise invisible to
mainstream society,” Tom said.
• “Some low life has tagged the beautiful
newish sculpture outside the MFC on
Wakefield St. Every day I look out my
This column is written by a frontline
police officer. It does not represent
the views or policies of the Police
Association.
The good
and bad
Wow what weather!
I was fortunate enough to get a great break away and visit me mates up in
the Isle of North over the festive season. Thanks to me team mates down
in the great Southern Isle for allowing me to spend some quality time with
the family. I’m happy to report that I am relaxed and bronzed and ready for
another fab year in blue.
Only down side over Christmas was the bloomin’ road toll. It was up at
unacceptable levels but I finally see we are getting some commonsense
thinking and are going to hit the speedsters where it hurts most, which of
course is taking the ‘holy licence’ off those people who just don’t learn time
after time after time, or should I say ticket after ticket after ticket. Mind you,
from what I’m hearing from the honey pilers in the Beehive we don’t bother
following through with the process of keeping the roads safe by doing what
needs to be done. Bureaucrats!
Nincompoops
And not too much further up the road we have more idiots who should have
had a dose of commonsense dropped into their Santa sacks rather than
staring at a little screen each day and talking trash. I mean what sort of idiot
16
window at work and admire that
sculpture, and offer my silent thanks to
the City Council for giving me so many
beautiful things to look at and touch in
this city. But now that divine piece of
work has been besmirched by some
dirty frickin dirt bag and tagged with
some unreadable piece of shite. God it
gets on my wick,” Rugbygirl said.
• “It’s just a way of expressing their
feelings and claiming their territory - oh
and it’s a form of art. You people don’t
know anything on tagging, graffiti, or the
history. We know it’s the wrong thing to
do, but we don’t see you doing anything
about,” I’m Cool said.
(is idiot a gender neutral word?) directs an audit into our staff for checking
one of this country’s most sought after men, who had committed heinous
offences in God’s Own and was WANTED off the streets immediately. An all
points bulletin if ever I’ve heard one. That was a decision that could be only
made in an ivory tower.
My bully also suggests that the Dark Lord and Lady, in said tower, have
been preaching to our HR staff that our staff should not be checking baddies
without just cause that is explainable and auditable! What a crock! Firstly,
this is the first I have heard of such a threshold of ‘good cause’ to use one of
our most powerful intel tools (God bless the NIA inventor). Secondly, even our
competencies talk about a good copper’s ‘gut instinct’ and how this should
be utilised, particularly on the frontline.
Watch out for those paper cuts you lot and be particularly careful of the letter
openers as I wouldn’t (and plenty of others I’m sure) want you to take any
risks whatsoever in a world and environment where we depend on decision
makers making the difference between a safe community and one that is left
to its own accord.
A big year
An election and a pay round all in the same year! She’s gonna be a bewdy,
however you look at it! The Association and Aunty Helen (Oh and Uncle
Michael) looked after us pretty well a couple of years ago. Hopefully, with all
the excellent work being done up and down the Island, and also internationally,
we can look forward to a fair reward in an ever increasingly complex job. Let’s
hope the Broad Sword gets behind his team on this one, as on my salary the
increase in petrol, rates and all those other costs of living is making it hard.
See Ya!
Annual Conference resolutions
25-27 October 2007
These resolutions do not include the administrative resolutions contained within Agenda items 2-12 and 14-15.
Association Subscriptions
MOVED Mr Cornell seconded Mr Logan that the
Association subscriptions for full-time sworn members
be increased to $18.00 per fortnight and full-time nonsworn members be increased to $11.00 per fortnight
as per the recommendation put forward by the Chief
Executive. Subscriptions for members working parttime to be amended accordingly.
CARRIED
MOVED Mr McCoy seconded Mr Smith that Spicers be
re-appointed as Auditors for the next financial year.
CARRIED
Election of President to 2010
MOVED Mr Cornell seconded Mr McFadyen that the
presidential candidates do not address conference as
they have already addressed regional meetings and the
ballot be conducted forthwith.
CARRIED
MOVED Mr Cornell seconded Mr McFadyen that the
Chairperson role while the Election is conducted be
handed over to Vice-President Stu Mills and that Peter
Hayes & Richard Middleton will be official scrutineers.
CARRIED
MOVED Mr Penny seconded Mr Pizzini that in
accordance with the Association Rules 35(d) that the
results of the ballot be declared.
Poll Vote 113 For / 101 Against
CARRIED
MOVED Mr Thompson seconded Mr Aberhart that
voting papers for the 2007 Election of President be
destroyed.
CARRIED
MOVED Mr Cornell seconded Mr Roycroft that the
voting papers for the 2007 Election of Vice-President
be destroyed.
CARRIED
National Data Base relating to disciplinary action
against our members
MOVED Mr Lucas seconded Mr Dow that National
Office starts a national database relating to disciplinary
action against our members. This database should
include circumstances of incident, name of association
representation, result and disciplinary action taken by
the police department.
CARRIED
Tenure of President and Vice-President
MOVED Mr Summerfield seconded Mr Russell that
the Tenure for President and Vice-Presidents will be no
more than three terms, providing that a Vice-President,
if elected to the President position may complete a
further three terms in that position, subject to provision
of Rule 44 (a) and (b).
LOST
Access to GSF Superannuation payments by nonsworn staff
MOVED Mr Summerfield seconded Mr Russell that
National Office pursue access to GSF Superannuation
payments for non-sworn staff subject to eligibility
criteria being met.
LOST
Urgent Action to reduce trial delays
MOVED Mr Pizzini seconded Mr Logan that Conference
instructs Association Head Office to take all reasonable
steps to lobby members of parliament and Ministers to
adequately fund and resource High & District Courts
around New Zealand and demand to know what
measures are put in place to ensure all trials are heard
within 12 months of arrest.
CARRIED
Renewed call to re-introduce blue helmets
MOVED Mr Pizzini seconded Mr Price that Conference
instruct Association management to write to the
Commissioner suggesting that he seriously considers
reintroducing the blue helmets as part of the uniform to
coincide with approval of the 250 dedicated community
constables and after surviving an unfortunate period in
our history.
CARRIED
Reintroduction of Little Blue Book
MOVED Mr Price seconded Mr Cuff that National
Office reintroduces the Little Blue Book incorporating
changes to the Code of Conduct.
CARRIED
Working party to review pay ratification system
MOVED Mr Humphries seconded Ms Penney that
a working party be formed by 30 November 2007
to review the pay ratification system with the view of
making a recommendation on appropriate options
to the Board of Directors by 31 March 2008. The
recommendation could be for change or status quo, as
long as it is researched and assessed properly.
CARRIED
Retirement of Region 1 & 2 Directors
MOVED Mr Pizzini seconded Mr Cornell with the
imminent retirement of Regions 1 & 2 Directors,
Sergeant’s Steve Hawkins and Mark Leys, this
Conference acknowledges and expresses our gratitude
to them both for their respective significant contribution
to the work of the NZPA and the wellbeing and welfare
of members and their families over the last 20+ years.
