Auckland blues Just how tough is it? - Plastic patrol - Police Association
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AUGUST 2018
Auckland
blues
Just how tough is it?
Plastic patrol Wing 276 What you said
Sustainable police stations Bolder and wiser Annual meetings roundup
Contents
5 Top of her
game 19 Road safety ran
in his blood
10 Constable
Mel Kingi 6 Auckland blues
4 Grim toll: Shocking gun crime stats from the 17 Between the Lines: Membership hacks from Regulars
United States the Member Services Centre team 20 Brain Teaser
5 NZPA Sportsperson of the Year: Black Ferns
17 Ask Your Aunty 20 Keen on Beer
captain Fiao’o Fa’amausili scoops the award again 21 Keen on Wine
6 Cover story: Auckland blues – the downside of 18 Most Wanted: Covert clothing solutions;
25 Letters
living and working in Auckland Senior Constable Stef Harris’s latest movie 27 Memorial Wall
27 Contacts
8 Plastic patrol: Towards the eco-friendly 19 Obituary: Kris Burbery
police station
22 Sport: Sports Diary; CrossFit; NZPA Winter Games
9 Iam Keen
updates; AP&ES info
10 Bolder and wiser: Our five Wing 276 graduates
celebrate five years with Police 24 Postcards from… Akaroa
14 Committee newsflashes: Reports from your 27 Leaving in style: Farewell to long-serving
annual meetings Hawke’s Bay human resources adviser
16 The Tech Files: Smart glasses; vintage tech Shirley Hammond
August 2018 Police News is the magazine of the Printed by City Print Communications, Wellington.
New Zealand Police Association, originally
ISSN 1175-9445 This publication is printed on environmentally
the New Zealand Police Journal, first
responsible paper stock, sourced from
published in 1937.
Published by the sustainable forests, and uses vegetable-based
New Zealand Police Opinions expressed are not necessarily inks. The blue wrap envelope is biodegradable
Association those of the Association. and recyclable.
Those wishing not to receive a personal © NZPA Police News must not be reproduced
P.O. Box 12344, copy of Police News should contact the in part or as a whole without the formal consent
57 Willis St editor (editor@policeassn.org.nz) to be of the copyright holder – the New Zealand
Wellington 6144 removed from the distribution list. Police Association.
2 | AUGUST 2018
NEWS AND VIEWS
from the
16
President
T
The Tech Files he perilous state of our mental has been a near 50 per cent increase
health system is having an in reports of threatened or attempted
unacceptable impact on suicides. In 2017, there were 50,000
policing. By default, police officers mental health events reported to Police.
are the first line of help for tens of This means 20 per cent of a frontline
thousands of New Zealanders in mental officer’s time is spent attending mental
health distress, and that’s not good health callouts. Add to that the 50 per
enough. cent of time spent responding to family
It is not fair to the people involved and harm incidents and it is easy to see
it is not fair to cops. why the public is frustrated at the lack
Our worry about the toll that mental of visibility of police in the community
22
health calls are having on officers was responding to other types of calls for
exacerbated last month when we found service.
out the Government had canned a pilot Members tell us how exasperated they
Sport scheme to trial having mental health are with repeated callouts to the same
workers accompany police attending people, an inability to get those people
crisis calls. the help they need and the waste of
Because the idea for the pilot had been police resources when they have to wait
National’s, and Labour has decided not hours in hospital emergency rooms until
to implement it, an inevitable political an overworked mental health specialist
tit-for-tat blame game ensued. Not a is available.
single person needing mental health Yes, that is better than taking an unwell
care was helped by that. person to a police cell, where I think we
I doubt the proposed pilot would have can all agree they do not belong, but
been the ultimate panacea, but I do it does mean that police officer is not
24
know that there is a crisis and that the out in the community preventing and
Postcards from... status quo has, by stealth, co-opted solving crimes.
Akaroa frontline police to deal with incidents The Government’s inquiry is due to
that actually require fully trained mental report back at the end of October. I
health professionals. sincerely hope there is acknowledgment
The situation is so critical that it is that a police uniform is not the ideal first
not unreasonable to take the view that sight for people going through a mental
anything, even a pilot scheme that could health incident, and it certainly is no
run while the Government’s Inquiry into substitute for a medical professional.
Mental Health and Addiction does its We are looking for a firm
work, would be better than nothing. acknowledgment that police officers
There has been alarm expressed about are shouldering too much of the burden
Phone: (04) 496 6800
the fact that police recruits have only when, in the majority of cases, mental
Fax: (04) 471 1309
four hours of training for dealing with health is not a policing issue.
