VOLUME 47 | NUMBER 6 | JULY 2014
THE BIG PICTURE
Inside the new command centres
MEN IN BLACK
Stories from the early days of AOS
HEPATITIS ALERT
What are the risks for staff?
Contents
Single crewing: Police reject working
group proposal, 144
VISIT YOUR WEBSITE
Honoured: Services to Police
recognised, 144
INSURANCES
Getting online: Sergeant Aaron
Holloway’s social media crusade, 145
Police News is the magazine of the
New Zealand Police Association,
originally the New Zealand Police
Journal, first published in 1937.
July 2014, Vol. 47, No.6
ISSN 1175-9445
Deadline for next issue:
Friday, July 18, 2014.
Published by the New Zealand Police
Association
Mission to Cyprus: Police to mark 50th
anniversary of first peacekeeping force,
145
Storage success: Police Museum
upgrade delights director, 146
Cover story: Equity and adversity for
diversity liaison officers, 148
P.O. Box 12344, Willbank House,
57 Willis St, Wellington 6144
The big picture: Inside the new, hi-tech
command centres, 151
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From the President 143
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142
JULY 2014
POLICE NEWS – THE VOICE OF POLICE
News/views
Last month I was privileged to be
reappointed chairman of the International
Council of Police Representative
Associations (ICPRA), the international
body that we are a member of. ICPRA
represents nearly two million members
in 45 countries, so such gatherings offer
a great opportunity for understanding
policing trends around the world.
One thing that is apparent is a
determination by all governments to wind
back the cost of policing services, and the
Global Financial Crisis has created the
opportunity to do that. What started out as
austerity-led measures have now become
cost-cutting reforms.
To be fair, the public demand for safety
has led to considerable increases in numbers
and quality of police in recent times.
It is clear from the experiences of
ICPRA members who have not had such
investment that their crime and corruption
rates have continued to soar, while the
mostly so-called First World nations, who
have invested heavily, have experienced
crime drops.
Now, the success of those crime drops is
being used as an excuse to reduce or, in the
case of New Zealand, freeze the budget.
And that is the dilemma facing police
leaders around the globe. They are
becoming victims of their own success.
Because of proactive and innovative
policing, crime rates are being driven
down. Criminologists will also argue that
demographic changes, especially fewer
young people, and target-hardening are
major factors as well.
Either way, the very strategies that
have focused police on crime and crash
reduction, such as neighbourhood policing
teams, specialist traffic units and good intel
and investigative capabilities, are resource
hungry and can only suffer because they
require competent people. They are the very
resources that are likely to be diminished by
a shrinking budget.
Of course, we would all prefer the
nirvana where there is no need for policing
services, but that won’t happen. So, is there
an acceptable level of crime and offending?
Most victims would argue no, but
freezing or reducing investment in policing
would indicate others have a different view.
I just hope we don’t have to see increases
in crime and victimisation before the
funders understand that acceptable public
order and safety levels are dependent
on maintaining an adequate level of
investment.
We see the results of what happens in
countries that fail to invest sufficiently in
policing. They are generally the places no
one wants to visit, certainly not alone. I
would hate New Zealand to ever get that
reputation.
[email protected]
Keen young eyes: Patrick Absolum tracks the speed of passers-by with Sergeant Colin Wright at the Whanganui Police Station Open Day on June 14. Thousands of
people visited police stations around the country during Police's first national Open Day. Colin said it was nice to deal with people who weren't a victim or a witness
or an offender. "They were just there because they wanted to talk to us," he told the Wanganui Chronicle. Photo: STUART MUNRO/WANGANUI CHRONICLE
NEW ZEALAND POLICE ASSOCIATION
JULY 2014
143
News/views
IN BRIEF
RIGHT TO STRIKE
Ireland’s national police service,
An Garda Siochana, has won
the right to strike in what has
been described as a landmark
decision. After a complaint
by the Association of Garda
Sergeants and Inspectors
(AGSI) over a government ban
on their participation in trade
union activity, the Council of
Europe’s European Committee
of Social Rights ruled in favour
of awarding the Garda the
right to strike. The committee
said banning the Garda from
full industrial relations was a
violation of an international
agreement. The decision means
Irish police officers are now
able to strike, negotiate pay and
engage in union action. While
the ruling specifically refers to
the AGSI, it has implications
for all ranks of the Garda and
the four police representative
associations in Ireland. The
ruling has been welcomed by
New Zealand Police Association
President Greg O’Connor, who,
as chairman of the International
Council of Police Representative
Associations (ICPRA), had
supported the AGSI move.
Sources: Police Oracle, Irish
Times
STARRING ROLE
Martial arts
movie star
Jackie Chan
has been
named as an
ambassador
for Interpol’s
Turn Back
Crime
campaign,
which aims
to tackle the networks behind
various forms of trafficking.
Interpol says crimes such as
counterfeiting, cybercrime,
kidnapping and fraud,
crimes against children and
corruption in sport are often
interconnected, with profits
from one area used to fund
another. Chan, 60, who is known
for his philanthropic work as
well as his films, such as the
Rush Hour buddy cop series,
volunteered for the role to help
educate the public about the
products they buy and the way
they use the internet.
Source: Interpol
144
JULY 2014
Police rejects working
group on single crewing
The Police executive has told the Association that it sees no need
for a joint working group on the issue of single crewing, as proposed
by delegates at last year’s annual conference.
Responding to a request from the Association for
such a group, Deputy Commissioner Viv Rickard
said Police was satisfied with its existing protocols
around Police patrol units, including the necessity
of single crewing in some areas.
He said Police had already done its own analysis
of single-crew unit attendance at P1 and P2
incidents between January 2013 and April 2014
in Waikato, Wellington and Canterbury Districts
and there did not “appear to be an ongoing upward
trend of single-crewed units attending events”.
On average, he said, 35 per cent of events were
attended by single-crewed units, but they tended
to be “minor events such as harassment or juvenile
complaints, or… suspicious activity or non-speech
emergency calls”.
Events involving a higher degree of risk, such as
incidents of violence, were “likely to be attended
by a double-crewed unit”.
Mr Rickard also referred to the revised Police
Integrated Tactical Training that begins this
month, saying Level 1 responders now had more
tactical options available to them, along with extra
training.
“Staff safety is also the responsibility of the
individual,” Mr Rickard said. Members were
trained in the use of the operational threat
assessment tool, TENR, and officer safety alarms
were issued to staff in areas where digital radio was
unavailable.
The Association’s concerns over the safety of
frontline staff follow a significant number of recent
serious assaults, deaths and near misses involving
officers working alone. As part of the request to
Police, Association President Greg O’Connor
noted a few recent cases, including: a female
constable stabbed with a screwdriver (April 2013);
a senior sergeant beaten by a mob of youths from
a stolen car (August 2013); the serious assault on
Sergeant Simon Tate (September 2013); and an
assault on an officer in Wanaka (April 2014). Then
there were the murders of lone officers Murray
Stretch (1999) and Glenn McKibben (1996),
among others.
Although the Association accepts that single
crewing is inevitable in some rural areas, it believes
there has been some “creep” of the practice in
urban areas too, coinciding with a demand for
greater police visibility.
Mr O’Connor told Police the Association’s
objective was not to end single crewing where it
was necessary, but to ensure it was done safely.
Feedback to the Association from around the
country showed that single crewing provided
flexibility for staff deployment, but many officers
were uncomfortable about single crewing after
dark.
Mr Rickard said single-crewed staff in Level 1
responder positions were deployed only if they had
the appropriate tactical options and certifications
and that comms dispatchers took precautions to
minimise risk to staff.
The Association intends to continue monitoring
officers’ experiences of single crewing.
HONOURS FOR POLICE
Two former and one current New Zealand Police
officer received 2014 Queen’s Birthday Honours
last month.
Recently retired Police Commissioner Peter
Marshall was made a Companion of the New
Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM); Blue Light
chief executive Rod Bell became an Officer of
the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM); and
Detective Senior Sergeant Gary Lendrum was
made a Member of the New Zealand Order of
Merit (MNZM).
Rod Bell received the ONZM award for
services to youth, acknowledging his current
role and the 17 years he spent with Police
where he was regarded as an accomplished
youth aid officer. In the early 1990s he joined
the steering group that set up the National Blue
Light Board and took on the CEO role in 2007.
Under his leadership, the organisation now
operates a broader range of youth and leadership
programmes, across 76 branches, in which
200,000 young people take part each year.
Peter Marshall received his CNZM award for
services to Police and the community. He was
a driving force behind the change in policing
from a largely responsive model to Prevention
First. Within a frozen budget, he also delivered a
sustained reduction in recorded crime, including
the lowest road toll recorded in 60 years.
Gary Lendrum received his MNZM award
for services to Police and the community.
Mr Lendrum is a pioneer of, and trainer in,
investigative interviewing and his reputation for
thorough investigative work has earned respect
in the wider justice sector, including from
prosecutors. He is also a leader in intelligence
sharing and crime prevention and providing
service to victims’ families.
POLICE NEWS – THE VOICE OF POLICE
News/views
Aaron hits social media bull’s-eye
Sergeant Aaron Holloway is flying the
flag for police use of social media. In May,
he travelled to Tampa, Florida, where he
was invited to speak to the international
Social Media in Law Enforcement (SMILE)
Conference about his recent online
successes.
His presentation, Virtually Policing
Summer Hotspots, detailed how Bay of
Plenty Police turned to social media to help
keep Mt Maunganui under control during
New Year celebrations after realising they
couldn’t reach their target audience of
young adults through traditional forms of
communication.
Aaron helped organise New Zealand’s
first “virtual ride along” on Twitter, where
police live tweeted activity in their area,
reaching 40,000 users over the 24-hour
period.
He has also built up the following of
the Bay of Plenty Police Facebook page to
an impressive 7000 fans, and drew a great
response when he posted in English and
Maori.
However, Aaron says, his most successful
media project has been collaborating
with social media sensation Jamie Curry,
the Napier teen who made Jamie’s World
famous around the globe.
Although she is unknown to many
Sergeant Aaron Holloway, left, has his finger on the social media pulse. Collaboration with 17-year-old
Jamie Curry, right, of Jamie’s World, led to a successful anti-drink-driving campaign aimed at young
people.
adults (and police), the 17-year-old has
9 million Facebook followers, most aged
13-24, 318,000 Twitter followers and more
than 1 million subscribers to her YouTube
channel.
The joint project resulted in a
four-minute video clip, I Am Uncool,
encouraging teens to not drink and drive
or get into cars with drivers who have been
drinking.
It received more than a million YouTube
views and one respondent commented that
Jamie was “the only person teenagers listen
to”.
Although Aaron has just taken on a new
role as senior intelligence adviser for the
Pacific, based in Samoa for three years, he
said he was sure that the use of social media
in law enforcement was here to stay.
He predicts a time when police officers
will enter a suburb, or area, and alerts will
pop up on their iPhones with intelligence
about relevant activity in the area gathered
from online conversations
“Social media will soon become a major
way we communicate with the public and
our community, and it will also become
an effective tool in investigations, whether
it be reaching witnesses or asking for
information,” he said.
Mission to Cyprus
New Zealand’s first Police peacekeeping force was
made up of a group of volunteers who headed to
Cyprus in 1964 as part of a United Nations initiative,
and not too sure of what they were in for.
It was the first overseas deployment of New Zealand
police officers and, from 1964 to 1967, the Kiwi troops
provided liaison between Turkish Cypriot and Greek
Cypriot police. Six contingents were deployed.
The conflict in Cyprus had arisen after Cyprus gained
independence from Britain in 1960, causing tensions
between the larger Greek Cypriot community and the
Turkish Cypriot community. The UN’s peacekeeping
involvement continued till 2011.
New Zealand police are pictured here taking part in
weapons training before the mission and then being
farewelled by Prime Minister Keith Holyoake.
On September 6, Police will mark the 50th
anniversary of the Cyprus mission with a reunion and
formal dinner in Wellington. Superintendent Stuart
Wildon, national manager international services group,
is hoping to eventually track down all the remaining
veterans of the Cyprus peacekeeping years, along with
any photos and memorabilia. For more information,
contact Stuart by email, [email protected].
Photos: Alexander Turnbull Library PAColl-7327, ref EP-LegalPolice (top) EP/1964/1609 (below).
NEW ZEALAND POLICE ASSOCIATION
JULY 2014
145
News/views
Keeping police
heritage safe
The weight of New Zealand’s policing history has been
hanging over Rowan Carroll’s head for the past few years –
quite literally in the case of the many thousands of artefacts
stored on the top floor of the Police Museum, of which she is
the director.
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But the burden has lightened recently as
refurbishment of the storage area nears
completion.
The revamp began earlier this year when
Police gave permission for the upgrade of
the top floor (the public part of the museum
is on the ground floor of the building).