CARRIED
Drink driving offences
MOVED Mr Judd seconded Mr McCoy that Conference
directs National Office to vigorously pursue a change
to the current Police policy of terminating employment
of members convicted of drink driving offences, they
should not be automatically dismissed, each case
should be treated on its own merits.
CARRIED
Lowering blood alcohol level
MOVED Mr Price seconded Ms Penney that this
Conference instructs the National Office to survey
members on their view of lowering the blood alcohol
level.
Poll Vote 160 For / 59 Against.
CARRIED
Training
MOVED Mr Pizzini seconded Mr Logan that this
Conference condemns the performance of Police
in failing to adequately train staff on four recent
legislation changes in as many months, further, this
conference instructs Association management to write
to the Commissioner to express our dissatisfaction and
demand to know what measures will be put in place to
ensure that this situation does not occur again when
important new law is introduced.
CARRIED
GSF transfer
MOVED Mr Cuff seconded Mr Logan that this
Conference instructs the Association to, in light of the
approaching cut off date for GSF transfer, to endeavour
to communicate with affected members to ensure they
do not miss their cut off date without incurring any
legal and financial liabilities.
CARRIED
Tasers
MOVED Mr Doocey seconded Mr McCoy that this
Conference fully supports the introduction of Taser
as soon as possible and instructs National Office
to vigorously pursue every avenue to expedite the
introduction of Tasers.
CARRIED
Sentencing of recidivist offenders
MOVED Mr McFayden seconded Mr Lochrie that this
Conference notes the hard line stance taken by Judge
Tony Adeane in Napier, and supports the actions he
has taken against those who have been continually
abusing the justice system.
CARRIED
Constable assaulted 31 October 2007
MOVED Mr Logan seconded Mr Pizzini that that
Conference expresses our support for the Constable
and his family, who was assaulted in the execution of
his duty.
CARRIED
Safety footwear
MOVED Mr Price seconded Mr Pizzini that this
Conference acknowledges Doug Peach and Amanda
Craig for the excellent work they have done with
regards to the successful outcome of safety footwear for
frontline operational staff.
CARRIED
Police Code of Conduct
MOVED Mr Humphries seconded Mr Russell that
Conference recommends that the delegates endorse the
position taken by the Association to date and instruct
the continuation of work towards securing the fairest
outcome for members.
CARRIED
Payround 2008
MOVED Mr Price seconded Mr Russell that this
Conference notes pay round preparations to date and
endorses the strategy adopted by National Office.
CARRIED
GSF retirement & re-employment (lawford clause)
MOVED Mr Summerfield seconded Mr Cuff that this
Conference endorses work undertaken to date and
instruct National Office to finalise the proposal for
discussion with Police as soon as possible.
CARRIED
MOVED Mr Humphries seconded Mr Russell that
the Association prioritises this work cognisant of the
fact that the 31 July 2008 is the last opportunity for
members to transfer.
CARRIED
Trainings issues
MOVED Mr Humphries seconded Ms Penney that
this Conference condemn the increasing exemption
of sworn staff from nationally-mandated safety-related
training, because such exemptions place staff and
public safety at risk by failing to recognise the realities
of policing which can require any sworn member to
take immediate action to ensure staff or public safety.
That conference endorses National Office’s approach
to this issue to date and call on the Commissioner
to resource training section to meet current and
anticipated training needs without exemptions that
compromise staff and public safety.
CARRIED
Protection of member identity
MOVED Mr Cuff seconded Mr Lucas that this
Conference strongly supports the introduction of
legislation to protect the identity of police officers in
incidents involving lethal force and instructs National
Office to pursue this initiative.
CARRIED
Police Act Review
MOVED Mr McFayden seconded Mr Cuff that this
Conference endorses National Office to continue to
seek the best possible outcome for members through
the Select Committee process.
CARRIED
Police Act Review: Pay negotiation framework
MOVED Mr Utanga seconded Mr Hampton that this
Conference formally endorses National Office to
continue to pursue improved Final Offer Arbitration
criteria as the strategy most likely to consistently
achieve fair pay round outcomes.
CARRIED
DNA: Crime Investigators Elimination Database (CIED)
MOVED Mr Lochrie seconded Mr McCoy that this
Conference endorses National Office to negotiate
with Police to finalise the CIED policy and secure a
commitment to passage of suitable legislation to cement
those provisions.
CARRIED
Industrial Report
MOVED Mr Cornell seconded Mr Penny that
Conference receives the Industrial Report for the 2007
financial year.
CARRIED
PFA Report
MOVED Mr Utanga seconded Mr Penny that the PFA
Report for 2007 be received.
CARRIED
17
PoliceNews
The Voice of Police
Edge and Dave
Whyte receive
bravery awards
Police dog Edge and his handler, Senior
Constable Dave Whyte, have received
awards for their bravery during the arrest of
Graham Ashcroft.
In a presentation at the Hastings Police
Station recently, Edge received a citation
for bravery and perseverance, while Mr
Whyte received the Gold Merit Award for
outstanding work.
In June 2006, Edge was stabbed twice in the
side and chest while protecting Mr Whyte
as he tried to wrestle a knife from Ashcroft,
a Raupunga pig farmer. Ashcroft had fled
while on bail – but was later spotted on a
farm west of Hastings. Edge and Mr Whyte
were sent to the scene, where they tracked
Ashcroft through a field and dense pine
plantation, later finding him with a knife to
his throat.
Offender stabbed himself
As Mr Whyte tried to calm him, Mr Ashcroft
stabbed himself in the stomach and then
attempted to stab himself again in the chest.
Mr Whyte wrestled with Ashcroft to grab the
knife from him. Edge, trying to protect his
handler, was stabbed in the side and chest
during the struggle. Despite his injuries
Edge continued to protect Mr Whyte but
collapsed unconscious when the knife was
finally in his handler’s possession.
Edge was flown by rescue helicopter to a
vet in Havelock North and later to Massey
University’s vet teaching hospital in
Palmerston North.
• Police dog Edge and his handler Dave Whyte received awards for their bravery during the
arrest of Graham Ashcroft. A pig farmer who was on the run from police near Hastings,
Ashcroft stabbed himself twice before then stabbing Edge, seriously injuring the police dog.