Editor: Ellen Brook people in mental health distress. The
Email: editor@policeassn.org.nz reality is, this is just one of a vast array of
Website: www.policeassn.org.nz
subjects that must be covered in their 16
weeks at Police College.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
nzpoliceassociation
The increase in mental health-related
calls for service is truly astounding,
Twitter: @nzpoliceassn
and should be of concern to all New Chris Cahill
Zealanders. In the past four years, there president@policeassn.org.nz
AUGUST 2018 | 3
The Buzz
Grim toll of gun crime
T
he Maryland newspaper shooting
$68,000 in June, in which five people died,
was the 154th mass shooting in the
United States for 2018, and one of four that
The amount Victoria Police same day. In 2017, there were 345 mass
charged Canadian far-right shootings (defined as four or more killed) in
commentator Lauren Southern for the US.
police resources deployed at her The horrific statistics were part of a Massey
University debate in Wellington last month
event in Melbourne last month.
led by New Zealand academics Catherine
Police told news.com.au they were
Strong and Senior Sergeant John Battersby,
“disappointed” the provocative who is a teaching fellow at Massey’s Centre
event was taking officers away for Strategic Studies.
from normal duties. Recently back from the US, Dr Strong
revealed how so-called soft targets for
shooters there – churches and schools –
were being encouraged to lock their doors,
“AVIATION but some had decided to confront the issue
NUISANCE” and warn shooters they would be met with a
A notice outside a church in Tampa, Florida.
deadly response.
An Orākei board member posts A push for media to focus on victims rather
concerns about the Eagle than shooters had spawned unintended cars, boats, dogs, births, deaths and marriages
helicopter flying over the Auckland consequences, she said. could not cooperate on accounting for lethal
Firstly, social media had shared enormous weapons, and why 7000 Kiwis needed nearly
suburb of Remuera at night on
amounts of detail about shooters and, 14,000 military-style semi-automatic weapons
its way to attend jobs in South
secondly, when victims were the focus, readers between them.
Auckland. – Facebook
and viewers who empathised with them were “Cahill’s question is not so much a
more likely to arm themselves for protection, challenge to the gun community as a request
potentially resulting in more shootings. for a reasonable explanation for these guns
Dr Battersby said that in New Zealand, coming into New Zealand,” Dr Battersby said.
“Police is keen to discuss owning a firearm was not a right, but a With respect to the Law and Order Select
a solution with the privilege that could be revoked.
Any assertion to the contrary, he said, was
Committee rejecting recommendations on
firearms registration, among other issues,
Police Association” coming from “elsewhere” – a not-so-subtle Dr Battersby attributed that to “the result
reference to the gun lobby. of interest groups appealing to the select
Police response to publicity Dr Battersby said he was not convinced by committee rather than evidence”.
about problems with the comms the argument that registering firearms was He added: “We are careless with our
centres’ preference-based too difficult to consider when New Zealand national arsenal and our official information
scheduling roster system. registered four million vehicles a year. is not robust enough. We don’t know if we
He quoted Police Association president don’t have a gun problem or not [but] a
– Radio New Zealand
Chris Cahill, who in a speech in February national gun registry would go a long way to
asked why a small country that registered fixing that, if it is done properly.”
83rd New Zealand Annual General Meetings
Police Association Wednesday, October 10
Conference 2018 • Police and Families Credit Union, 11am-noon
Wednesday, October 10, to Friday, • Police Welfare Fund, 1pm-2pm
October 12, at the James Cook Hotel • NZ Police Association, 2pm-3pm
Grand Chancellor in Wellington. All members are invited to attend.
4 | AUGUST 2018
NEWS AND VIEWS
NZPA Sportsperson of the Year
From strength
to strength
D
etective Constable Fiao’o “I’m really here to help the
Fa’amausili, our superstar Black girls coming through, to
Ferns captain, has scooped the keep the standards up and
Police Association Sportsperson of the give them guidance and
Year award for the third time and the the best way to do that is
second year in a row. on the field.” Fiao’o in her civvies at
last month’s Black Ferns
This time, she says, she’s not giving too A lot of it is about capping ceremony.
much away about what the future holds. mental preparation, she
When she won the 2016 award (presented says, keeping calm on
last year), she told Police News she was the field and off.