“There was a realisation from the Police
executive that these items were not just of
value to Police but to the whole of New
Zealand,” Rowan says. “The preservation
of that heritage had reached a critical point
and something needed to be done to ensure
its longevity.”
That legacy includes, among many other
things, all police appointments and pre-1886
items to recent objects, such as the Police
notebook that saved the life of Constable
Jeremy Snow in 2009 when it stopped a
bullet from entering his chest. The museum
also holds evidence from significant criminal
trials, including weapons.
At a cost of almost $500,000, the
museum now has state-of-the-art facilities
– a mobile storage system, environmental
controls, insulation, a textile storage area
and an armoury. Rowan is particularly
pleased with the armoury area because it
means that, for the first time, the collection
of firearms and weapons can be properly
stored in padded, pull-out drawers in
custom-built cabinets.
The changes couldn’t come too soon for
Rowan. When she started the job in 2011,
she admits she was dismayed to see how the
collection was housed. Even for a make-do
arrangement, it was pretty rough: basically,
a lot of boxes on the top floor of what had
been the Police College recruit B lounge,
which was unlined and uninsulated, and
the overflow was stored in an area where
staff ate.
Only 10 per cent of the collection was
housed properly; rather than preservation,
it was a recipe for deterioration.
Rowan found a champion at Police
National Headquarters in the form of
Deputy Commissioner Viv Rickard, who
helped her get the Police executive on side
with the idea that something should be
done by Police to look after its history.
Getting the executive on site to see the
collection proved invaluable, she says.
“It became personal for them when they
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Police Museum director Rowan Carroll with the new armoury cabinets that will soon house the museum’s
collection of firearms and weapons.
146
JULY 2014
POLICE NEWS – THE VOICE OF POLICE
News/views
IN BRIEF
SPOUSE BLOG
The wife of a New Zealand police officer
has started an online blog to “give a small
voice to those who are married/live with/
date a police officer”. The anonymous
blogger wants to share her experiences
of being a “partner in crime” with her
husband. He originally worked in the city
– “five years of working every Christmas
and New Year, running from one domestic
to another, never feeling like there was
enough time to do the job properly …
struggling to take leave, worn out, burnt
out” – but has recently moved to the
country station – “the best thing we ever
did”. nzpolicewife.wordpress.com
Before refurbishment, inadequate storage of important items was a huge worry for Police Museum staff.
saw things they could relate to. They were
saying, ‘Oh, I knew that guy’, or, ‘I worked
on that case’.”
Rowan’s first job, however, was to get the
“front of house” looking good, by changing
and renewing some of the public exhibitions.
“Much of the work done by the museum is
invisible, that’s why you have to get the front
up to scratch to get the buy-in,” she says.
She wouldn’t have had any trouble
convincing the 7000 school children
who visit each year that the museum is a
worthwhile investment. While they hear
about New Zealand’s social history and
significant events, such as the Springbok
tour, they also get to dress up and take
part in hands-on fingerprinting lessons.
And, with the museum on the grounds of
the Police College at Porirua, it also has a
role to play in recruitment. “It’s totally in
context, surrounded by police,” Rowan says.
The museum itself has a long history,
starting in 1908 as a “teaching museum”, a
tradition being carried on today. And the
new facilities are really just the beginning
of the next phase of the national repository.
Rowan says that back cataloguing alone will
take many years and then there is all the
maintenance of the collection.
It’s a lot of work for the three staff and
much of it involves grim stories that never
have happy endings, but there are also
objects that inspire and recall the best of
humanity, Rowan says.
Although only a small percentage of the
collection is ever on display at one time,
at least now the bulk of Police’s cultural
property will be available for future
generations, with today’s tools and evidence
becoming tomorrow’s artefacts.
AOS ON DISPLAY
Next month, to coincide with the Armed Offenders Squad’s 50th anniversary this
year (see p154), the Police Museum is setting up a new exhibition. Among extensive
memorabilia and photos, it will include the notebook, pictured, of Constable Jeremy
Snow, showing how it stopped a bullet from entering his chest. Equally poignantly, the
door of Constable Glenn McKibbin’s police car bearing the bullet holes from shots fired
at him in 1996, one of which killed him, will be on
display. The Police Association, which has a
good working relationship with the
museum, has contributed to the
cost of the new exhibit.
Photos: FAIRFAX MEDIA NZ
NEW ZEALAND POLICE ASSOCIATION
POLICE-PROVIDED
TECHNOLOGY
The Police Association
reminds members
to continue to err on
the side of caution in
relation to personal
use of their mobile
devices. They are work
tools and, as such,
you cannot expect
privacy even when
you use them for your own purposes.
Your internet use (including sites visited
through wi-fi), emails, texts and any apps
will be monitored. Any inappropriate use
of the device, either at work or at home,
can be considered a breach of the Code
of Conduct. To avoid misunderstandings,
familiarise yourself with the policy on
Acceptable Use of Technology and
Resources. The simplest way to avoid
problems is to leave your mobile devices
at work or switch them off when you take
them home.
ICPRA RE-APPOINTMENT
Association President Greg O’Connor
was re-elected as the chairman of
the International Council of Police
Representative Associations (ICPRA)
at the council’s biennial meeting in
Cape Town last month. Mr O’Connor
has chaired the world body since 2006
and was re-elected for a further twoyear term. ICPRA is a council of police
associations and unions from 40 countries
across North America, Europe, Africa,
and Australasia, collectively representing
the interests of more than 1.5 million law
enforcement officers. The Cape Town
meeting further expanded the ICPRA
network by establishing links with the
international Portuguese-speaking police
associations, representing nine more
countries across South America, Africa,
Europe and Asia.
JULY 2014
147
Cover story
EQUITY AND ADVERSITY
New Zealand Police makes much of its policies to embrace diversity, in the community and
in its staff, but one group of employees has been left wondering where the love has gone.
Ellen Brook reports.
Police staff, sworn and non-sworn, took part in the Pride Parade in Auckland in February, wearing T-shirts supplied by the Police Association and with a banner
paid for by Police. Photo: ANDREA.R/GAYNZ.COM
P
olice diversity liaison officers (DLOs),
who work with LGBT (lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender)
community networks and with Police staff,
say they are disappointed by a lack of help
from the Police administration in recent
years.
In 2012, the Equity and Diversity (E&D)
office at Police National Headquarters
(PNHQ) was shut down. Police say that, at
that point, the E&D strategy changed from
one of targeting specific groups to building
a “broader culture of inclusion across New
Zealand Police”. The functions of the office
were devolved to other portfolios within the
Prevention network, with the aim of making
the DLOs a “self-sufficient affinity group”.
Meanwhile, the 49 DLOs, across the 12
districts, who fill their roles voluntarily,
have continued quietly working, but,
they say, it’s not easy when they feel their
support structure has failed them. The
dedicated office used to organise training
and workshops, disseminate information,
organise monthly video-conferences and
keep an up-to-date list of DLOs on the
intranet.
This year, the DLOs and other staff
are asking PNHQ for answers on Police’s
148
JULY 2014
STOP PRESS
At least one of the concerns expressed
by Police’s diversity liaison officers,
and the staff they represent, has finally
been addressed by the PNHQ hierarchy.
Just as Police News was going to press,
Commissioner Mike Bush announced
through his blog that Police has gone
back on its previous policy and will allow
staff to march in uniform at the annual
Pride Parade in Auckland. It’s a victory
for staff who have been feeling let down
by the administration on this and other
issues related to changes in Police’s
equity and diversity policies, as detailed
in our story.
continued commitment to equity and
diversity and their roles.
A tipping point was this year’s Pride
Parade in Auckland, where staff were given
permission to march, but not in their Police
uniforms. Many potential marchers chose
not to join in if they couldn’t wear their
uniform. Those who did march said that,
although they enjoyed themselves, there was
a deep feeling of disappointment running
through the event.
“One of the repetitive comments while
on parade was, ‘Where’s your uniform?’
and, ‘The other forces are in uniform, why
not your group?’,” says Constable Tammy
Polchies.
The 11 sworn, four non-sworn and six
friends and family wore T-shirts supplied
by the Police Association, with its logo. As
much as they appreciated the gesture from
the Association, they felt that a big part of
their identity was missing and that it was
also a missed opportunity for some good
Police PR.
Having marched in their New Zealand
Police uniforms in two Sydney Mardi Gras,
with Police permission, Constables Rachael
De’Ath and Karen Le Sueur say they found it
extremely odd to not be in uniform on this
occasion. “It looked unprofessional,” Rachael
says.
For the DLOs, the Pride Parade has
become emblematic of the wider issue of
the changes to Police policy on equity and
diversity.
As Auckland DLO Kirsten O’Hara
explains, the road to the parade was not
smooth.
A DLO Pride committee first approached
Auckland Area Commander Allan Boreham
in October 2012. In November he said yes.
POLICE NEWS – THE VOICE OF POLICE
Cover story
In January 2013, funding was received for an
entry fee and banner (“NZ Police supporting
diversity”). On February 14, 2013, Kirsten
posted a notice on the Police bulletin
board. That same day, a message came
from the area commander via Assistant
Commissioner Malcolm Burgess: police
officers must not take part in the parade
in any official capacity; while Police could
facilitate participation (ie, through the entry
fee and banner), staff must not wear their
uniform; staff should take part in a private
capacity only.
The decision came directly from
Commissioner Peter Marshall and the
reason given was that there would be
uniformed officers policing the event. “If
an incident occurred at the parade between
participants and people who may protest
against the parade, which then required
the intervention of on-duty officers,
Police generally could be seen as lacking
impartiality when dealing with the situation
due to the participation of uniformed
officers in the parade,” Police said.
W
hat a “cop-out”, was the response
from one senior police officer.
Detective Sergeant Mel Warren
told Peter Marshall it was ironic that staff
were told to wear uniform to events such
as Wellington’s Out in the Square and
Auckland’s Big Gay Out, “but we can’t march
in the Pride Parade in our uniform”.
Police participation in the 2013 parade did
not go ahead. But Kirsten and her colleague
Constable Demelza Stanford weren’t giving
up. They got the banner made up and
pitched the parade idea again at the end
of last year. Permission was again granted,
along with $250 to pay the registration fee
for 2014.
So far so good, but, Kirsten says, Police
refused to do a media release before the
parade to say staff were taking part. “They
said they would do one afterwards, but that
never happened,” she says.
Several senior police officers have written
or spoken to the executive seeking answers.
Mel Warren asked Peter Marshall what
the difference was between Police marching
in uniform at an Anzac Parade, where
there was also opportunity for protest, and
marching in uniform at the Pride Parade.
“He could not adequately answer this. The
whole argument of us not being able to wear
our uniforms in case we couldn’t be seen as
impartial just doesn’t wash,” she says.
The fear among the DLOs and staff they
support is that traction will be lost on the
gains of the past 20 years “and we will start
sliding backwards”.
Mel says: “I have no idea of the state of
E&D within our organisation at present as
NEW ZEALAND POLICE ASSOCIATION
Out in the ranks
After 25 years with Police,
issue of being gay in the
Senior Sergeant Leah Everest
force is somewhat easier
has lived through and
than for males,” he says,
contributed to the sea change
citing a very “masculine and
in attitudes to sexuality.
male-oriented workplace”.
When she started out,
There was a perception
some districts were still
that, for a certain percentage
targeting “homosexual
of policewomen, being gay
activities”, even though, by
went with the territory, but
then, there was no crime
that’s not the case for their
being committed. Colleagues
male colleagues, although, as
still freely used derogatory
Anthony points out, with an
terms about gay men and
organisation as big as Police,
women and complained when
“you can’t tell me there is
having to deal with “homos”.
only a handful of gay men”.
Although you never openly Senior Sergeant Leah Everest
Anthony has been in
says all LGBT staff still need
discussed your sexuality,
Police for three years, based
support in Police.
it was, and is, always a
in Counties Manukau. He
background issue, she says,
didn’t “come out” until
but you learn from experience. Even as a
he had been in the job for six months.
young constable, she always challenged
There was only one bad comment from
offensive language and behaviour from
one colleague and “he was put right by
others.
everyone else”, he says.
Ironically, she says, “sometimes, the
It’s all going well in Counties Manukau,
more you say, the less people want to
but Anthony worries that if he moves to a
know and the less you say, the more they
rural area to work, as he would like to do,
want to know”.
it could be more challenging for him.
She describes it as “surviving
All LGBT staff need support once they
conversations” and adds that, as a woman,
become part of Police, says Leah. That’s
you also have to prove yourself no matter
why she is putting her support behind
what your sexuality.
the diversity liaison officers and the Pride
There’s no question that the working
Parade.
environment has improved. One recent
It is time for Police to show the public
encouraging sign was a new recruit who
that it is an organisation reflective of
had written on his personal information
the communities it polices and that it is
that he was in a gay relationship. “That’s
continuing to move with the times, she
huge,” she says.
says. “Also, show us as members of Police
However, it is still difficult being a gay
that there is trust and confidence in us
man in Police, says Constable Anthony
to represent Police with professionalism,
Atyeo. “For my lesbian colleagues, the
dignity and pride.”
it seems to be something that is not ‘visible’
to the general masses, but kept within the
confines of PNHQ.”