- Photo courtesy of the Dominion Post
We remember…
AITKEN John Robert
TUHEGA Lang
GILROY Anne
WILLISON Ross Huia
Who passed away…
25-Nov-07
Retired member
Dunedin
1-Dec-07
Retired member
Auckland
5-Dec-07
Spouse of member
Christchurch
Retired member
Rotorua
14-Dec-07
MILDENHALL Peter Anthony
18-Dec-07
Retired member
Auckland
MALONE Maurice
23-Dec-07
Retired member
Wellington
McDONNELL Kenneth Ross
25-Dec-07
Retired member
New South Wales
HARRIS Robert Samuel
31-Dec-08
Retired member
Matamata
SYKES Kenneth George
4-Jan-08
Retired member
Whangaparoa
MACKLON Emily Christine
5-Jan-07
Resigned non-sworn
Hastings
MOORE Gail Patricia
6-Jan-08
Spouse of retired member
Hastings
Son of member
Christchurch
BARKER Zachary Allan
18
Edge lost more than half his blood from the
injuries, and following a long recuperation
process he recently returned to work.
Ashcroft received a five-year jail term,
including 18 months for stabbing Edge.
15-Jan-08
Bagging ‘sagging’
The fashion police are falling down on the
job, so it’s time to call in the real guns.
as cauldron-like, as the young officer soon
discovers that the Commissioner is not as
pearly white as his public image suggests
– downright corrupt even and not averse
to resorting to the type of mega violence
normally found in the underbelly of the
criminal fraternity.
Tracks to Exile
a good, light read
Tracks to Exile by Peter Williams.
Police officers in Pine Lawn, Missouri, a
mostly black community near St Louis,
are now charged with enforcing a ban on
trousers that ride low enough to expose
skin or underwear - a hip-hop style known
as ‘sagging’.
Peters finds himself on the end of some
serious retribution and soon realises that
he seemingly not only hasn’t a friend in the
world but that he is being set up on a drugs
rap by the Commissioner’s henchmen.
The story weaves through the subsequent
on-the-run experiences of Peters, who
possesses fine instincts about when to lay
low and who to trust.
Kids who get caught with their pants down
in Pine Lawn face a $100 fine; their parents
can be fined $500 and spend 90 days in jail,
according to a report carried recently by The
Chicago Tribune.
The book, which was published in 2006,
is a good, light, holiday read. Williams has
a good turn of phrase and displays a good
sense of the black humour well known in
the policing environment.
All over America, grown-ups have their
undies in a bundle about sagging.
Similar bans in other areas
Humour
Similar bans have been discussed in
Baltimore, Dallas, Atlanta and Wilmington,
Delaware. Baggy britches are outlawed in
towns all over Louisiana and Florida. The
Virginia General Assembly even tried to
pass a state law against sagging.
Sometimes called ‘jailing’, the trend
supposedly originated in prison, where
garments are loose and belts are forbidden.
That association is offensive to some people;
others just don’t want an unobstructed view
of someone’s underwear (or lack thereof).
The ordinances inevitably bring out folks
who are eager to defend one’s constitutional
right to display your underpants in public.
They say the laws are a form of racial
profiling because they single out a style
favoured by young black men - an argument
not nearly as goofy as Pine Lawn’s assertion
that exposed boxers are stunting economic
development.
Chapter titles such as “It’s been a hard
day’s night,” “Dancing Queens” and “Please
release me” give a clue to the quirky sense
of humour, which Williams brings to his
debut novel.
The author, Peter Williams, not be confused
with the prominent New Zealand Queen’s
Counsel of the same name, is an ex-NZ cop
(1975-87) who for 13 years jointly ran Perth
Investigations, a private investigation firm
before doing two years as a prison officer.
Reviewed by Steve Plowman.
When I started reading Peter Williams’
first novel I thought I’d mistakenly picked
up a Mills and Boon edition, such was the
raunchy nature of the opening stanzas. They
tend to take one by surprise when you find
yourself reading of the between-the-sheets
exploits of one Bill Peters (a play on the
author’s name), a former undercover agent
turned DPS officer, who is caught in flagrante
delicto with the Police Commissioner’s wife.
This is one of those books you can pick
up at your leisure to indulge in some light
escapism.
Tracks to Exile can be obtained by contacting
Catherine Ahuriri via the following Email
address: [email protected]
Dangerous liaisons
Williams has just completed a second novel,
Tracks of the Purple Camel, which is due for
publication soon and is already halfway
through his third book.
The discovery of their tryst by the
Commissioner, not surprisingly lands
Peters in hot water – well not so much hot
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Clues:
Across
1. Type of beer drunk in the summer (4)
3. Fifty consent together to be behind the wheels (8)
9. Earnest and also closest (7)
10. Written work (5)
11. The extra traffic lanes sang painless mixture
(7,5)
13. Stay (6)
15. Eaten at breakfast time (6)
17. A hundred alterations made after
disagreements (12)
20. Pick on. Annoy (5)
21. Hard drug (7)
22. Put someone on this and worship them? (8)
23. Pleads (4)
December answers
Across:
11. Sap
1. Morbid
12. Prod
4. Basics
13. Ate
8. Tight fisted
14. Ogre
10. Renders
17. Cut
18. Re-route
19. Secretaries
20. Elapse
21.Merger
Down
1. Plan something malicious? (8)
2. Burdens (5)
4. To age combines with power loss (6)
5. Types of treatment used to make
people healthier (12)
6. Crude and vulgar perhaps? (7)
7. Secret agents? (4)
8. Take immediate action without a
thought (12)
12. Hard workers get these? (8)
14. Type of duck (7)
16. Type of tree (6)
18. Type of fruit colour (5)
19. Pots reversed to discontinue (4)
Down
1. Motion picture
2. Rigor mortis
3. Intend
5. Attest
9
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
6. Steeplechaser
7. Directories
9. Disagreeing
15. Bricks
16. Curate
10
22
21
23
19
PoliceNews
The Voice of Police
the most planted red variety there, and it produces full-flavoured, luscious
wines that have good cellaring potential.
I’ve collected and tried a few examples of Malbec over the last six months.
Here are a few brief notes on those that I really enjoyed.
by Ricky Collins
The magic of Malbec
The number of wine varieties available on the
New Zealand market is growing significantly.
Malbec is a variety that has plenty to offer and is
worth checking out if you’re a red wine fan.
Malbec is perhaps best recognised as being
one of the five red grape varieties, alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,
Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that can be blended to produce French
Bordeaux. In Bordeaux, Malbec is often added in small quantities to their
blends as it adds colour, texture and complexity to a wine.
In Cahors, a wine growing region in the south west of France, Malbec must
make up at least 70% of their red wine blends. The wines there exhibit a
rustic charm, distinctive plum and blackberry flavours and also the deep
black colour that Malbec is renowned for.
Malbec also features outside of France. In New Zealand we tend to blend
it with Merlot and to a lesser degree, Cabernet Sauvignon. Malbec ripens
earlier than Cabernet, which suits our cooler climate. However, it is in
Argentina where Malbec has found its true New World home. It is now
February
March
The
2005
Brookfields
Ämarone Style Malbec RRP
$24 is not your usual wine.
The fruit has been dried
before being crushed, which
has intensified the flavours.