planning to retire after the crowning glory There could be few
of her team’s Rugby World Cup win in better role models for
Belfast. combining the pressures
Since then, however, Fiao’o and women’s of high-level sport with a
rugby in general have gone on to more career as Fiao’o continues to
successes and accolades, at home and progress in her job as a crime
abroad. Instead of retiring, the 37-year-old squad detective constable in
is back on the field, still as captain, and Counties Manukau District.
looking forward to two tests against the Apart from the World Cup games
Aussies this month and a series later in the last year, Fiao’o played with Auckland
year Club women’s champions Marist, played
In terms of what the future holds, she’s 100 games for the Auckland Storm and, as
“playing it by ear this time”. a Black Fern, became New Zealand’s most
capped player, reaching 50 tests at the
World Cup (now 52). looking forward to reaping the rewards
She was named the No 1 hooker in the and, eventually, to professional women’s
Women’s World 15 rugby team and the rugby.”
Black Ferns were named the World Rugby In the meantime, she says, it’s important
Team of the Year at the World Awards. that women players have time to put
At home, the Ferns were named the energy into their day jobs too and to make
ASB Team of the Year and Fiao’o plans for life after rugby.
was chosen as the New Zealand Her services to the sport were recognised
Herald New Zealander of the this year when she was made an Officer
Year. of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the
She’s the first to admit that it Queen’s Birthday Honours.
has been incredibly difficult to fit There’s no doubt she’s driven by her twin
sporting commitments around passions of policing and rugby, but family is
work, but she’s managing it. also at the core of everything she does.
“I’m really lucky that Counties Especially poignant for Fiao’o last year
Manukau Police are so supportive was having the Farah Palmer Player of
if I need time off.” the Year medal named after her. The
Physically, after the past year, she’s Fiao’o Fa’amausili Medal will be presented
feeling “pretty much all broken”, she annually and in 2017 it went to fellow
says, but there’s much to look forward Black Fern Hazel Tubic from the Counties
to. Apart from the games this year, there is Manukau Heat.
the start of contracts for women’s teams “The best thing is having my family’s
– a “massive” change for the sport, thanks name on an award,” she says.
in large part to the success of players such Police Association president Chris
Making mum proud: Nasareta Fa’amausili holds
as Fiao’o. Cahill presented Fiao’o with her Police
the No 15 jersey her daughter wore after Fiao’o
was named the No 1 hooker in the Women’s “I’m very glad to have been part the group Sportsperson of the Year award in Auckland
World 15 rugby team last year. that paved the way for that,” she says. “I’m last month.
AUGUST 2018 | 5
COVE R S TO RY
Auckland blues
Auckland is a great city. It’s big, bold and vibrant. People who live there enjoy good
services, a cosmopolitan culture and a temperate climate. One-third of the country’s
population now call it home, but increasingly, its big-city status and successes are
becoming a curse for ordinary working people, including members of Police.
I
n the past few years, Police A letter to Police News is typical of the Member feedback to the Association
Association members have been exasperation clearly being felt in Auckland. shows the perception is that the price of
sounding the alarm that the costs The writer, who has now left Police to just about everything in Auckland seems
of living in Auckland are becoming join the private commercial sector, said: to have doubled in the past 10 years, while
untenable. “I don’t plan or want to end up on a clifftop wages have not.
Members are feeling the squeeze when mansion. I just want to some day own my “People used to joke about cops living at
it comes to rents, house prices, fuel taxes, own home and support my family, and I home with the parents, now heaps actually
traffic and travel woes and staff attrition. want to do this without having to live pay are!” says one member. “And, if that’s not it,
Some are choosing to leave the city, but cheque to pay cheque. I get the sense they’re living in awkward flatting situations
for others that’s not really an option. It’s that people outside Auckland believe that ages away from the station they work in,
their home, where they were born and everyone here is making a fortune from costing extra in petrol, which keeps going up.”
raised, and they are well invested in their capital gains in the property market. The So should there be an Auckland
communities. Besides, someone’s got to reality is, we’re not. There are few who allowance?
police Auckland. have been fortunate enough to have “Yes,” says another member. “It will cost,
It’s no secret that rents and house prices been around long enough to reap the but hopefully we can retain staff in the job,
are significantly more expensive than in rewards, but the numbers are insignificant retain staff in our area instead of training
other cities and show little sign of going compared with the majority of Auckland them and then losing them to cheaper
down in the near future. cops, especially the new ones coming areas.”