What are they worried about, she
wonders.
Senior Sergeant Leah Everest, who is not a
DLO, stepped in to help the Pride committee
in the absence of any E&D support. “We are
getting a very conservative message from
Police,” she says, which was strange when
the DLOs were set up to address community
concerns around perception of Police
prejudices.
Leah and Kirsten say it can be hard to
measure the value of E&D, but they see the
results at the grassroots level.
Leah emphasises that E&D is not a “gay
issue”. “It’s a lot wider than that. We are
a bicultural country and a multicultural
community. We want Police to see the value
and need in this for Police. We do not want to
see the work of the past 20 years disappear.”
Tasman District DLO Rosemary Linde
says that executive support is essential for an
“affinity group” such as the DLO network,
which may not be considered core business,
to survive.
“I would like to see the executive showing
courage in openly stating that they endorse
the DLO network,” Rosemary says.
Josh Tabor, director, organisational and
employee development for Police, says
there had previously been an expectation
that the DLOs would be “self-sustaining”.
Police’s priorities have changed, he says,
from “equity and diversity to diversity and
inclusion”. “The important message here is
that we are now working on developing a
culture in Police where you bring your whole
self to work,” he says.
Leah says she is on board with the concept
of the integrity of the whole of Police. “I get
that and it’s because I wear this uniform,
and I respect it, that I don’t want the value
of what I do and who I represent to be
diminished.”
JULY 2014
149
Police Home Loan Package News
Buying a new home or refinancing can be
an expensive process, even with today’s
lower interest rates. We aim to make it
easier on Police Welfare Fund members’
pockets. So for the time being those
drawing down a new Police Home Loan
will be eligible for six months free home
insurance through the Welfare Fund’s
Police Fire & General Insurance*.
Members eligible for the free cover
should contact our Member Services
Team on 0800 500 122. You will need a
copy of your loan document from ANZ.
Police Home Loan Package
Whether you’re refinancing, buying your first
home, selling, investing in property, building
or looking for ways to manage your current
home loan – a Police Home Loan through
ANZ may be able to help.
The Police Welfare Fund Home Loan
package provides attractive benefits to Police
Welfare Fund members and their immediate
family, like:
•No Home Loan application fee
•A contribution of $500 towards legal fees
For borrowing 80% or lower of a property’s
value:
•Discounted floating rates
•0.50% pa off the standard ANZ Flexible
Home Loan interest rates
•0.25% off the standard fixed interest rates
Our Police Home Loan package is highly
competitive and flexible.
For more information or to apply
for the Police Home Loan
Package visit
www.policeassn.org.nz
ANZ’s lending criteria, terms, conditions and fees apply. A low equity premium may apply
where a loan amounts to over 85% of the property’s value. A registered valuer’s report will
also be required for lending over 80% of the property’s value. Eligibilty to apply for a Police
Home Loan package is at the discretion of the Police Welfare Fund Limited and applicants
must be current members of the Fund. This home loan package is not available for low
documentation home loans or loans approved through a broker. For a copy of the ANZ
Disclosure Statement and full details (including terms and conditions) contact any branch
of the ANZ.
*Police Fire & General Insurance will be subject to the standard underwriting terms and
conditions and is provided through the Police Welfare Fund not by
ANZ. Members are eligible for one period of six months free Police Fire & General Home
Insurance premium only, per member, regardless of the term of Police Home Loan taken.
Police Fire & General Insurance is underwritten by Lumley General Insurance (NZ) Limited.
150
JULY 2014
Saving for a home?
Beat the mid-winter savings blues
There’s no doubt about it – saving the deposit for your first
home can be challenging. And during winter, it can be even
harder to stay on track. Your power bills are higher than ever,
and when it’s cold and grey outside, it’s really tempting to
cheer yourself up with a little something extra.
It might be an extra daily coffee, a new
coat to keep you warm, or maybe a night
out in a nice, cosy movie theatre or
restaurant. Whatever the temptation, it’s
easy to start overspending and hinder
the savings plan you’ve so carefully put
in place.
How do you stop that from happening?
The key is to keep focusing on your big
goal – having a nice, cosy home of your
own. Write down your goal or find a
picture of your dream home and put it
on your fridge, your screensaver, your
phone or your desk to ensure it’s always
at the top of your mind. It’s easier to pass
up a short-term treat when you know it
will help you achieve a big, long-term
goal.
Here are some other quick tips to help
you keep on track with your financial
goals this winter:
• Pay your future-self first – when you
get paid, transfer some money into
your savings before you do anything
else. Then pay your expenses like rent,
power and food. Only allocate
discretionary spending if there’s
anything left over after that.
• Set up an automatic payment to your
savings account – if you don’t see the
money you’re less likely to spend it
(make sure you’re getting the best
return on your savings – for example,
check out ANZ’s Serious Saver
account).
• Use extra money wisely – if you get a
bonus or pay rise, resist the temptation
to spend it straight away. Make sure
you use at least some of it to either pay
off debt or add to your savings.
• Keep track of your money – keeping a
record of exactly what you’re spending
your money on can help you avoid
spending it on things that aren’t really
important in the long run, and keep
you focused on your savings goal.
How ANZ can help
At ANZ, we’ve helped thousands of New
Zealanders through the home buying
process and we can explain what
happens and what you need to do at
each stage. If you’re looking for your first
home, you can take advantage of our
great home loan rates and get up to
$2000 cash* to tailor your home to just
how you like it. And if you’re a Police
Welfare Fund member, you can receive
special discounts on home loan interest
rates and other benefits through the
Police Home Loan Package, helping
make your money go further.
To find out more or to register for the
Police Home Loan Package, contact
ANZ’s Police Home Loan Package
team on 0800 722 524 or visit your
nearest ANZ branch.
• Budget for some treats – denying
yourself completely will only make you
want them more, so put a little away
regularly to use for the occasional treat
when it all gets a bit much.
* $1,500 for new lending of $100,000 or more; $2,000 for new lending of $250,000 or more. Offer not available with any other home
loan offer.
The Police Home Loan Package (anz@work Elite Package) details are subject to change. ANZ’s eligibility and lending criteria, terms,
conditions and fees apply.
This material is provided as a complimentary service of ANZ. It is prepared based on information and sources ANZ believes to be
reliable. Its content is for information only, is subject to change and is not a substitute for commercial judgment or professional advice,
which should be sought prior to acting in reliance on it. To the extent permitted by law ANZ disclaims liability or responsibility to any
person for any direct or indirect loss or damage that may result from any act or omissions by any person in relation to the material.
ANZ Bank New Zealand Limited.
POLICE NEWS – THE VOICE OF POLICE
News/views
A COMMANDING PRESENCE
District command centres are coming online throughout the country. Are they the smart
new way of policing, or simply another layer of oversight on business as usual?
By Ellen Brook.
Senior Sergeant Martin Tunley is the district shift commander at the Wellington DCC, where he says he can take a "whole of district" view. Photo: ELLEN BROOK
E
arlier this year, with most of the
country agog at the royal tour, a
small army of senior Police staff
were monitoring the movements of the
duke and duchess from afar. At the new,
up-to-the-minute National Command
and Co-ordination Centre (NCCC)
in Wellington they tracked the royal
motorcade and walkabouts through “realtime” information from photos and videos
sent from the iPhones of frontline officers,
and were able to say exactly how many
police were nearby if needed.
It was a test run for the NCCC, the
$400,000 big daddy of Police’s new district
command centre (DCC) structure. If
anything had gone awry, the centre, based
at Police National Headquarters, would
have become the hub from which to
oversee damage control. The NCCC was
also used to oversee the national recall of
psychoactive substances in May.
It must have all gone well, because early
last month, Police officially launched the
centre and even decided to throw open the
Overseeing things is what the NCCC and
the DCCs are excellent at doing and, as a
result of their hi-tech monitoring, they
are also expected to predict when and
where crime is most likely to happen
and then stop it happening.
doors of some DCCs as part of its national
Open Day on Saturday, June 14.
Overseeing things is what the NCCC and
the DCCs are excellent at doing and, as a
result of their hi-tech monitoring, they are
also expected to predict when and where
crime is most likely to happen and then
stop it happening.
“Police has evolved,” Commissioner
Mike Bush declared in the May issue of the
Police’s Ten One magazine. He had already
indicated in 2013 that he expected the
centres to change the nature of policing.
The DCCs are equipped with perhaps the
most advanced IT tools in the Prevention
First kitbag so they can “identify emerging
crime trends and deal with them
appropriately”. They are certainly full of
sophisticated equipment, with the ability to
build the big picture of what’s happening
in a district at any given time. Walls of
computer screens blink with information
from multiple sources – CCTV footage,
maps, the crime reporting line, Police intel,
media feeds and social media. The DCCs
are staffed around the clock in metropolitan
areas and as required in provincial districts.
Behind the fanfare, however, there
have been concerns about how the DCCs
and the NCCC have already changed the
traditional command structures of policing
and about how useful the centres can be
on a day-to-day basis. Are they much more
than glorified observers?
Most staff appreciate the theory behind
the centres, but, as usual with Police
districts, each DCC seems to have its own
way of doing things. Set up in mid-2013
and expected to be “fully operational” by
August last year, many did not reach that
stage until this year. When Police News
Continues next page
NEW ZEALAND POLICE ASSOCIATION
JULY 2014
151
News/views
From previous page
tried to visit two North Island districts, it
was told, in the case of Waikato, that a visit
“may be more appropriate once the DCC
has realised its fuller potential”. A visit to
the Central District DCC was also declined
by the district commander.
DCC road trip
Last month, three staff from the Central
District DCC went on a road trip to check
out the other North Island DCCs. Acting
Senior Sergeant Dave Burmeister says the
aim was to identify what looked good for
their Palmerston North-based DCC.
One issue they identified, he says, is that
the “guys on the street” have not really been
educated as to what the DCCs are all about.
“I also questioned it at first,” says Dave, “but
now I have got my head around it I can
see that, if applied correctly, and by being
proactive, we will get there.”
He and his two DCC colleagues, until
recently, were those guys on the street. Now
they are there to offer advice and support,
he says.
Feedback to the Association suggests
that some DCCs are going to be effective
at prevention work only if they can
gather enough staff to cover the required
prevention taskings. If they can’t get staff,
they are limited in what they can achieve.
And, there is certain irony in having staff
in DCCs who are struggling to find staff to
work with.
Districts need to fill the new centres
out of existing staffing levels, while still
maintaining business as usual on the street.
Feedback indicates some teething problems.
On any given day, the DCC, comms and
supervisors may be directing staff to various
tasks or incidents, but, at the moment, some
staff say they are having to sort out who,
or what, takes priority and who should
take the lead, resulting in some frontline
frustration.
Some rural districts are also victims of
the “tyranny of distance”, making it virtually
impossible to redeploy from one remote
area to another in a timely way.
Other reports suggest that with the
removal of many senior sergeants to
the DCCs, some of those left behind –
constables and sergeants – feel they have
lost access to their mentors.
Dave says he’s not surprised that there
may be disparities around the DCCs because
everyone is feeling their way with the new
system.
He understands why there might have
been some resistance to this “new way of
thinking” about policing given his own lack
of understanding at the start.
152
JULY 2014
THE BIG PICTURE
The district command centres use
several new hi-tech systems, including
RIOD, the Real Time Intelligence for
Operational Deployment platform,
which combines information from
multiple sources, including mapping of
key district locations, a district event
calendar, tasking facility, operation
management and media feeds.
Another program, Smart Client,
makes the whole district visible on
screen, showing P1 and P2 events in
real time as recorded by the comms
centres. DCC staff can also map a huge
range of information in crime type and
time-framed searches.
Other Smart Client layers show
victim and crash information, and a
range of locations are flagged with
icons, such as beer mugs or wine
bottles, to show licensed premises.
Another new bit of software, Actual
Strength, displays a range of real-time
information on staffing, including
those who are rostered on, and are
logged on, and staff contact and
certification details.
The NCCC will also keep track of
national events such as the Junior
Rugby World Championship, the
Cricket World Cup, and next year’s
Junior U-20 FIFA World Cup. Staff can
see what frontline officers are seeing
via their iPhones and live video feeds.
“If there is an incident evolving – a
crime scene, a motor vehicle accident,
an emergency – they can actually
relay that live via Face Time from their
device back here,” Commissioner Mike
Bush says.