It’s an interesting wine that’s
well worth the asking price.
The 2004 Mills Reef Merlot Malbec RRP $22 is a good example of a
New Zealand Bordeaux varietal blend. The Malbec adds spice and gamey
characters to the lushness of the Merlot. From France, the 2005 Cedre
Heritage Cahors RRP $22 is a tight well-structured wine, with plum
and cherry aromas, plenty of tannins and a slight earthiness to it. It’s a
good entry-level example of wine from this relatively obscure French wine
region. The 2005 Chanarmuyo Estate Malbec RRP $20 from Argentina
is a surprisingly good wine for the price. It’s more New World in style
than European with alluring cherry and blackberry aromas and flavours,
significant oak treatment and smooth velvety tannins. Finally, for something
really special, try the 2004 Trapiche Vina Pedro Gonzalez Malbec RRP
$43. Everything about this wine is big, presumably made to match those
huge Argentinian steaks. Despite this it’s a very well balanced wine with
considerable complexity. You won’t be disappointed.
April
WAIHEKE ISLAND ........................... 8 ....................................................................20
PAIHIA............................................ .....................................................................16,31.......................................................................4,5
STANMORE BAY ............................. 24,25,26,27,28,29 .........................................2,4,5,6,10,13, 16-19,24,25,26,27,31 ......................1-3, 6-10,14-17, 21-23, 27, 29, 30
AUCKLAND .................................... 24 ..................................................................18............................................................................13
WHANGAMATA ......................................................................................................26, 30-31 ................................................................1-3, 7
MT MAUNGANUI ............................ 2,26-27 .........................................................10-11, 24-25,26,30,31 ............................................4,6,7-10, 13,14,16-17,18,27,29
OHOPE........................................... 2 ....................................................................9-10,19-20,30.........................................................1-3, 13-19
ROTORUA .............................................................................................................11,19-20,24-25,30-31 ............................................1-3, 6-10,14,17-18, 24
TAUPO ........................................... 12,26 .............................................................4,11-12,26,30 .........................................................1-3,7-10,20,28-30
TURANGI ........................................ 6,10-14,17-21,23-27 ....................................2-12,15-16,17-19,21-27,30-31 ..............................1-3,6-10,13-18,27-30
NAPIER .................................................................................................................10,12,17,25,30-31 ..................................................1,2,9,10,14-15,18
PARAPARAUMU .............................. 7,10-14,17-21 ...............................................4,13,20,24-25, ........................................................1-3,6,13-17,29
GREYTOWN.................................... 4-5,13,25,27-28 ............................................2,5-6,10-13,16-17,19-20,24-26,31, .......................1-3,7-10,20-24,27,30
WELLINGTON ................................. 25 ..................................................................3,5-7, 9, 11, 17,20, 24,30,31 ...................................1,6,7,17,30
NELSON................................................................................................................9,11,20....................................................................6-7,13-16,29-30
HANMER SPRINGS ......................... 24 ..................................................................20,24.......................................................................3,
CHRISTCHURCH ............................. 18-20,28 .......................................................13............................................................................1,2,18,30
TEKAPO ................................................................................................................3,4...........................................................................7,10
WANAKA ...............................................................................................................20,...........................................................................7-9,14-18
CROMWELL ..........................................................................................................26............................................................................1-2,10-11,14-17,21,22
QUEENSTOWN ............................... 6-10 ..............................................................24-25,26 .................................................................5-7
TE ANAU ........................................ 1-5,7-10,17,29 ..............................................8-10,15,17,19,31, ...................................................1-4,6-9,10-12, 17,19-24,27-29,
DUNEDIN ....................................... 10,26 .............................................................3,5-6,30, .................................................................7-10,15-17,30,
To make a booking - Call one of our Customer Services representatives on 0800-500-122 or Ext 4446 or log on at www.policeassn.org.nz and use your Member ID
and Login to make your own booking
20
POLICE COUNCIL OF SPORT
To contact the Police Council of Sport, call Alison Murray at the RNZPC. Ph: (04) 238-3139
Hawaii Ironman:
Jeff McGrath returns fantastic effort in
triathlon’s most gruelling one day event
It’s a long way from New Plymouth to Hawaii but Jeff McGrath traveled that
far in mid-October to compete, along with 1700 others, in one of the world’s
most gruelling races – the Hawaii Ironman World Championships.
The prestigious event is the ultimate dream for many triathletes and Jeff is no
exception. Undeterred from his mammoth debut attempt in 2005, Jeff was
back for a second go in the 2007 edition. The race is considered the toughest
one-day endurance event in the world – effectively the Holy Grail of triathlon.
Held on the Big Island of Hawaii, the event is based in the small town of Kona,
beneath the magnificent volcano Mauna Kea.
Major distances
The Ironman involves a 3.8km swim in the beautiful waters of Kailua Bay,
followed by a 180km cycle out and back to Hawaii on the Queen K highway,
and finishes with a marathon (42.1 kms) run.
The heat and wind are the two extra significant factors, which competitors
have to endure.
The race was the seventh Ironman event that Jeff has competed in and he was
among 47 other Kiwi hopefuls. Jeff competed in the very competitive 35-39
year age group, the largest division in the event, boasting 250 competitors.
The conditions on race day were calm but warm. Jeff took 1 hour 2 minutes
for the swim leg and had the unexpected bonus of having a green turtle
accompany him for a short while, which raised his spirits.
Wind
Once Jeff got into the bike leg, the temperatures started to rise again, as did
the legendary winds, and he admits rather ruefully, “that it was hard work”.
In a cruel twist of fate for the competitors, as they got to halfway on the bike
leg, the wind changed again for a third of the homeward journey, making life
difficult as competitors pushed on into a headwind. Jeff stuck to the task but
said he was “a little disappointed” to finish the bike leg in 5 hours and 17
minutes.
By now the temperature had reached 36 degrees – with the marathon to
come!
• Jeff McGrath finished the marathon in 3.02 to top off a great day
out at the Hawaii Ironman World Championships.
The heat was extreme and if anything accentuated by the fact that runners have
to contend with running on a course that takes in black hot mix tar roads.
Zealander home. The two Kiwis in front of him were the very accomplished
Greg Fraine and Joanna Lawn.
Storming finish
Over the moon
In the run, Jeff found his rhythm and was passing many other runners as
a result – so much so that he picked up 80 other competitors in the first 8
kilometres.
Jeff told Police News he was “thrilled” with his effort. Prior to the event he
had thought it might be his swansong in Ironman events but later he admitted
that there was “something so special about Hawaii” that it might just draw
him back again.
The marathon is where Jeff’s strength as a runner really came to the fore
and he finished strongly to record 3 hour 2 minutes – a time that many
marathoners would find extremely respectable on its own, without the
gruelling swim and bike legs preceding it.