If you are not already established in the through.” Some members fear that attrition,
housing market in Auckland, it appears to The reality for some staff is that by joining currently at almost 6 per cent, is going to
be an almost impossible dream, and rents Police in Auckland and a few other high- jeopardise the promised figure of 1800
remain unreasonably high, rising faster than cost areas of the country (Queenstown extra Police staff over three years.
inflation nationwide since 2010. and Tauranga, for example), they will feel “We need to stem the attrition rate,
The national median rent for a two- disadvantaged by taking employment particularly in high-demand areas such
bedroom home is around $395 a week; there. as Auckland. To do that, we need to pay
in Auckland that is $550 a week. Average Already, in the past couple of years, the Auckland-based officers a reasonable
house prices in Auckland last year were Association has noted that among the wage. It seems unfair that staff in provincial
$952,000 (make that more than $1 million recruit wings coming through the Police towns get paid the same salary as staff in
for central Auckland). That compares with College, greater numbers are experiencing Auckland when the cost of living is much
$565,000 in Wellington and $471,000 in a reduction in income (compared with their higher here.
Canterbury. previous jobs) not only while they are at the “Such a proposal might fail in a popular
“On a cop’s salary, that is unachievable,” college, but on graduation. vote among members, but sometimes the
says a senior constable from South right decision is not the most popular one.”
Auckland. “I know that a lot of members A senior sergeant in central Auckland says
say we don’t have to live in Auckland, but that after three decades in policing there,
this is where people have grown up, have he has never seen such a high attrition
a family and their children are settled in
schools.”
6 | AUGUST 2018
rate, with many officers either moving to One of the biggest, and perhaps most family, it’s something I will have to
Australia or into civilian roles in Auckland. notorious, Auckland issues is the high consider.”
“Detectives I have known are leaving volume of traffic and resulting congestion, However, many members can see that
for better pay and conditions to other which affects everyone no matter their an Auckland allowance would be a blunt
government departments or insurance financial situation. An eight-hour shift can tool given that the pressures of balancing
companies.” easily turn into an 11-hour commitment a budget are felt around the country and
There is a lot of talk around the muster when travel to and from work is added in. not every member of Police in Auckland is
rooms about looking for another job. It isn’t always possible to live near to where struggling with housing or other costs.
Another cop laments that he has seen you work, particularly if it’s in the central So what are the other possible options –
“so many friends quit who were bloody part of the city. and not just for Auckland?
awesome cops, all because of the pay”. Some suggestions include:
Rural stations have allowances to • Paying officers for all overtime.
compensate for isolation and costs, so why Many members can see • Targeted accommodation subsidies for
not Auckland, some members are saying. that an Auckland allowance those who need it most.
In many other police forces around the
world, officers in metropolitan areas are paid
would be a blunt tool • Flexible working options, such as doing
given that the pressures of four 10-hour days, thereby reducing the
a higher rate or “weighting” to acknowledge
need to travel long distances every day.
the extra costs of big-city living. balancing a budget are felt
The New Zealand Defence Force • Targeted child support and transport
has recently moved to address such around the country and not assistance.
concerns among its staff and has agreed every member of Police in There are already cases being reported
to an allowance for staff moving into or
Auckland is struggling with to the Association of staff pitching in,
remaining in more expensive locations including district commanders, to help
and cities. housing or other costs. colleagues who are struggling financially.
They know that a cop who is under
I ncreasing living costs are not exclusive
to Auckland, and getting on the property
ladder can be tough all over the country.
One young cop travels for an hour-plus
to work each way from his
home north of Auckland. He
financial pressure at home may find it
harder to be at their best at work.
The added inconvenience of working
If you’re mortgage-free anywhere, you’re admits he feels like “one of the unscheduled overtime, compensated only
going to be better off for it. lucky ones” because he and his by TOIL, does not help anyone’s finances, so
“There are many Police staff in Auckland wife were able to buy a house, there could be room for improvement there.
who already own their own house and but the travel is draining and Many members lament the control
have for many years, which means they takes a toll on family life and he that Police has over their ability to earn
have benefited from capital gains and would like his commitment to additional income, with secondary
would again benefit from an allowance, if be fairly recognised. employment options such as working on
that was the proposed solution,” writes one “I must admit, most days I licensed premises, commercial driving and
member. “Even with the new petrol levy feel tempted by jobs in the security work being off-limits to Police
[in Auckland], the petrol price is cheaper provinces where both my wife staff.
there, holidays overseas are cheaper, house and I would be paid the same, Police Association president Chris Cahill
furnishings are cheaper and much else as have next to no mortgage says all these options may have to be
the result of competition pushing prices and a great lifestyle. But we considered and deployed to make progress
down. care about where we live now in alleviating the big-city Auckland blues.