The National Command and Co-ordination Centre at Police National Headquarters
in action during the royal tour in April. Photo: NZ POLICE
Senior sergeants on the move
Many senior sergeants have moved from
the watch house to either the DCC or other
roles in Police.
One is Wellington District Shift
Commander Senior Sergeant Martin
Tunley, who was manning the computer
screens at the Wellington DCC when Police
News visited last month. He agrees that it
has been a big change, but says staff have
generally adapted pretty well.
“The bigger changes here have been in
our day-to-day tasks, such as the role of
senior sergeants. Many have moved from
predominantly desk-bound admin roles in
areas to district shift command roles, either
in the DCC or on the street, which we see
as a better use of their skills.”
He says that taking a “whole-of-district
view” is also a big change. Under the
old regime, “we got used to dealing with
everything that happened in our areas
by ourselves. Only big events, such as a
homicide, got a district response … The
view was, if something happens in my area,
we are going to deal with it, half the time not
knowing what else was going on out there.
“So maybe the three or four most
important jobs were dealt with immediately,
but bubbling away could be four or five
others that we should, as a district, be
attending. We make the decisions here as to
where else can find staff to attend.”
New relationships have been built
between comms centres and the DCC.
Comms is responsible for dealing with P1
and P2 calls and deploying cars. The DCC
is aware of priority demand but is also
looking at other demand, Martin says.
Wellington Acting District Commander
Chris Scahill says there has had to be some
adjustment in “mindset” in some areas.
While comms centres are still dispatching
to events, the DCCs are working to coordinate and deploy for prevention. “By
doing that we are ultimately more efficient
and more prevention work is done and
that reduces demand, which means comms
benefit, too,” he says.
“The beauty of the DCCs, the real value,”
he says, “is better awareness of resources
and demand profiles. We are already
seeing gains with better co-ordination and
deployment.”
Martin gives, as an example, Operation
Brussels – a homicide in the Wellington
suburb of Strathmore, one recent Sunday
evening. “Response and investigative staff
rushed to the scene leaving a reduced
response capacity to police the rest of
Wellington area. We could see from Smart
Client that the Hutt Valley District had a
lighter workload. We contacted the shift
commander there and got a Hutt Valley
PST car to come in and cover Wellington
for the next two hours.”
POLICE NEWS – THE VOICE OF POLICE
News/views
The point is, he says, that they were able
to look instantly to see what resources were
available around the district.
Long-term solutions
Southern District Commander
Superintendent Andrew Coster said that 10
years ago, police work was largely reactive;
the public would call about a crime and
officers would be called to investigate. “We
still do that, but more and more, we are able
to understand what is happening in terms
of patterns,” he told the Otago Daily Times
when the Southern DCC opened last year.
The DCCs meant police did not look at
an event in isolation. “We ask if there is
some opportunity in the way we deal with
this event to sort it out and put in place a
longer-term solution.”
There are some claims that the
combination of all the new crime-fighting
tools is saving officers about 30 minutes
every shift, meaning they can spend more
time being visible in their communities.
At the launch of the NCCC, Police
Minister Anne Tolley said the technology
was just the beginning. She agreed that
there had been some “nervousness”
around how the NCCC would affect the
autonomy of district command centres.
“That’s something the Commissioner has
to manage, and there will be times on a
national level when the Commissioner will
have to step in.”
Superintendent Barry Taylor, national
manager operations, says the advent of the
command centres is a “quantum leap” for
Police in terms of deployment. Although
the centres were still developing, already
the “situational awareness” they offered
meant Police knew nationally what its
resources were and where they should be
deployed.
When the NCCC isn’t involved in
monitoring national events, it is performing
a “watch and warn” role and can also alert
and inform the executive much earlier than
in previous years, he says.
Members – don’t miss out on
great discounts
Check out our growing range of discounts for
members through the Police Association Member
Discounts Programme.
Simply log in to www.policeassn.org.nz. Select “Member Discounts”
from the Products & Services menu to view the discounts available.
NEW ZEALAND POLICE ASSOCIATION
JULY 2014
153
Feature
As the New Zealand Armed Offenders Squad prepares to celebrate its 50th ann
the career of one of its first members, Graeme Wilkes, as recorded in
G
MEN IN BLA
raeme Wilkes’s first station was
Taranaki St in Wellington and one
wet day, he says, he watched the
AOS vehicles speeding past to an incident
in Tawa. He thought, “That’s not a bad job.
Beats standing in the rain.”
A week later he applied to join the squad.
After a brief chat with an AOS detective
inspector, Graeme was given a chit to collect
his kit of gear, which, in 1966, was a beret
and World War II battledress dyed black
with Police shoulder-flashes. The weapons
were Victory .38 revolvers, .303 rifles and
Federal tear-gas guns.
As the newbie, Graeme had to endure a
fair share of scepticism from older members,
he says.
“A couple of weeks later, I went away with
them to Papakura for training – bushcraft,
weapons training, voice appeal, AOS tactics
and scenario exercises.
“We took the train. First
stop was Paekakariki. As
soon as the train came to a
halt, one of the guys said
to me, ‘Take this carryall. Rip across the
tracks to the pub,
fill it with flagons
and make sure
you’re back
before we leave.’
“I was up for
the challenge, so I
raced over the tracks,
got the beer and just
managed to get back
as the train was pulling
out. The guys all had
their hands out, I thought
to help me, but no – they
wanted the bag. They
grabbed it, then, as an
afterthought, they hauled
me on board too.”
The new guy got all
the “bum jobs” on a
callout, Graeme recalls.
“I was often round the
back of the house, lying
in the chook pen. In those
days, the radio communication was
poor so I had to wait until someone came
154
JULY 2014
and told me it was all over. Sometimes I
waited a long time. Character-building stuff.”
The equipment available for jobs was
primitive in comparison with today’s techsavvy squads. “To negotiate, we used the
telephone or a loud hailer,” Graeme says.
“We didn’t have our own radios. If the squad
was called out, someone would collect as
many beat radios as they could find – which
meant three: two sections got one, and the
boss had one too. But they were hopeless.
The aerial was in the handstrap. At one
training day, some guys stuck their radios on
broomsticks and held them up in the air to
improve the reception.
“For a time, we had 12-volt car batteries
to power lights at night. In the dark, there
were often problems getting everything
connected. Sometimes there were great
showers of sparks which gave the show away.
But the job still got done.”
Graeme recounts a
callout in April 1970
in which he was
closely tracking an
offender, Bruce
Glensor, who was marching two hostages
along Garden Rd in Wellington.
“I led the patrol that went up Garden Rd
to surround Glensor’s house. I had a .303.
It was dark, but I saw him and his hostages
coming towards us. We went to ground but
he knew we were there. He shouted, ‘If you
point that bloody gun at me, I’ll shoot her.’
“They passed within eight or nine feet
[about three metres]. He had a pistol in
his belt and a rifle across his shoulder. We
followed him to an intersection where he
demanded keys for a getaway car. But the
squads had merged and there was bit of
confusion – no keys could be found. He
started yelling again.
“We were 30 metres away, on a grass verge
with a clear view of him. We saw the dog
handler advancing. Glensor drew the pistol.
He swung it towards the handler and yelled,
‘I’ll shoot you too’.
“I dropped to
one knee and
took aim; so did
the guy next to
me. He got the
POLICE NEWS – THE VOICE OF POLICE
Feature
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shot away, and Glensor hit the ground. I ran
forward, grabbed the girl and got her out of
it.
“That was the closest I ever came to
shooting someone. As close as I ever want
to be.”
N
ot all armed-offender incidents
involve firearms. Graeme says many
homicides are caused by blunt or
stabbing instruments – or even boots, used
for kicking. But, he says, it isn’t the weapon
that’s dangerous – it’s the person in charge
of it.
He recalls an incident near Nelson. “A
family was living in a bach. They were
seasonal apple-pickers and had been
drinking all night. The guy had lost it and
was wrecking the place, smashing the
windows. The woman called the police.
When they arrived, he grabbed one of the
kids and a piece of glass, well over a foot
long, and held it against the
youngster’s throat.
The police
backed off
and called
us. The house
was easy to cordon and
contain, but the offender
had three children
with him. During the
negotiating, he often came to the
lounge window with one of the kids
in his arms and made threatening
actions with the sliver of glass. We
couldn’t use tear-gas because it
would affect the kids. We had
another problem, too. He was in
the lounge but to get there we
had to go down a long hallway
and then into the lounge. Easily
spotted. So, once again, we were
hamstrung.
“Eventually, I went forward.
I’d already sent two guys, in
Bristol body armour, into the
house. They were to try to get
as close as possible to the lounge
door and then wait for my signal.
“I shouldn’t have got involved in the
negotiation, but I was really worried about
the kids. So I talked to the guy through the
broken window and we seemed to get on. He
still had hold of one of the kids and the piece
of glass. I saw that he was a smoker, so I lit up
a cigarette and asked him if he wanted one.
When he said yes, I told him I wasn’t coming
any closer because I was scared of him with
that bit of glass.
“He shook his head. ‘Oh no, I won’t hurt
you.’ ‘Okay,’ I said. ‘I’ll give you a cigarette,
but you’ll have to put the kid down.’
“He agreed and placed the child on the
floor, still close to him. I lit another cigarette
and carefully handed it to him. I made sure
he had to lean right out of the window, reach
right out on tiptoes. Both hands out – one
with the glass and the other one stretching
for the cigarette. I gave the signal just before
he took it. The guys crashed through the
door and tackled him. Took him down.
Nobody was injured. Another successful
result down to good teamwork and good
negotiating.”
By the time he retired in 1990, Graeme
Wilkes had built up a long history of
attendance at armed-offender incidents.
Even if they sounded simple and
straightforward, he never assumed they
would be, he says.
“At the station, I’d be given a written report
that hopefully identified the offender –
name, age and any other useful information.
I’d know the location of the scene too. These
Graeme Wilkes, above left, and in the 1970s. Photo
(above): NELSON EVENING MAIL COLLECTION
days they use Google Maps. If it was a house
and street, then the neighbours would have
been telephoned to say there was a problem
and to stay indoors.
“At the scene there’d be a quick recce
before the team was sent out. Hopefully one
of the squad would sight the offender.
“When we knew where he was, it was
game on. If he was in the back of the
house, then one section went in the front.
He couldn’t be in two places at once. If he
shifted to the front of the house, then the
back section moved in.
“If we wanted him out of the house, we’d
throw in some tear-gas. We often cut off the
power, water and, in the old days, his phone
too. Just went to the pole, broke the house
connection, and then reconnected it so he
could only talk to the police. Today, most
offenders have a cellphone.”
Graeme says the most dangerous armed
offender is one who is mobile.
“In the larger districts, it often took the
squads a long time to get to an incident.
And sometimes when they got to the scene,
Continues next page
AOS training in the early days, when squad members seemed alarmingly under-dressed compared
with today’s kit, left. But, as Graeme Wilkes says, “the job still got done”. Photos: NZ POLICE MUSEUM
COLLECTION
NEW ZEALAND POLICE ASSOCIATION
JULY 2014
155
View from the bottom
BY CONSTABLE IAM KEEN
This column is written by a frontline police officer. It does not represent the views or
policies of the Police Association
Feeling the bite
The wintry blues have settled
upon us – an apt metaphor for
the financial chill seeping into
the organisation’s fundamental
networks. For the fifth year
in a row, we have no increase
in budget and we’re already
$45 million in the red. Police
buildings now have limited
maintenance and the vehicle
fleet’s mileage is cruising
skyward. Job vacancies are
not being filled for extended
periods, partly because there’s
no incentive to climb the
ranks if there’s not adequate
financial recognition for the
extra responsibilities, and
partly because a pretty penny
is saved the longer they remain
empty.
Even the John Banks
electoral donation investigation
(or lack thereof) is a product of
our straitened times. Why was
a second opinion not sought on
the matter once Police Legal
Services had assessed it as not
meeting the Solicitor-General’s
guidelines for prosecution?
Because a Crown solicitor’s
opinion costs money – quite a
bit – and, just like the assistant
commissioner says below, it’s
all about priorities.
Fudging the numbers
It recently became public
that the drug crime squads in
Eastern, Bay of Plenty, Waikato
and Central Districts are being
disbanded, with the staff
reassigned to child and adult
sexual assault teams. Assistant
Commissioner Malcolm Burgess
fronted to media, claiming that
the change of duties was not
related to a shortage of staff,
rather that it was just good
old-fashioned business smarts
for district commanders to
prioritise their resources in the
areas of most demand.
Firstly, district commanders
are measured on their ability
to reduce crime stats. If you
aren’t investigating the drug
dealers, you aren’t finding
reportable crimes. Even with
the Criminal Procedure Act
providing for representative
charging, which, in a drug case,
can reduce the criminal charges
by 80-90 per cent, if you stop
investigating drug offending
you stop generating reported
crime. If you then move those
same resources (ie, officers)
to an area where they react to
publicly reported crime, it’s a
statistical win-win for the DC’s
bean counters.