Jeff’s superb day out gave him a total time of 9.29.42 placing him 110th
overall, with an age group placing of 21st out of 250 and the third New
Perhaps it may well be ‘never say never again’ for Jeff McGrath when his
body recovers from such a monumental effort.
Jeff said that he really appreciated the support of the Police Council of Sport
and was very appreciative of the support so many people gave him, especially
his “tolerant and supportive family”.
Visit www.policeassn.org.nz for updated contact details for the Police Council of Sport management committee,
District Sports Officers and the latest schedule of events.
21
Don’t confuse pretender Sportzbeat with
official Police sporting organisations
The Police Council of Sport is the largest
employee sports organisation in New Zealand.
It is funded through valuable sponsorship
from both the Police administration, the Police
Association and from membership fees.
The Police Council of Sport and the Police
Association have fielded many inquiries from
potential advertisers and police personnel as to
whether Sportzbeat is an official Police magazine.
It is not.
The Police Council of Sport does not receive
any funding or have any relationship with a
company called Sportzbeat.
Sportzbeat has a history of attempting to woo
moteliers, travel industry operators and other
businesses with vaguely worded Emails, which
could easily be suggestive of an association with
Police in an official capacity. Many advertisers
have told PCOS and the Association that they
have felt duped by Sportzbeat’s marketing hype.
Sportzbeat is known to be trying to extend its
advertising networks.
Sportzbeat is a publication company that sells
itself to advertisers through false claims of an
apparent close liaison with Police. It is often
stated to prospective clients that all Police
receive either their magazine or have immediate
access to their website.
If members of the public contact you with
questions regarding this company please
assure them that neither the Police, the Police
Association nor the Police Council of Sport have
any connection or relationship with Sportzbeat
magazine or the company’s website.
The Council in conjunction with Police are
dealing with issues regarding this company. If
you have any inquiries please contact Alison
Murray at [email protected] or on
(04) 238 3139.
Papanui takes
out South Island
Touch Tournament
Papanui stormed to victory in the Police
Association South Island Touch Tournament held
on late November.
North Canterbury Police hosted the competition,
which was held at the Woodend Rugby Club
grounds on an almost 30 degree Christchurch
day. Papanui 1 came out triumphant again this
year, with Dunedin runners-up, followed by New
Brighton – a direct mirror of last year’s trifecta.
Sixteen teams took part, including a very capable
Midgets’ team, comprising competitors’ children.
Police beat the Christchurch Fire Service 7-1 to
retain the Police-Fire Challenge Trophy.
Great spirit
Tournament organiser, Tony Maw, said everyone
enjoyed the event and the competition was played
in a great spirit.
“I was again pleased to have teams travel up from
Dunedin and Timaru. Hopefully, they will help
spread the word to tell others what a great family
day it is.
“As usual, I really appreciate the assistance from
the NZ Police Association and the Council of Sport
in sponsoring the tournament. Their support is
always tremendous,” he said.
The next South Island tournament will be held in
November 2008.
• The winning Papanui team: (Back row): Nick Brown, Dean Rutherford, Aden Cawley,
Rowan Wynen, Donavan Aitken, Paul Stevenson. (Front row): Jud Robbins, Blair Terrell,
Mike Kneebone, and Brian Archer.
Results:
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
Papanui 1 – Cup
Dunedin
New Brighton 1
The Last Resort (Chch CIB)
CHAOS
Southern
North Canterbury
Dogs
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
16th
New Brighton 2
Christchurch Fire
Timaru
Hornby
Papanui 2
Papanui 3
New Brighton 3
Midgets
Player of the Day:
Male:
Female:
Dave Murray
Michelle Judson
Personality of the Day:
Male:
Female:
Gary Donnelly
Leana Hoani
• Donny Aitken (right) receives his trophy from tournament organiser Tony Maw.
22
NI Police Lawn
Bowls Champs
revived after
six year break
The Police Association-sponsored North Island
Police Lawn Bowls Championships were held in
Taupo in November. The tournament was a great
success with many participants indicating that they
were keen to play in next year’s competition.
Ten teams took part, down from the original 15 who
showed interest but, unfortunately, there were some
scratchings just prior to the start of the tournament.
The winning fours team came from the Sulphur City
(Rotorua) with Dave Cowan, Phil Spackman, Colin
Rolfe and Allan Koller showing good form to take out
the title.
Runners-up
The runners-up were Dan Dickison (Kerikeri) who
was joined by his father Phil Dickison and the
Wellington pairing of Rob Veale and Brendon Gibson.
The evergreen Dave Stevenson’s Wanganui team
was third with Hawke’s Bay fourth.
A tournament team was selected following the
champs. The team was selected from serving Police
staff (sworn and non-sworn) and retired members.
The team is:
Jason Hassard (New Plymouth), Andy Campbell
(Taupo), Dave Stevenson (Hawke’s Bay), Dave
Cowan (Rotorua), Keith Schultz (Wanganui), Dan
• The winning team in the NZ Police Association North Island Police Lawn Bowls
Championships held in Taupo in November all hailed from Rotorua. (Left to right) are:
Dave Cowan, Phil Spackman, Colin Rolfe and Allan Koller.
Dickison (Kerikeri), Phil Dickison (Wellington), Rob
Veale and Brendan Gibson (Wellington) and Steve
Sargent (Porirua).
Generous hosts
The Taupo Bowling Club, which kindly agreed to
host the Police tournament this year, said they would
be happy to provide the facilities for next year’s
tournament and have kindly offered to organise the
event.
The event marked the first NI Champs tournament
after a break of six years so organisers are keen to
see more participation next year.
Trying weather tests competitors at the National Golf Champs
The NZ Police Association National Golf Championship
tournament was a great success with 131 entrants
participating in the three-day event.
Held from 4-6 November at the Otago Golf Club
in Balmacewen, Dunedin, the event was the
biggest and most widely supported since its
inception. Entries were received from Auckland to
Invercargill, with a large number of senior golfers
participating in the annual event.
Strong support
“I think that this showed how much interest there
was in these champs. The organising committee
were overwhelmed by the number of entries
received especially from the North Island,” said
event organiser and Chairman of the Dunedin
Police Golf Club, Ian Ferguson.
The event consisted of four rounds of golf over
three days. On Sunday, 4 November participants
played 18 holes in rough weather, and the
following day played 36 holes in conditions that
were extremely unfavourable. Rain, hail, and
snow plagued the tournament, with only small
glimpses of sunshine. Tuesday again saw trying
conditions for the last round of 18 holes, but true
to Police golfing fortitude all players came through
the unseasonable weather wearing a smile.
Local sponsors donated cash, items for raffles,
giveaways and refreshments to the event. On the
final night of the tournament a prizegiving function
was held at the Otago Golf Club main lounge.
Guests including Southern District Commander,
George Fraser, and Police Association Southern
Regional Director, Tracey Maclennan, were invited
to join the revelry.