If we keep reducing stats this
well, what are the chances the
next government will tell us
we don’t need as many sworn
staff? At present, we’re funded
for that magical number of
8907 constabulary positions
– based on the promise of the
Government at the last election
not to reduce sworn numbers.
Of course, this has already
been watered down with the
introduction of authorised
officers.
But back to the districts – my
old-fashioned policing smarts
tell me we need to sit on all
types of crime at once so as
not to create a bulge in one
particular area.
Soft-shoe shuffle
near future. Our Commissioner
has released the new and
improved “executive structure”
and the vacancy advertisements
will be under scrutiny right
about now, minus a few that
have already been snaffled. As
they say, a change is as good as
a rest – and we know how little
there is of that at the moment.
Will some of these jobs go
to the loyal team, or will they
go to those who have the
qualifications and skills to lead
and manage? Hopefully these
won’t be mutually exclusive
options. The new deputy
chief executive positions
don’t seemed to have been
advertised in PolPositionz,
but maybe they were on
an eighth-floor bully board
(not something I’d be privy
to). Here’s hoping for some
meritorious appointments.
Stay safe and look after your
mates out there.
See ya
The underground is abuzz
with word that a few district
commanders will be moving to
more salubrious offices in the
From previous
the offender had already left – gone bush or
escaped in a car. Helicopters became vital
for transporting squad men to an incident as
well as for tracking and capturing offenders
on the move.
“We had a job up in the Takaka Hill.
Initially, the police stopped a guy up the
Motueka River bed. He got out of the car
and pointed a rifle at them; they backed off.
He drove into Motueka. They followed him,
but he stopped and pointed the rifle again.
They called in the AOS while the offender
took off for the Takaka Hills.
“Three of us followed him in a helicopter.
We tracked him up the hill. In fact, I got the
pilot to fly down close to him. The offender
could see me. I pointed to his rifle, making
signals for him to give up. But he didn’t. He
pulled off the road into a skid site – a track,
a flat area where trees had been cut down.
“The pilot took us down. We jumped out
and closed in on the car. It was parked up
the track. He couldn’t see us and there was
only one way out, so we dragged logs and
rocks onto the track to block him in.
“We waited for the rest of the squad
to arrive, then started negotiating. He
had the rifle in the car and was very
agitated, threatening to shoot himself and
threatening to shoot us if he saw us.
“Then it started getting dark. We put up
lights. We kept talking to him, but he was
156
JULY 2014
stubborn. He wouldn’t give up. But it didn’t
matter – we had him contained, and we had
time. We were getting information about
him, too. He was wanted in connection
with a murder of a girl in the North Island.
“Then he started doing silly things. He
had petrol and butane gas cylinders in
the car. He was shaking them around and
flicking a lighter. If we’d had some of those
ferret gas cartridges that they use now, we
would have popped a couple of those into
the vehicle and it would have been game
over. But we didn’t, so it was wait and see.
“Then he must have decided to end it
because he put the rifle to his neck and
pulled the trigger. One of the boys ran
forward and, resourceful as he was, put his
finger in the bullet hole to stop the blood.
“He also asked him if he had anything to
say about the murder up north. But he was
unconscious, and the information probably
wouldn’t have been admissible in court
anyway.
“The ambulance got there quickly; he was
taken to hospital. He survived and, when
he was well again, he wrote us a letter to say
how kind we’d been and how we’d looked
after him. He wasn’t involved in the murder,
either.” – edited extracts from Line of Fire:
True Stories from the New Zealand Police
Armed Offenders Squads (John Lockyer, pb,
Penguin).
AOS ANNIVERSARY EVENTS
The first Armed Offenders Squad
qualification course was held at
Papakura Military Camp on August 3,
1964. Since then, several hundred men
and women have served in or with the
squads throughout the country.
WELLINGTON
AUGUST 8
4pm-7.30pm, Massey University Great
Hall, Buckle St, Wellington
Meet and greet function
AUGUST 9
10am-3pm, Royal New Zealand Police
College Porirua
Open Day events including: Memorial
Service, Police Museum exhibition, range
demonstration, AOS equipment, public
AOS display, Royal New Zealand Air
Force 3 Squadron
6pm-midnight, Massey University Great
Hall, Buckle St, Wellington
Formal dinner with guest speakers and
audiovisual presentations
NATIONALLY
Each of the 17 AOS squads is holding
their own events to mark the anniversary.
To find details of the local events,
members can register via email at
[email protected] or register at
https://aos50th.wufoo.com/forms/aos50th-anniversary-2014-registration.
POLICE NEWS – THE VOICE OF POLICE
Notebook
A bloody nuisance
Coming into contact with another person’s blood or body fluids is an occupational hazard
for some Police staff. Whether it’s being spat on, getting injured while breaking up a fight,
giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, dealing with the aftermath of serious car accidents or
carrying out a search warrant, police are at risk of exposure.
Although the chance of contracting an
illness in any of these ways is actually very
small, police must still be vigilant about
keeping themselves safe.
The three major viruses that can be
transmitted through exposure to blood and
body fluids are hepatitis B, hepatitis C and
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
HEPATITIS B
Hepatitis B, which has the highest risk
of infection, is passed on through close
contact with blood and other body fluids,
such as sharing needles, needlestick
injuries, unprotected sex, cuts and
scratches, or sharing toothbrushes.
It is the only one of the three viruses
for which you can be immunised, offering
protection to about 95 per cent of people
who are vaccinated. It has been part of
the government-funded child vaccination
schedule since 1989.
Hepatitis B was a common disease in
New Zealand and an estimated 100,000
New Zealanders still have it. It is the
leading cause of liver cancer in this country.
Symptoms include nausea, tiredness,
dark urine, pale bowel motions, joint and
muscle pain and jaundice and usually
appear between six weeks and six months
after a person is infected.
There is no cure, but treatments are
available to prevent further damage.
In the early 1980s, the Police Association
lobbied Police to test frontline officers
for the disease and to raise awareness of
the risk of infection. As a result, Police
implemented a testing programme in 1987,
with more than 90 per cent of frontline
officers taking part.
Police declined to make the results
public, but said they showed that police
were not at higher risk than other
professions. However, in 1988, Police
announced that some at-risk staff could
be vaccinated if they requested it. This
included those in drug squads, undercover
officers and dog handlers
Today, Police requires all staff at risk of
exposure to blood and body fluids to know
their hepatitis B status and to be vaccinated,
with the costs covered by Police. The
inoculations are available for, but not
limited to, recruits, frontline officers,
NEW ZEALAND POLICE ASSOCIATION
authorised officers and scene of crime and
fingerprint analysts.
HEPATITIS C
Hepatitis C is spread through blood
contact, mainly through sharing of needles
and syringes. It affects the liver, causing
inflammation and liver disease, as well as a
range of other conditions.
Skin puncture wounds
from needlestick
injuries pose the
greatest risk of
infection for
police.
Some people’s bodies get rid of the virus
naturally, while others become “carriers”,
resulting in the liver being constantly under
attack and at risk of cirrhosis (scarring).
There is no vaccine for Hepatitis C and
no universal cure (treatments heal between
45 per cent and 80 per cent of sufferers) and
most people don’t know they have it. The
Ministry of Health estimates that more than
50,000 New Zealanders have hepatitis C,
with as many as 75 per cent being unaware
that they have the illness. Many don’t notice
symptoms until 20 to 30 years after being
infected.
HIV
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
weakens the body’s immune system over
time, leaving it unable to fight off infections
and opportunistic diseases such as cancer.
Most HIV infection occurs through
unsafe sexual practices and sharing used
syringes and needles. Fortunately, even
high-risk exposure, such as a needlestick
injury resulting in a “mini-injection” of
blood, carries only a 0.33 per cent chance of
transmission.
New Zealand has one of the lowest
HIV rates in the world thanks to effective
awareness campaigns. The New Zealand
Aids Foundation estimates the number of
people living with HIV to be 2000.
In each of these diseases, skin puncture
wounds from needlestick injuries pose
the greatest risk of infection for police,
especially where “mini-injections” of the
source’s blood occurs.
This has implications for staff handling
needles and syringes and searching suspects
and premises. The “Safe Working Practices
for HIV and Hepatitis B and C” chapter of
the Police Manual has useful information
on these procedures.
In the event of exposure to blood or
body fluids, staff should follow disinfection
procedures, get blood tests (confirmed
results are usually within six months) and
any relevant treatment, and report the
exposure. Counselling and welfare services
are also available. – KELLY QUILL
BE CAREFUL
The best form of protection against
infection is to follow these precautions:
• All blood and blood products must
be considered potentially infectious,
no matter where they come from,
including other staff members.
• All broken skin, cuts or abrasions
must be covered with an adhesive,
water-resistant dressing at the
start of each shift, or at the time of
sustaining them if such injuries occur
during a shift.
• Gloves must be worn when
attempting to handle any item that
may have come in contact with blood
or body fluids, or when contact with
moist body fluids is likely to occur.
• Protective disposable clothing should
be worn when it is likely that moist
body substances will soil clothing.
• Hands and skin must be washed
as soon as practicable after being
contaminated with moist body
substances, even if gloves were worn.
JULY 2014
157
Notebook
‘Formidable advocate’ retires
Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Pizzini is known to never be short of an opinion. He admits
he’s not shy about expressing his views, especially on matters to do with policing and the
welfare of staff, but speaking up is important to him.
A
s he prepares to retire from Police and
from the Association at the end of this
month, Dave, 53, the Region 2 director, can
look back on a career with both groups that
reflects his enthusiasm for improving the
lot of his colleagues and society.
His personal sense of justice and of doing
the right thing have always been at the core
of his work ethic, along with a detective’s
nose for getting at the truth of things.
At 53, and a bit young to retire
completely, he says, he will be bringing
his experience to bear on a new role as a
private investigator.
There’s something about investigative
work that he still finds compelling, even
after 34 years with Police, he says.
The boy who grew up on a farm in
Cambridge, Waikato, got a taste for
detective work at his first job at the Rotorua
Police Station in 1980. A graduate of the
76th Bishop Edward Gaines Wing, he was
just 19 years old and working on general
duties when he was seconded to the drug
squad during “cannabis season”. Soon after,
he joined Auckland CIB as a detective
constable, qualifying in 1985. A year later
he transferred to Otahuhu.
South Auckland became his territory
for the next 28 years. He’s worked in every
station in the area and lives in Manurewa
with his wife, Julie, and their three children.
He has an older daughter who lives in
Perth.
Dave’s interest in the Association
started in 1991 with a series of events
that ultimately led to a piece of history
being made. That year, a person Dave had
arrested, the notoriously “Parnell Panther”,
serial rapist Mark Stephens, was due to be
freed from jail. “I got a phone call from one
of his victims who had read that he was
going to be released and would, in fact, be
living very close to her. She was concerned
that she might run into him and she asked
me what Police could do about that,” Dave
says.
“I went through the chain of command
at Police, but we didn’t have the same focus
on victims that we have today, and it was
suggested that I contact the Association
instead.
“I went to Steve Hinds [the president
158
JULY 2014
His personal sense of justice
and of doing the right thing
have always been at the core
of his work ethic, along with
a detective’s nose for getting
at the truth of things.
at the time]. As a result, I ended up going
to Wellington to swear an affidavit in the
High Court and the Association was able to
slap an injunction on Corrections to keep
Stephens inside until a proper parole plan
could be organised.”
What came out of that, says Dave, was
that the woman became the first victim
to be invited to a Parole Board hearing to
make submissions. It is now routine for
victims to attend the hearings. Another
outcome was the setting up of the Victim
Notification Register.
“It made me realise that the Association
is not interested only in the pay and
conditions of employment for members. It
wants to make a difference to New Zealand
society and, in this case, it did make a
difference, and I was impressed by that,”
Dave says.
He began attending occasional
committee meetings and in 2002, as a
detective sergeant and CIB supervisor, he
was invited by the Association to address
the commissioner of the day about the
impact that staff shortages were having in
Counties Manukau (CM). “We did not
have enough staff to meet demand and to
attend incidents. We did not feel that the
citizens of South Auckland were getting a
fair go.”
It was the start of a campaign, led by two
other South Auckland staff, and Association
board members, Mark Leys and Richard
Middleton, to get some political traction on
the subject. By the time the 2008 election
rolled around, law and order had emerged
as a top issue in a UMR research poll.
The boost to CM staffing that followed
National’s election win came with the
expectation that CM would use the extra
resources to get results. With Mike Bush as
district commander at the time, it was also
the start of the Prevention First strategy.
By that time, Dave was the Region 2
director and, as was typical, he was making
his voice heard on other issues as well.