“I personally, along with the organising
committee, would like to thank the New Zealand
Police Association and the Council of Sport for
the financial assistance provided to undertake
the 2007 Police Association National Golf
Championships,” Mr Ferguson said.
Results were:
Best Gross
Overall New Zealand Police Association National Golf
Champion
Geoff Sowter
- 319
Auckland
Matthew Forward
- 287
Christchurch
Senior Gross
1. Trevor Bolt
2. Bob Burns
3. Geoff Ruddock
4. Greg Williams
-
Best Nett
320 (ocb) Dunedin
320
Taupo
324
Christchurch
328
Christchurch
Senior Nett
1. Nigel Oliver
2. John Clark
3. Tony Delamere
4. Phil McDouall
-
Intermediate A
1. Craig Barker
2. Dave Nelson
3. Andre Kamo
Gross
- 356
Nelson
- 358 (ocb) Invercargill
- 359
Christchurch
Intermediate A
1. Jock Glennie
2. Malcolm Inglis
3. Grant Russell
Nett
- 303
- 308
292
299
302
304
Christchurch
Invercargill
Mangakino
Dunedin
Blenheim
Dunedin
Ashburton
Intermediate B
1. Grant Ladd
2. Eddie Baker
3. Grant Alabaster
Gross
- 359
- 362
- 366
Intermediate B
1. Chris Moore
2. Greg Dunne
3. Tim Leith
Nett
- 299
Wellington
- 307
Dunedin
- 308 (ocb) Wellington
Junior Gross
1. Heijo Bouma
2. Bryan Price
3. Steffan James
Junior Nett
1. Paul Milne
2. Shane McNally
3. Kim Jones
Christchurch
Dunedin
Taumarunui
- 398
- 401
- 402
Christchurch
Christchurch
Murchison
- 288
- 298
- 299
Geraldine
Taupo
Christchurch
- 423
Blenheim
- 354
Taupo
- 270
Christchurch
Women’s
Best Gross
Nola Morris
Best Nett
Red Foden
Vets – Gross
Peter Bailey
Vets – Nett
Bruce Amphlett
- 228 (ocb) Feilding
Team
1. Kevin Hawkins
Matthew Fordand
- Blenheim
- Christchurch
2. Eddie Baker
Kevin Wallace
- Dunedin
- Auckland
23
PoliceNews
The Voice of Police
Write it here! Letters to the Editor are welcome.
Signed letters are preferred, but in all cases the writer’s name and address must be supplied. Names will be published unless there is a good
reason for anonymity. The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or decline letters without explanation. Email to: [email protected] or
write it to the Editor at PO Box 12344, Wellington. Letters under 400 words are preferred.
Doing the Police Service proud
I just wanted to send a ‘well done’ message to
a group of young police recruits who turned
up at the Funrazor in Wellington, just prior to
Christmas, to raise funds for Child Cancer.
They raised $1400 towards the charity
by having their heads shaved but their
contribution to the event was much more than
just financial.
They lifted the event through their presence
and attitude, their attendance contributed to
the success, fun and enjoyment for everyone.
They joined in by taking off their shirts and
posing for photos.
These were good young men prepared to do
their part to help out a great cause. They were
a credit to the Police and it was great to see.
I couldn’t find a way to pass this message on to
them individually, but I’m sure that the Police
Association will make sure that these recruits’
senior officers will get the message.
John McGillivray
(General Manager, Wellington Finance Limited)
Voice of reason from President
I just watched Police Association President,
Greg O’Connor, being interviewed by Paul
Henry on Breakfast TV. Greg presented the
case for the Police very well and I fully agree
with his comments.
I believe the media have a lot to answer for
in helping to stir up divisions and ill-feeling
in our community. It must make the task of
policing even more difficult. The Police need
our support and encouragement, because I
dread to think of the consequences if their
authority continues to be undermined. The
media are simply playing into the hands of
these anti-establishment minority groups.
At the end of the day it’s all about increased
viewer coverage, circulation for papers and
profit. I can assure you that the majority of
Kiwis are right with you.
Geoff Follas
(Rotorua)
Reflecting religious diversity
The New Zealand Police is clearly not immune
from the outwardly attractive but ultimately
destructive religion of “tolerance”. Stephen
Ross argued in Police News in November that
the Police should reflect the increasing diversity
represented in our society and workforce by
doing away with our history and in particular
any reference to things Christian.
In doing so, Stephen betrays his own religious
24
beliefs; his own “set of beliefs concerning the
cause, nature, and purpose of the universe’.
Like much of New Zealand, he has placed
his faith in the primacy of “tolerance”. Choice
itself has become the supreme idol of our time
and as a result, the difference between right
and wrong has been reduced to a matter of
subjective personal taste.
New Zealand’s history is inextricably linked
with the Christian church. The freedoms and
values that we take for granted in New Zealand
and many of the laws we enforce as police
officers are based on the historic foundations
of faith in Jesus Christ. To suggest that the
Police should adopt some kind of value-based
neutrality in the face of increasing diversity and
contested morality will leave us further devoid
of our identity and confused in our role.
Unlike Stephen, when I look around me I do
not see a society and a culture that is “living in
harmony and united in our common goal.” I
see instead a spineless nation enslaved to a form
of political correctness and social engineering
that has left us morally confused and socially
selfish. From within this vacuum we do not
need to further distance ourselves from those
things that first defined our character and
made us good.
I have spent the last four years overseas
investigating human trafficking and the
prostitution of children in countries that
allow such activities to flourish, in part due
to their “religious” beliefs. Our beliefs and our
moral behaviour will always have long-term
cultural consequences. Whether atheist or
Christian, as New Zealand police officers we
can be proud of our Christian heritage and
embrace the accompanying gifts of individual
responsibility and the invitation to participate
in seeking authentic justice for everyone.
Gary Shaw
(Christchurch)
See pages 26 and 27 – Editor
The fundamental
Christian foundation
Stephen Ross considers that “we should be
proud that the legislation and rules of our
country can be seen as a successful model to
other countries”, claiming that we are “neutral
in the matters of religion”, then asks why we
have “Christian prayers and readings in the
name of Jesus Christ?” Does he not know
that the “future of civilisation” he talks about
depends on what it has always depended on,
and will be built on what it has always been
built on - Judeo-Christian values straight from
the Judeo-Christian book, the Bible?
This same book is the source of our “legislation
and rules” he’s so proud of? Where does he
think virtues such as justice, mercy, truth,
forgiveness, equality, sacrifice and freedom
that helped form our civilization came from?
Ourselves? Does he honestly think that
had generations not struggled and in many
instances paid with their lives to build and
preserve the foundations we have, we would
even have a “civilization”?
Look at other nations who have not laid
a Christian foundation. Or who have rid
themselves of such foundations. Is that the
kind of “civilization” we want to end up
having, and handing down to our children?