He says he had never been an advocate of
general arming for police until an incident
that occurred near the end of 2009. A CM
officer, Constable Jeremy Snow, was shot
four times during a routine check on a
stolen vehicle. He survived only because
his Police notebook took the impact of a
bullet to his chest and the bravery of his
colleagues who extracted him from the
scene. “It was a game changer for me,” Dave
says. “It was a routine callout. What chance
did he have with only pepper spray, cuffs
and a baton?”
There were other factors that led to his
change of heart and his push for routine
arming. “During regular search warrants on
meth dealers we were noting an escalation
in the number of firearms we were finding.
They were not being amassed for use
against police, but to protect assets from
other crims. However, it was worrying for
an unarmed force,” he says.
Looking back on his time in South
POLICE NEWS – THE VOICE OF POLICE
Notebook
Auckland, he says: “I have done
very little on my own, but I
have been a member of teams
that have achieved great things,
including getting the extra
resources for CM.”
Last year, Dave campaigned
for the president’s role. He
says he got to know a lot of
committee members and was
pleased to find support in
unexpected places.
“It was a very busy and
arduous time, but I have no
regrets about standing.”
He remains a champion for
the Association and the work
of its grassroots volunteers,
who, he says, get very good
training and support from the
Association. “The Association
is only as strong as its local
committees. I would like to see
more members get involved
rather than criticising from the
side-lines.”
Looking ahead, Dave says
he is worried that the next 12
months are going to be the
most difficult for police for a
generation. “With a zero budget
increase for the fifth year in
row, that puts huge pressure on
delivery of quality policing and
services.”
Echoing Association
warnings, Dave says there will
be a service failure at some
point. “It’s a lot to bear when
there is already such a lot
expected of police and they are
under such public scrutiny.”
Dave’s commitment and
strong sense of justice made
him a formidable advocate for
the Association, says President
Greg O’Connor. “Just as you
would not like be the criminal
with him on your tail, neither
would you like to be anyone
else acting contrary to the
things Dave believes in. He will
be hard to replace.”
NEW ZEALAND POLICE ASSOCIATION
Knights of the open road
Members of the Blue Knights New Zealand motorcycle club during one of their road trips. The club, which was
founded in 2011, has 33 members.
Police Association rep and motorcycle
enthusiast Sergeant Steve Chung made a
marathon motorcycle trip earlier this year
from Auckland to Bluff – an appropriate
journey for the president of the Blue
Knights New Zealand motorcycle club,
which promotes friendship and safe riding
practices.
The club aims to bring together likeminded motorcycle enthusiasts, connect
with the public and offer a “great escape”
for those who work in high-pressure law
enforcement environments.
Steve, who works as a custody sergeant
in Auckland, made his epic journey in
March, meeting up with other riders
along the way. They passed through the
gentle scenery of the North Island before
heading south. Steve says highlights of
the trip were the sands of Golden Bay,
Queenstown, Mitre Peak, Bluff oysters,
the Cadbury factory in Dunedin and the
Hanmer Springs hot pools.
Last year, a Blue Knights group rode
from Turangi to North Cape, and later this
year a trip is planned to the Mackenzie
Country to coincide with the club’s AGM
at Tekapo. During their travels, Blue
Knights riders often make use of the Police
Association Holiday Home network.
The Blue Knights, which started in Maine
in the United States in 1974, has 20,000
members worldwide. The New Zealand
club was founded in 2011 and Steve says
it has been quietly growing since then,
with interest from throughout the country,
including police officers and members,
serving and retired, from other agencies
such as Customs, Immigration, Corrections
and Fisheries. It has 33 members.
All shapes and sizes of motorcycle
are welcome. The club’s website
(blueknightsnz.org) says it doesn’t matter
if you ride a 250cc or the latest Harley:
“We have members all over the country, so
if you’re looking to get away for half a day
locally, or to set out and see a new piece
of our great country over a few weeks,
you’ll never be short of a friendly face to
share war stories with over a frothy brew
or a cappuccino.”
In 2011, Police National Headquarters
requested that Police staff not join the
Blue Knights. The executive cannot ban
staff from joining and Steve points out
that the club is not a motorcycle “gang”
and New Zealand members do not wear
back patches, “frequent any pubs or
engage in ‘poker runs’ ”. The club is a nonprofit fraternal group and its rules require
all members to be of “good standing”.
Steve says he will continue to “extend
an olive branch” to the executive and
hopefully come to a “mutually acceptable”
position on Police’s view of the club and
its members.
For more information, visit the website
or Facebook page. Video highlights of
the most recent trip can be viewed on a
YouTube link from the web page.
JULY 2014
159
Notebook
MOST WANTED
BEST FEATURE
A documentary on the Erebus
disaster, which tells the story
from the point of view of four of
the police officers who helped
with the recovery operation, has
been named as the Best New
Zealand Feature at this year’s
Documentary Edge Festival.
Erebus: Operation Overdue,
which had its first screening at
the festival last month, revisits
the 1979 plane crash in which
257 passengers on a sightseeing
tour to Antarctica died and
reports on the enormously
difficult circumstances in which
a group of ordinary police
officers found themselves.
Those who contributed to the
film were Bob Mitchell, Greg
Gilpin, Stuart Leighton and Mark
Penn. The film will be screened
on free-to-air TV soon and a
DVD can be ordered from the
website operationoverdue.
co.nz.
160
JULY 2014
HOME OF THE
SHAVE
Police staff like to put their
heads together for a good
cause, so if you’re going to be
in Christchurch in September
why not join "The Brave 500"
who will gather for a mass
head shave to raise money
to combat leukaemia and
other blood cancers in New
Zealand? The Shave for a Cure
event is hoping to break some
records and raise $250,000
for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer
New Zealand. The mega shaveoff is on Saturday, September
20, at the UCSA car park
between noon and 5pm. To
join or make a donation visit
thebrave500.co.nz.
KORFBALL
When you
say it out
loud, it
sounds like
you’ve got
something
stuck
in your
throat, but
the Dutch
sport of
korfball is
catching
on in New
Zealand.
Similar to
netball and
basketball,
it is being
promoted
as the world’s only mixed-team
sport. Two teams of eight
players, with four females
and four males in each team,
aim to throw a ball through a
bottomless basket mounted
on a 3.5-metre high pole.
It’s a non-contact sport with
the emphasis on competitive
fun and socialising and it’s
also a good aerobic workout.
There are three regions in
New Zealand affiliated to the
national organisation, Korfball
NZ – Auckland, Wellington and
Canterbury. To find out where
you can play korfball, visit
korfball.org.nz.
SPOKEN LIKE A
TRUE DOTHRAKI
Police are encouraged to learn
second languages that may
be useful in the course of their
work. This probably isn’t one
of them. But, for fans of the
Game of Thrones books and
TV series, it could be fun to
learn a few choice put-downs
in Dothraki, the mother tongue
of the nomadic horse warriors
led by dragon lady Daenerys
Targaryen. A linguist hired
by TV company HBO has
created a language from the
phrases that Thrones creator
George R R Martin included in
his books. From October this
year, for US$39 (NZ$35.50),
you will be able to access
progressive lessons. “This
book will take you from arakh
to zhavvorsa in no time, and
the audio samples will help you
perfect your pronunciation,”
says author David Peterson.
There are already thousands of
Dothraki speakers online with
entire forums and hundreds
of YouTube videos dedicated to
perfecting the fictional lingo. AAP
POLICE NEWS – THE VOICE OF POLICE
Notebook
FLASHBACK
Action
stations
Rotorua’s brand spanking new $18.3
million police station was officially
opened last month with suitable
pomp and ceremony. Forty-five years
ago this month, there was a similar
fanfare when the previous station was
opened on July 29, 1969.
The three-storey building, which
cost $207,000 to construct, was to
house more than 55 staff, including,
as described at the time: one
superintendent, one inspector, two
senior sergeants, seven sergeants, 35
constables, two policewomen, two
dog handlers, two detective senior
sergeants, three detective sergeants,
two detectives, two typists and a
civilian clerk, in that order.
At the opening ceremony, there was
a march past of uniformed police led
by the Auckland Police Pipe Band.
The official party included the mayor,
the local member of Parliament and
the minister of Police.
That night a party was held in the
“social room” of the station with more
than 120 people celebrating the new
improved police station.
Now the old station has made way
for the newest incarnation and, with
it, new traditions.
The opening
of the Rotorua
Police Station
in 1969. Left,
the new station,
which opened last
month, features
a wraparound
carving,
representing a
korowai or Maori
cloak. Photo (left):
NZ POLICE
DON’T BE STRANDED BY THE ROADSIDE
Your car could have a breakdown, a flat
A full description of services Police Welfare
battery, a flat tyre, or maybe you’ve just
Fund Roadside Assist Plus provides is on
run out of petrol, or locked the keys in the
the Police Fire & General Insurance page of
car. At whatever time, you can call Police
our website: www.policeassn.org.nz.
Welfare Fund Roadside Assist Plus for help.
The beauty of the service is that cover is
attached to the insured vehicle, not the
Getting cover is easy
driver, so it doesn’t matter who is driving
Insure your vehicle with ‘Full Cover’ Police
Fire & General Insurance and you’re
automatically covered. If you would like a
quote, Police Welfare Fund members can
log in and visit the insurances section of our
website:
www.policeassn.org.nz or call
0800 500 122.
your car. If they have a problem, the driver
can contact the service.
This premium service includes the provision
If your motor vehicle has
‘Full Cover’ with Police Fire &
General Insurance, we provide a
professional roadside assistance
service – free of charge.
NEW ZEALAND POLICE ASSOCIATION
Trailers, caravans and vehicles with third party
insurance are excluded from cover.
of a rental vehicle and/or accommodation
if your vehicle breaks down 100 kilometres
or more from your home. These are benefits
not generally provided by standard roadside
support services.
JULY 2014
161
Notebook
NZPA FAST FACTS
Police Welfare Fund
Twenty staff work for the Police Welfare
Fund (PWF) at the Police Association’s
National Office, supporting Police
Health Plan, Police Insurances and
Holiday Homes. The Member Services
team deals with 350 calls a day on PWF
and Police and Families Credit Union
matters.
Police Health Plan
Police Health Plan (PHP) was set up
more than 30 years ago. It offers
quality medical cover, reimbursing
costs from GP visits to major surgery,
with flexible levels of cover to suit
members’ needs. PHP is independently
owned and operated by Police Health
Plan Ltd, a subsidiary of Police Welfare
Fund Ltd. PHP is not-for-profit and
surpluses are used to ensure that
members have access to one of the
best-value health insurance packages
in New Zealand. Consumer magazine
has previously rated PHP as No 1 for
customer satisfaction in the country.
AM Best has assigned PHP a financial
strength rating of B++ (Good).
Insurances
Fire & General Insurance
More than 5800 members have more
than 20,000 home, contents, motor
vehicle and marine policies through
Police Fire & General Insurance. Police
Welfare Fund membership allows
members to access the cover, which
is underwritten by Lumley General
Insurance Ltd.
Financial planning assistance
PWF members have access, at specially
negotiated rates, to financial advice
from Spicers, one of New Zealand’s
leading financial planning providers.
Police Life Insurance
As well as Police Group Life cover,
which extends to 10,000 members, we
provide additional life insurance cover for
5240 members. Life insurance benefits
totalling $5.3 million were paid out on
policies covering members and their
partners in the year to July 2014.
Police and Families
Credit Union
Travel Insurance
Police Travel Insurance offers quality,
cost-competitive travel insurance
cover available 24/7 for Police Welfare
Fund members travelling overseas,
with discounted rates if members
have Police Health Plan cover. It is
underwritten by AIG Insurance New
Zealand Ltd.
Lending and finance
Police Home Loan Package
The Police Home Loan package,
provided through ANZ Bank, has
discounted rates and other benefits
for members of the PWF and their
immediate families. Police Home Loans
continue to grow with a portfolio of
$728m.
The Police and Families Credit Union
(PFCU) is a separate organisation
offering members a savings and loan
service at very good rates.
Holiday Homes
There are 59 holiday homes available
to members in 25 locations throughout
New Zealand. Two new homes will
open in Hanmer Springs later this
year. It costs just $60 a night to stay
in a holiday home. All units are fully
equipped and self-contained. All you
need to bring are food and linen.
Benevolent grants and
benefits
Full members of PWF can apply for a
range of grants and benefits, from birth
and adoption benefits to relationship
counselling. The birth benefit is $50 for
the birth of a child and $200 for twins.
For more information on all of
the Police Welfare Fund services,
visit www.policeassn.org.nz/
productsservices.