In the West today, we don’t have to pay
with our lives to preserve our wonderful
heritage, and yet we want to cast it from us.
As we continue to evict Jesus Christ from our
Parliament, Education system, Justice system,
Police, family, and every other institution, we
will lose the civilized society we so take for
granted because it is He who upholds it - not
us. In its place will arise tyranny, anarchy and
barbarism. We’re already seeing evidence of
it.
I take issue with his statement that 35% of
Kiwis are atheists. “It is the fool who says in
his heart there is no God” (Judeo-Christian
God, of course) (Psalms 14:1; 53:1). I refuse to
believe that 35% of New Zealanders are fools.
I would suggest to Mr Ross that if the name of
Jesus Christ is not one he is keen on hearing,
perhaps he could invest his energies in getting
the name banned from being bandied about
on television news and entertainment channels
and movies. Strange how acceptable His name
is in programmes where it punctuates almost
every sentence. Or perhaps he could campaign
for equality in these arenas and insist that
all other gods being given fair and equal
representation.
“The way we’ve always done it” is the reason
why we are where we are today. Pray in, say,
Allah’s name, and we will soon be where the
Muslims are, and have always been.
K M McKenna
(Palmerston North)
Diversity QIDs – more
political correctness?
Recently, the ultimate in politically correct
bulls**t arrived at work...Diversity QIDS
(Query identification). I recently received
a note about us wanting to build a database
of numbers and letters that are culturally
unacceptable to different groups.
To me, this is totally over-the-top politicallycorrect nonsense. The list will be so extensive
that it will add at least one more person to
the payroll at Police National Headquarters
(PNHQ) just to manage it, presumably to
ensure that no one in New Zealand is offended
by a combination of letters/numbers or both.
Just to let you see what this will entail, here are
some examples (and yes they can be used by
PNHQ if they really must continue with this
rubbish).
Europeans might have 3, 13,666 as bad luck
numbers but 3 can equally be good luck for
others. Chinese believe 4,6,14,54,59, and 444
(14 pronounced ‘si’ in Cantonese meaning
death) to be bad but 4 can also be good luck
in some provinces in China. In Japan, 4,9,
and 42 are considered bad luck, as are odd
numbers except 9. Italians believe 17 is bad
luck. Further, in Hong Kong, they believe
6,7,167,169,1679 and various combinations
of these numbers to be bad luck and the
number 85 is also bad luck (no row 85 on any
Cathay Pacific planes for this reason). These
are just a few examples of what will be a huge
list by the time it is completed.
Now moving onto letters. This creates another
huge list some of which are listed here. Aga,
jin, man, sex, fem, bis, ama, boa, cao, coy,
dev, dom, fop, goy, haj, hen are just some
examples.
To manage this huge volume of PC rubbish
will take a well-written computer program
developed by IT, which will take them at least
a year to write and then another year to get
to work.
To solve all this utter waste of time may I
suggest that we do away with QIDS all together
and use something far simpler by removing all
the PC silliness (see photo below) and move
the Police into the 21st Century. It may even
make us trend setters for other just as silly
Government departments.
G Knight
(Hawke’s Bay)
people. What? Moana Jackson a patron for a
Police Wing? Please tell me that it’s not true!
This is a man who has spent his life challenging
Police on all fronts, because he has it in his
head that we are a racist organisation that
target Maori unfairly. I’m sorry, but whoever
came up with the idea that he would make a
great patron needs to visit someone...
I’m exceptionally glad that he has said that
he can no longer be the Wing patron. Those
important roles should be for people who have
striven to make New Zealand a better place,
not a racially divided state.
How about asking the families of some of
our slain officers to be patrons of Wings, the
Duncan Taylor Wing for example to let their
memories live on with a group of young men
and women who will be serving our country.
Secondly, in the November issue of Police
News, I read a letter from Stephen Ross with
amusement, regarding the readings of Christian
prayers at Police Remembrance days.
I am not religious, but I have no problem
with the readings of Christian prayers at
such sombre gatherings. Regardless of Helen
Clark saying after the last census that we
are no longer a Christian society, we are
predominantly still Christian and I personally
think that such readings are appropriate and
are still appreciated. Come on Stephen, leave
your Kaftan at home and put your sandals
away. If we had to have readings from every
faith in existence just to be PC we’d be there
until the next Police Remembrance Day. Leave
it alone.
James “Boris” Casson
(Dili, Timor Leste)
Doing the right thing
When a drunk driver loses his job because he
has lost his licence, it’s my fault for stopping
him. When a speeder loses his license
through demerit points it’s my fault again for
being the one that caught him speeding past
a school. When illegally possessed firearms
are removed from a house under warrant and
the defendants, children happen to be in the
house at the time, I become the person in the
wrong again for preventing God knows what
carnage.
You can’t please everyone all the time but I
am pretty confident that we are still doing the
right thing and making a difference that the
vast majority of society appreciates, unless of
course your chosen career is a journalist.
Pete Mitchell
(Te Puke)
Thank you to Police ‘family’
Moana Jackson a Wing Patron?
You must be joking!
I read on The New Zealand Herald site that
Moana Jackson had announced that he could
no longer be a patron for a Police Wing at the
Royal New Zealand Police College (RNZPC)
due to the Police raids that have affected his
I have been a proud member of the New
Zealand Police for over 11 years, having
joined in 1996. In the past I have often read
letters from other members thankful for the
support they have received during hard or
trying times. I have always recognised our
ability as an organisation to support fellow
members during such times. However I have
only recently come to appreciate and fully
understand the value of being part of the
Police ‘family’.
In 2006 my family were devastated to learn
Dad had developed cancer. We were fortunate
enough to have him for nearly two more years
until he passed away on the 27th December
2007. Throughout this time the support we
have received from fellow members has been
nothing short of outstanding.
Somehow the Police Association learnt of
Dad’s illness and of our regular trips to
Auckland to spend time with him. Without
any direct contact, I soon received a letter of
support along with several petrol vouchers to
assist with the regular travel.
When Dad’s condition worsened he was
rushed to hospital, and it later transpired that
his illness finally got the better of him. I was
lucky enough to be able to spend his last 12
days with him before he passed away. At no
time did I ever receive anything but support
from the management team as they reshuffled
mandated training and offered constant
support with leave and welfare.
During this time I received several calls from
colleagues past and present who were also
offering support in any way possible, from
completing waiting court files or disclosure, to
feeding pets and cleaning our house.
As Dad’s funeral was scheduled for New Year’s
Eve, my wife and I purposely failed to advise
several colleagues of my father’s passing as it
fell on what is effectively the busiest day in our
policing calendar. Despite this, many attended
with a large number travelling to Auckland
from Tauranga on a day that would not finish
for them until late New Year’s Day.
To personally catch up with and thank
everyone who has supported my family and
I during our difficult time would almost be
impossible. On behalf of my family I would
like to take this opportunity to thank everyone
from my Police ‘family’ for all their kind
wishes, thoughts and acts that have helped my
family move forward.
Rob Lemoto
(Tauranga)
Have you moved recently?
If you have moved or perhaps are about to,
please let us know so we can update your
records.
You can do this by:
writing to us at PO Box 12344;
calling us on free phone
0800 500 122;
faxing us on (04) 496 6819; or
Emailing us at;
[email protected]
YOU NEED TO LET US KNOW YOUR
MEMBERSHIP NUMBER, NEW ADDRESS
AND IF YOU’RE A SERVING MEMBER
- YOUR NEW STATION.
25
PoliceNews
The Voice of Police
The Human Rights Commission’s
Statement on Religious Diversity
A letter to Police News late last year sparked
numerous letters discussing New Zealand’s
Christian heritage and NZ Police’s adherence
to Christian prayers in its Police Remembrance
Day service.
It is fitting in the context of that discussion,
to publish the Human Rights Commission’s
New Zealand Statement on Religious Diversity,
which was formulated and published late last
year. The statement provides a framework
for the recognition of New Zealand’s diverse
faith communities and their harmonious
interaction with each other, with government
and with other groups in society.
Statement 8 seeks co-operation and
understanding and reads: Government and
faith communities have a responsibility to
build and maintain positive relationships with
each other, and to promote mutual respect
and understanding.
For the benefit of readers, here is the
statement:
An explanatory booklet is available on the
Human Rights Commission website at www.
hrc.co.nz
NZ Statement on Religious Diversity:
New Zealand is a country of many faiths with
a significant minority who profess no religion.
Increasing religious diversity is a significant
feature of public life.
At the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi
in 1840, Governor Hobson affirmed, in
response to a question from Catholic Bishop
Pompallier: “The several faiths (beliefs) of
England, of the Wesleyans, of Rome, and
also Maori custom shall alike be protected”.
This foundation creates the opportunity
to reaffirm an acknowledgement of the
diversity of beliefs in New Zealand.
Christianity has played and continues to
play a formative role in the development
of New Zealand in terms of the nation’s
identity, culture, beliefs, institutions and
values.
New settlers have always been religiously
diverse, but only recently have the numbers
of some of their faith communities grown
significantly as a result of migration from
Asia, Africa and the Middle East. These
communities have a positive role to play
in our society. It is in this context that
we recognise the right to religion and the
responsibilities of religious communities.
International treaties including the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights uphold the right to
freedom of religion and belief - the right
to hold a belief; the right to change one’s
religion or belief; the right to express one’s
religion or belief; and the right not to hold a
belief. These rights are reflected in the New
Zealand Bill of Rights Act and Human Rights
Act. The right to religion entails affording
this right to others and not infringing their
human rights.
The following statement provides a
framework for the recognition of New
Zealand’s diverse faith communities and
their harmonious interaction with each
other, with government and with other
groups in society:
1. The state and religion – the state seeks
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
to treat all faith communities and those
who profess no religion equally before
the law. New Zealand has no official or
established religion;
The right to religion - New Zealand
upholds the right to freedom of religion
and belief and the right to freedom
from discrimination on the grounds of
religious or other belief;
The right to safety - faith communities
and their members have a right to safety
and security;
Freedom of expression - the right to
freedom of expression and freedom of
the media are vital for democracy but
should be exercised with responsibility;
Recognition and accommodation reasonable steps should be taken in
educational and work environments
and in the delivery of public services
to recognise and accommodate diverse
religious beliefs and practices;
Education – schools should teach an
understanding of different religious and
spiritual traditions in a manner that
reflects the diversity of their national and
local community;
Religious differences – debate and
disagreement about religious beliefs
will occur but must be exercised within
the rule of law and without resort to
violence; and
Co-operation and understanding –
government and faith communities have
a responsibility to build and maintain
positive relationships with each other,
and to promote mutual respect and
understanding.
*Statistics taken from NZ Census
26
Florida Sheriff provides very blunt answer to curly query
Last month in Florida a routine traffic stop turned into a nightmare
for local police when a man who was being interviewed by a police
officer pulled out a handgun and ‘executed’ the deputy who had
stopped him.
manhunt ensued. The low-life who had killed the officer was found
hiding in a wooded area with his gun.
The deputy was shot eight times, including once behind his right
ear at close range.
Naturally, the media asked why the police had shot the man 68 times.
Another deputy was wounded and a police dog killed. A state-wide
SWAT team officers fired and hit the man 68 times.
Now here’s the kicker:
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told The Orlando Sentinel, “That’s
all the bullets we had.”
Useful Information & Contacts
Police Network
44446
Freephone
0800 500 122
Police Health Plan/Police Fire and General Insurance
(on matters that cannot be deferred such as Police
Quotes & information
0800 500 122
shootings, fatal pursuits or deaths in custody)
or Fax
(04) 496 6819
ring 0800 TEN NINE (0800 836 6463)
Police Fire and General Insurance claims 0800 110 088
– 24 hour/seven days service
All enquiries
(04) 496 6800
New Zealand Police Association:
For immediate industrial & legal advice
Vice Presidents
www.policeassn.org.nz
0800 800 808
0800 429 000
www.policecu.org.nz
0800 654 731
0800 777 243
Regional Directors
Stuart Mills
Chris Cahill
(027) 268 9416
(027) 268 9411
Field Officers
Auckland District:
Waitemata and Northland Districts:
Waikato, BOP and Eastern Districts:
Central and Wellington Districts:
Tasman and Canterbury Districts:
Southern District
Website
Police Home Loans
Police Credit Union
or (04) 472 9645
Credit Union
GSF information
PSS information
Stewart Mills
Steve Hawkins
Eric Newman
JJ Taylor
Dave McKirdy
Dave Steel
(027) 268 9407
(027) 268 9406
(027) 268 9408
(027) 268 9409
(027) 268 9410
(027) 268 9427
Region One
Region Two
Region Three
Region Four
Region Five
Region Six
Region Seven
Anthony Price
Mark Leys
Mel Ridley
Luke Shadbolt
Ron Lek
Craig Prior
Tracey Maclennan
Orewa
Papatoetoe
Tauranga
Hastings
Wellington
Sydenham
Invercargill
(027) 268 9419
(027) 268 9413
(027) 268 9414
(027) 478 9001
(027) 268 9417
(027) 268 9412
(027) 268 9418
27
POLICE SUPPLEMENTARY LIFE INSURANCE
Quality life insurance you can afford
The Police Welfare Fund provides members with quality life insurance
for themselves and their family, at very affordable prices.
Cover can be extended to provide protection from the large financial
strains that can be placed on families in the event a critical illness or
condition is diagnosed.
Can you risk not looking into this?
Enhancing the wellbeing
of Police and their families

police - New Zealand Police Association

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