OUR HOMES MAKE GETTING AWAY ON HOLIDAY AFFORDABLE
A Police Welfare Fund Holiday Home for just $60 a night is great value
OHOPE
People who live
in Ohope aren’t
modest when it
comes to their
beach. They
simply say it is,
hands down,
the best beach in New Zealand. Situated in the Eastern Bay of
Plenty, six kilometres from Whakatane, Ohope is rightly lauded
for its 11-kilometre stretch of white sand with views to East Cape,
Whale Island and the volcanic White Island. The area also offers
plenty to do, summer and winter: water sports, including surfing,
kayaking, sailing and windsurfing; fishing tours; diving, including
White Island dive tours; mountain biking and hiking; hot springs;
horse riding; golf, including the Ohope International Club, rated
one of the top 20 links in the country; bird watching at Port
Ohope and Ohiwa Harbour; White Island tours, by sea or air, to
one of the world’s few accessible live volcanoes; scenic cruises on
Lake Taupo.
The Police Association has two homes in Ohope ($60 a night).
They are one street back from the beach (about one minute’s
walk away) and each has a TV, DVD player, washing machine,
dryer, shower, bath, spare blankets, pillows, high chair, microwave,
radio and a fenced yard.
CROMWELL
With its history
and character
rooted in gold,
sun-kissed
summer fruit,
drowned valleys
and dam builders,
the town of
Cromwell has no
trouble tempting
visitors to the heart of Central Otago. Its stunning landscape
and location on the shores of the man-made Lake Dunstan mean
there is plenty to do year-round. Old Cromwell Town oozes
history from every carefully relocated brick in buildings that were
moved to higher ground when the Clyde Dam was built in 1993.
The ski-fields of the Remarkables, Coronet Peak, Treble Cone
and Cardrona are nearby, as are the former gold mining sites of
Bannockburn and Bendigo. But, as the giant fruit sculpture at the
town’s entrance rightly celebrates, it’s stonefruit that is the new
Cromwell gold.
The Police Association has one house in Cromwell ($60 per night)
close to the Kawarau River and Lake Dunstan. It has a TV, DVD
player, washing machine and dryer, spare blankets, pillows, a
port-a-cot, high chair and a secure garage.
There are dates available for houses at both of these wonderful holiday destinations and others around the country.
Visit www.policeassn.org.nz/products-services/holiday-accommodation, or call us on 0800 500 122.
162
JULY 2014
POLICE NEWS – THE VOICE OF POLICE
KEEN ON WINE by Ricky Collins
Four-nations wine championship
The Rugby Championship competition held each year between Argentina,
Australia, New Zealand and South Africa is due to kick off on August 16. With
national pride at stake during the competition, I thought it would be interesting
to compare a reasonably priced red wine from each of these four nations and see which stood out for me.
I bought a classic example of a red produced in each country, recommended by a local wine store owner. Each
wine cost $20 or less. After evaluating them using my 1000Minds wine scoring tool, here’s how they rated.
2012 Trapiche Oak Cask
Malbec $14 Score 84%
This is a very appealing,
fruit-forward red wine
with ripe blackberries
and violets on the nose
and palate. It’s well
balanced, with finely
grained tannins, good
mouthfeel and excellent
length. This would be a
perfect match for a big,
rare steak; the showpiece
dish at restaurants across
Argentina.
AUSTRALIA
2012 Wynns Coonawarra
Shiraz $18 Score 84.7%
This is a pretty good
example of Aussie shiraz,
with black fruits, black
pepper and nuttiness on
the palate. It has an inviting
aroma, is well balanced
and has good structure
and an excellent finish. It’s a relatively straightforward wine, but the
nuttiness gives it some
interest flavour-wise. All
up, it’s another great buy
for under $20.
it’s the appealing texture,
balance and complexity
that make it stand out. At
under $20, this is a classy
wine that bats well above
its weight.
merlot and cabernet franc. Some South African red
wines can have a slightly
offputting nose, with a
slight smell of burnt rubber
showing. This wine has
that, but if left to breathe a
SOUTH AFRICA
while, it does dissipate. On
the palate it has interesting
2011 Kanonkop Kadette
$20 Score 79.9%
notes of raspberries,
cherries and a touch of
Kanonkop is one of the
NEW ZEALAND
smoke. It’s well-balanced,
most respected South
2010 Te Mata Estate
African red wine producers has good length and a nice
Vineyard Merlot Cabernet from the Stellenbosch
finish.
$19 Score 88.8%
Okay, I may be a bit
region, near Capetown. This 2010 merlot, cabernet The 2011 Kadette is one of biased, but the homesauvignon and cabernet
its entry level wines, but is ground advantage does
franc blend from Hawke’s
count; even for wine. The
still relatively interesting.
Bay is a wow wine. It’s
$19 New Zealand Te Mata
It’s a blend of pinotage
an amalgam of ripe black
Estate Merlot Cabernet is a
(South Africa’s bestfruits, spice and chocolate known red wine variety)
class above the others and,
on the nose and palate.
at $14 a bottle, the malbec
and several BordeauxThe aromas and flavours
from Argentina is a bargain
style varieties including
are definitely inviting, but
buy. Go the ABs.
cabernet sauvignon,
COPPER’S CROSSWORD
DOWN
DOWN
1. A member of the
army (7)
5. Of three dimensions
(5)
8. Of oneself (3)
9. Questions an imposed
court sentence (7)
10. A term for a male? (3)
11. Long straight tapering
rod of wood (3)
12. Force a window or
door: sounds like a
reward? (5)
15. Soil; result of spill (5)
16. Missing person squad
(6)
18. Make accusation (6)
22. By oneself (5)
24. An internal organ (5)
26. See 16 across (3)
27. Spot or speckle (3)
28. Brings life to (7)
30. Allow (3)
31. Evade (5)
32. Questionable (7)
1. Mark of authority?
(5)
2. Complete circuit (3)
3. A picture (5)
4. See 16 across (6)
5. Numbers given to
charges (5)
6.Travellers
companions? (7)
7. As hot as pepper
spray? (7)
13. Regret (3)
14. A title (3)
16. Injured with hot
water (7)
17. Stopped from going
ahead (7)
19. Hawaiian garland (3)
20. Surprise discovery of
seventh letter (3)
21. Examines accounts
(6)
23. Two under par (5)
24. Bowling alleys (5)
25. Start again (5)
29. Stalemate (3)
NEW ZEALAND POLICE ASSOCIATION
1234567
8
910
11
12
13 1415
1617181920
21
22232425
26
272829
30
3132
1. Soldier, 5. Cubic, 8. Ego, 9. Appeals, 10. Guy, 11. Cue, 12. Prise, 15. Stain, 16.
Search , 18. Allege, 22. Alone, 24. Liver, 26. And, 27. Dot, 28. Ignites, 30. Let, 31.
Dodge, 32. Suspect, Down, 1. Stamp, 2. Lap, 3. Image, 4. Rescue, 5. Codes, 6.
Baggage, 7. Cayenne, 13. Rue, 14. Sir, 16. Scalded, 17. Aborted, 19. Lei, 20. Gee,
21. Audits, 23. Eagle, 24. Lanes, 25. Reset, 29. Tie
by Constable Cunning
Answers: 1. Randall
Flagg; 2. Base jumping;
3. A fantail; 4. 1983;
5. Venus; 6. Mother
Teresa; 7. Wednesday;
8. Possum; 9. The hybrid
offspring of a zebra
and any other equine,
usually a horse or a
donkey; 10. Slumdog
Millionaire.
ARGENTINA
1. Which fictional
character
appears in at
least nine of
Stephen King’s
novels?
2. What is the
term for the
activity where
participants
jump from
fixed objects
and use a
parachute to
break their fall?
3. Which bird
used to be on
the old New
Zealand one
dollar note?
4. Hawaii’s
Kilauea
volcano has
been erupting
almost
constantly
since when?
5. Which planet
is also known
as the morning
star and the
evening star?
6. Who was
baptised as
Agnes Gonxha
Bojaxhiu?
7. In the Beatles
song Lady
Madonna, on
what day did
the papers not
come?
8. By what
nickname
was rally
driver Peter
Bourne more
commonly
known by?
9. What is a
zebroid?
10. In which movie
is Jamal Malik
the main
character?
JULY 2014
163
Sport
SPORTS
DIARY
Australasian Police Basketball
Championships
When: August 2-9, 2014.
Where: Cairns, Australia.
Contacts: Men - Timothy Coudret,
[email protected];
women – Mary Lambert, mary.lambert@
police.govt.nz. Open to both social and
competitive players.
Police Association Ski and Snowboard
Championships
When: August 11-13, 2014.
Where: Whakapapa ski field, Mt Ruapehu.
Contacts: Mark Farrell (Te Puke) for
information and to enter, John Daunton
(Christchurch) for transport plans from
the South Island, or Dave Cowie (Otautau,
Southland).
Note: Thirty-two beds have been booked
at Whakapapa’s Christiania Ski Club for
four nights from August 10-13. Demand
will be high and bookings will be made on
a first-come, first-served basis. Overflow
will be accommodated at another location
close by. Shared transport arrangements
are being made for South Island
competitors wishing to fly to Wellington
and drive from there.
To contact Police Sport,
email Dave Gallagher at [email protected]
Palmerston North hosted the 38th annual Police
from throughout the North Island took part.
Bog standard
The Cross Country Championship course,
set within the grounds of Massey University,
was a mix of flat and undulating farmland,
with logs to leap over and a muddy water
feature to wade through. Cool and overcast
conditions on the day were ideal for the 72
competitors.
Afterwards, many competitors
commented on the organisers’
thoughtfulness at including the water
feature as the resulting squishiness in their
shoes lasted until just before they had to
navigate the feature again on the next lap.
Palmerston North’s Section 3 Team A
won the teams relay, with the four-legged
land shark (aka police dog Vice) and the
rest of the combined Palmerston North/
Wanganui dog handlers team not far
behind.
In the veteran men’s race, Jason Page, A
J Cornwall and Tony Brownrigg jockeyed
for the top spot before Tony’s speed and
stamina allowed him to pull away and finish
with a comfortable lead.
As well as setting up the course, the
Massey team provided marshals, allowing
more police members to join in.
Competitor Tim Masters still holds
the record for taking part in every Cross
Country Championship event since they
began in the mid-1970s. Next year’s event
will be held in Taupo.
Swinging in the rain
Police Association Rugby and Netball
Tournament
When: August 27-29, 2014.
Where: Hamilton.
Contact: All inquiries and entry form
requests to Nick Stark, phone 021 191 1240
or [email protected].
Note: Individual players will be assisted in
finding a team to join.
Police Association South Island Golf
Championships
When: November 1-4, 2014.
Where: Greymouth.
Police Sailing Association Annual
Regatta
When: March 4-6, 2015.
Where: Auckland.
Contacts: Nick Davenport, Nicholas.
[email protected] or Ian
Clouston, [email protected].
nz to register and for accommodation
arrangements.
Note: Numbers are strictly limited and
expressions of interest are being sought
now. MRX Yachting’s fleet of 10.2-metre
Farr racing yachts will be used. Each of
the 10 yachts can take crews of five to
seven members, with a minimum of three
Police members required to be on board.
Funding for the event will be sought, but
some cost will need to be met by each
team. A $50 registration fee per boat will
secure your team’s spot.
164
JULY 2014
Some of the winners: from left, Mark Sewell, Dave Gaskin, Kris Howes and Craig Hedges.
Gale-force winds and heavy showers made
for tricky conditions for the hardy golfers at
the second annual Mid-South Canterbury
(MSC) Police Golf Championship at the
Waimate Golf Club on May 25.
On an already sodden course, the day’s
weather made the medal round hard-going
for competitors and was reflected in the
final scores. Dunedin’s Kallum Croudis
prevailed, finishing up six shots clear of the
field.
The day also doubled as the annual
Otago v MSC match, with the MSC players
winning by a narrow margin.
Results
Overall winner: Kallum Croudis (nett 67)
2nd Senior Nett & MSC Senior Gross
Champion: Kris Howes (nett 73)
3rd Senior Nett & MSC Senior Nett
Champion: Craig Hedges (nett 78)
1st Junior Nett and MSC Junior Nett
Champion: Dave Gaskin (nett 73)
2nd Junior Nett: Janfre Gibbs (nett 80)
3rd Junior Nett: Mark Sewell (nett 82)
MSC CB Lewis Matchplay Champion:
Mark Sewell
Most Golf and Junior Closest to the Pin:
Matt Blakemore
Twos: Kallum Croudis
POLICE NEWS – THE VOICE OF POLICE
Sport
Association Cross Country Championship last month and members
From left, Simon Harrison and Ben Van Berkel were happy to plough right through the mud; Rachel Martin wasn’t as sure.
CROSS COUNTRY RESULTS
Open Men
1st Rob Conder
2nd Trevor Baker
3rd Craig Vining
Open Women
1st Kylie Fayen
2nd Rachel Martin
3rd Ellie Straka
Veteran Men
1st Tony Brownrigg
2nd Jason Page
3rd AJ Cornwall
Veteran Women
1st Haley Marsh
2nd Carrie Martin
3rd Kaye Ryan
Draughthorse
1st Michael Morgan
2nd Ben Van Berkel
3rd Simon Mercer
Walk
1st Andrew (Hemi) Royds
Teams relay
1st Section 3, Team A
(Palmerston North)
2nd Palmerston North/Wanganui
dog handlers
3rd Ron’s Merry Men
(Palmerston North)
Teams trophy (on overall placing
of each team member)
1stPNHQ
2ndNapier/Hastings
3rdFeilding
NEW ZEALAND POLICE ASSOCIATION
Lewis Sutton, left, and Andrew (Hemi) Royds, right, were good sports, carrying Brendan Ngata and Kaye Mutch
safely to the other side.
Do you know
how much Police
Life Insurance
you have?
See our handy online tool in the
'Insurances' section of our website:
www.policeassn.org.nz/productsservices/insurances/how-much-lifeinsurance-do-you-have-or-need
JULY 2014
165
Letters
Signed letters are preferred, but in all cases the writer’s name and address must be supplied. Names will be published
unless there is a good reason for anonymity. The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or decline letters.
Email: [email protected] or write to Editor, PO Box 12344, Wellington 6144
One happy mummy
I was appalled to read experiences of other
women around the country during and
after their pregnancies, a time that I believe
is very special. (Police News, May).
I am proud to say I am based at
Whanganui in Central District where I
was treated with respect by my colleagues,
supervisors and superiors during and after
my pregnancy in 2012. After announcing
my pregnancy, I was advised that once I
felt no longer comfortable on the street
that alternative work would be found for
me, and this was done in close consultation
with me.
HR kept me fully informed of what I
needed to do and what my entitlements
were. I was anxious about my return to work
after a year’s leave, and what my new role
would be, but HR came to my home and
discussed flexible employment options
and a role that I was really interested in.
They emphasised family first and worked
my roster around my husband’s days off,
making my return stress-free.
I felt valued by Police and even more
determined to put my best foot forward. One happy mummy!
KATRINA MOORE
Whanganui
Not Police’s problem
Although I have been out of the Police for
a good number of years, I was still under
the assumption that the staff worked for
the department but it seems that for some
policewomen, the department works for
them, or at least they expect it to when it
comes to having a family.
Not only does the department have an
FEO (flexible employment options) policy
to help returning mothers where possible, it
also has to, if staffing levels allow, find staff
to cover their absences, all so that they can
have both a family and a Police career.
Why must it be the department’s onus to
accommodate these returning mothers for
a choice they have made? In days gone by,
a police officer had to get permission from
the officer in charge to get married. Maybe
the department should make it a policy
that sworn female staff have to consult
and obtain permission from their district
headquarters before getting pregnant.
I am all for women in the Police (myself
having been one), but I have always
maintained that being a female and having
children while in the job is not always ideal. Returning to work while still breastfeeding
is ridiculous, let alone wanting facilities
provided for such purpose. Crime does not
stop so policewomen can breastfeed their
children on duty.
166
JULY 2014
Then you have another, who after having
three lots of maternity leave, wonders why
her supervisor refused to take her back
on her previous working conditions, after
having already been accommodated with
her first two pregnancies.
Who chooses to have a family? Not the
department. These policewomen need to
get their priorities right and decide what
is more important to them – children or a
police career. If they want both, don’t expect the
department to accommodate their “wants
and expectations” during pregnancy and on
return to work. If they want a family, make that their
first priority and put a career in the Police
on hold. If they want a Police career, then
maybe they should think very seriously
about not having a family.
Call me old-fashioned, out of date or
insensitive to such staff, but it is their choice
to have a family. To expect the department
to accommodate them so they can have
children is wanting to “have their cake and
eat it too”. This is not only selfish to the
department and colleagues, but sometimes
also to their children. put it: “For the purpose of this challenge
I am not counting Winscribe notings, the
challenge is around eQuip and a desire to
build its ability.” The motives clearly aren’t
with intelligence-led policing.
Just to illustrate the whims of
management, a week before that, an acting
sergeant was told: “I expect your staff to each
do one Winscribe noting over this shift; it’s a
direct reflection of your leadership.”
To top it off, I’ve heard certain managers
are unhappy about the content of some
notings stating “it’s about quality over
quantity”. It’s a typical example of the police
wanting their cake and eating it too.
I’m all for building the intelligence picture
to help us catch bad guys, but we seem to be
encouraging everything but that.
Good on Police for parting with cash
for new toys, but the minute you throw a
promotional framework over something
or cause supervisors to devise an arbitrary
benchmark, it becomes a chore and
distraction from the important issues.
D WALKER
Rotorua
Martyn Hughes, from Thames, made
some good points (Police News, June)
when he said that our system of electing
Police Association representatives is not
democratic enough.
There is a lack of transparency. We
seem to be running a type of fiefdom and,
although I don’t want criticise the current
Association team, who no doubt do the best
they can to voice the views of members,
there is a need to change the way we elect
our officials.
The Association has an important
role in both representing members and
informing the public on police matters
that may impact on them. How can the
Association speak on our behalf when it
doesn’t truly represent us? If we want a
healthy, corruption-free police, then surely
that starts with a truly democratic Police
Association.
Martyn comments in his letter that
the Association is open to accusations
of nepotism and running an old boys’
network.
Well, in my experience, if it barks like a
dog and wags its tail like a dog…
As for the old chestnut of Aucklanders
having too much sway if we had a onemember, one-vote system, issues affecting
police in Auckland are not so very different
from the issues we have in Canterbury or
anywhere else in the country. Strength is in
numbers, not in division.
With wide use of the internet and email,
surely there is no longer any excuse not to
Tool or chore?
In Auckland over the past couple years,
we’ve been given some new tools, including
Winscribe and eQuip. Like all tools, they
have a time and place when they should be
used.
For example, if I’m at a scene waiting
for the fingerprints team to finish an
examination, I might use Winscribe to send
through my FWS (formal written statement)
to save time back at base. I don’t need to use
it when I’m at base in front of a computer.
EQuip is great for confirming an offender’s
ID or doing a noting when I’m on the
street, but not ideal when I’m at base with a
perfectly good computer and the National
Intelligence Application (NIA) at my
fingertips.
The problem isn’t these tools, but the way
management tries to dictate their use. In
Auckland, we have a certain HR member
who continually complains about the lack
of Winscribe use. It seems the moaning has
worked because the district commander is
now hounding managers and staff. Recently,
Auckland had an eQuip noting challenge;
the winners got a free breakfast with the
district commander. The losers had to deal
with the stigma from management.
These inducements seem desperate and
forced. I suspect that use of the devices
is determined by a slightly out-of-touch
PNHQ. As one senior “Mobility champion”
DEAN BURGER
Auckland
Voting rights
POLICE NEWS – THE VOICE OF POLICE
Useful Information and
Contacts
have a proper and robust democratic voting
system that would allow all Association
members to feel they were taking part in
the electoral process and receiving genuine
representation.
ANDREW BEARPARK
Christchurch
Ride for Jim
Some serving, and many retired, members
will remember Jim Millar. He retired in
2003 and in January 2006 started work as
a cycle guide with Christchurch Company
PureTrails NZ. In January 2013 Jim was
diagnosed with motor neurone disease
(MND) and had to give up guiding shortly
thereafter.
MND is the name given to a group of
diseases in which the nerve cells – neurones
– controlling the muscles that enable us to
move, speak, breathe and swallow undergo
degeneration and die. It is a terminal illness.
The PureTrails team, together with Jim’s
friends and family, have banded together to
attempt the physical challenge of riding the
150km Otago Rail Trail in one day, in the
hopes of raising awareness of this terrible
disease, raising money for the Motor
Neurone Disease Association and showing
support for Jim and his family.
The ride will happen, come rain, hail or
sunshine, on September 25, 2014.
As a member of the PureTrails team,
and a fellow retired Police member (19742008), I invite members to contribute to
this worthy cause by following the link at
www.puretrailsnewzealand.co.nz/our-matejim.htm.
PETER SUMMERFIELD
Christchurch
TYRE-TREAD KEY
RING CHECKERS
Congratulations to the 20 people
whose names were drawn in
our tyre-tread key ring checker
giveaway. The keyrings, supplied by
the New Zealand Transport Agency,
will be posted out to the winners
this month.
New Zealand Police Association:
Police Network
44446
Freephone
0800 500 122
Police Health Plan/
Police Fire & General Insurance
Quotes & information
0800 500 122
or 04 496 6800
or fax 04 496 6819
Claims
0800 110 088
Police Home Loans
0800 800 808
Police and Families Credit Union
General inquiries 0800 429 000
www.policecu.org.nz
GSF information 0800 654 731
PSS information
0800 777 243
Field Officers
Waitemata and Northland Districts
Steve Hawkins
027 268 9406
Auckland and Counties Manukau Districts
Stewart Mills
027 268 9407
Waikato and BOP Districts
Graeme McKay
027 268 9408
Eastern and Central Districts
Kerry Ansell
027 268 9422
PNHQ, RNZPC and Wellington District
Ron Lek
027 268 9409
REUNION
Tasman and Canterbury Districts
Dave McKirdy
027 268 9410
Southern District
Celeste Crawford
027 268 9427
Vice-Presidents
Luke Shadbolt Craig Tickelpenny
027 268 9411
027 268 9417
Regional Directors
Region One
Waitemata and Northland Districts
Jug Price
027 268 9419
The 50th reunion of the 33rd Quarterly recruit wing, pictured here at their graduation
from Trentham in 1964, is planned for January next year. Clint Libby is spreading the
word, seeking those who are interested in attending. You can contact him by email,
[email protected], or ph 027 443 2466.
Region Five
PNHQ, RNZPC and Wellington District
Pat Thomas
027 268 9416
Our sympathies to all our members’ families for those
who have passed away in recent months. We remember…
17-Mar-14
Retired
Christchurch
SANDERS, Owen Raymond
26-Apr-14
Retired
Rangiora
RUTHERFORD, Alan George
4-May-14
Retired
Christchurch
THOMSON, Thomas
31-May-14
Resigned
Christchurch
McKINNON, Hugh Matakino
5-Jun-14
Retired
Auckland
SATELE, Viivale
7-Jun-14
Serving
Auckland
PETERSON, Neil Norman
14-Jun-14
Retired
Taupo
MATHIE, Richard
17-Jun-14
Retired
Auckland
CATTON, Geoffrey Clementis Arthur
17-Jun-14
Retired
Tauranga
COTTERELL, Colin (Roger)
20-Jun-14
Retired
Paraparaumu
BECKETT, Mark
24-Jun-14
Resigned
Mosgiel
NEW ZEALAND POLICE ASSOCIATION
Region Three
Waikato and Bay of Plenty Districts
Wayne Aberhart
027 268 9414
Region Four
Eastern and Central Districts
Emmet Lynch
027 268 9415
MEMORIAL WALL
HARRIS, James Graham Region Two
Auckland and Counties Manukau Districts
Dave Pizzini 027 268 9413
Region Six
Tasman and Canterbury Districts
Craig Prior
027 268 9412
Region Seven
Southern District
Grant Gerken
027 268 9418
For immediate industrial and legal
advice (on matters that cannot be
deferred such as police shootings, fatal
pursuits or deaths in custody) ring
0800 TEN NINE (0800 836 6463)
– 24 hour/seven days service
JULY 2014
167
POLICE FIRE & GENERAL INSURANCE
Some good reasons why over 5500 members
currently protect their home, vehicle, contents,
or pleasurecraft with us
• Great value cover and hassle-free sign-up. (We can even organise cancellation of
any cover with another insurer and for any premium refund to be returned to you.)
• A premium AA roadside assistance service absolutely free with every ‘Full-cover’
vehicle insured*.
• No bank charges or administration fees for fortnightly payments. (Some insurers
charge an extra 5% to 7% for the convenience.)
• We are with you every step of the way, ensuring you get the best service from
arranging cover, to fair and prompt claim settlement when you need to claim.
• Even more savings packaging all your insurance together.
• Any profit we make isn’t sent overseas; it’s used to provide you greater benefits
like lower premiums and more holiday homes to holiday in.
Save money and hassle with your insurance
Getting a quote or further information is easy:
• Log-in and visit the ‘Insurances’ section of our website: www.policeassn.org.nz
(remember to log-in to get a quote);
• Talk to our Member Services team on 0800 500 122, 8am-5:30pm Monday to Friday; or
• Email: [email protected].
(For a home insurance quote, you will need the year the house was built and
its size in square metres or feet.)
* A full description of services Police Welfare Fund Roadside Assist Plus provides is
on the Police Fire & General Insurance page of our website: www.policeassn.org.nz
Trailers, caravans and vehicles with third party insurance are excluded from cover.
Enhancing the wellbeing
of Police and their families