If Auckland was to get an allowance, then and our family and friends are “Auckland affordability is such a big
so should Wellington and pretty much here.” issue it cannot be solved in a pay round,
everyone else.” Others he knows have left but that doesn’t mean we should shy
Police in search of more away from targeted assistance for those
money. “I don’t want to be members most in need and, to that end,
part of the exodus, but if the all possible options will be explored,” he
strain becomes too says.
great on my “Some things may be able to be
addressed in the pay round, while others
will be longer-term solutions.”
AUGUST 2018 | 7
NEWS AND VIEWS
Towards the eco-friendly
police station
How big is Police’s environmental footprint?
T
ake the biggest Police-issue boot In his patch, it was several years ago that making meaningful change from the
you can find and multiply it by he and a few other staff members felt the bottom is almost impossible – it has to
10,000 – about the number of need to make changes. “You didn’t have to come from above.
staff who work for Police. be much of a greenie to notice the large “The essential first move for Police to
And it’s not getting any smaller. volumes of waste being generated by a aspire to right now is at the very beginning
Some of those staff, however, are trying station the size of Dunedin Central and of procurement policies, which need to
to “do the right thing” and create more to start feeling guilty about where it was be carefully looked at. Recycling is the
sustainable police stations. headed,” he says. ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.
Detective Mike Bracegirdle is chair “Particular issues were station clean-up Purchasing decisions are key to preventing
of Dunedin Central Police Station’s days, when e-waste, old desks and other waste.”
Sustainability Committee. Never heard of it? office furniture were just tossed into mini- Mike is optimistic about what can be
You’re not alone. Such groups are a rarity skips and sent to the landfill.” done: “With just a modicum of leadership
in Police, but Mike and his small team of In the early 2000s, his proto-action group and direction from the top, we could
about eight are hoping that will change. instigated three-colour stacking recycle start moving in the right direction. We
At the moment, he says, Police’s stations, which, he says, was soon copied are a potent force when we choose to
performance on sustainability is “a national in many other stations. pull together on any challenges and the
embarrassment”. Even now, though, he notes, it can still be sky is the limit for what we could achieve
He would like every police station, tough getting a hard-working cop on his in being an environmentally responsible
including the “flagship” Police College lunch break to dispose of his rubbish in the organisation.”
premises, to start having a conversation proper way. He would like to help create a movement
about sustainability in their patch, as has “A minority of staff are fantastic, but, sadly, within Police and a national network of
happened in Dunedin. in our busy working days, recycling is not sustainability groups. He’s sending out
The key, though, says Mike, is that the at the top of our tasks. Education is the the call and hoping that younger staff
change has to come from the top, with key with staff and our attitude is that every especially will take note. “New, young
policies integrated into organisational single piece of plastic or glass put in the police officers and non-sworn staff of
strategies, even recorded within Our right bin is a win.” today must see sustainability as quite
Business. One piece of good news at Dunedin, the norm. Where are their voices?”
“What is happening to the thousands of Mike says, is that funding has been – ELLEN BROOK
tonnes of refuse generated by our stations approved for soft-plastic collection stations
every day? Where does our voluminous to be installed on all four floors of the What do you think Police should be doing
e-waste end up and what about the station. A committee member has been about environmental sustainability within
thousands of worn-out patrol car tyres sent tasked with tracking monthly electricity the organisation? Email us your ideas to
to the landfill every year? usage to see how it might be reduced. editor@policeassn.org.nz.
“We are leaders in so many other fields Mike says that while the bosses are happy
within government departments. We need for staff to implement changes themselves,
to add responsible eco-citizenship to our
sworn, day-to-day duties and address the
environmental impact of our stations and
services in our regions.
“I wonder if our executive understands
that instituting intelligent energy efficient
and sustainable practices can lead to
budgetary savings?”
Sustainability and the environment are
big topics elsewhere, Mike says, but, sadly,
there seems to be little in-house discussion
within Police, despite the fact that these
days most successful and innovative
Members of Dunedin Central Police Station's
corporates have such policies. Sustainability Committee; from left, Sally Cargill,
Detective Inspector Reece Munro, Heather
Dunne and Detective Mike Bracegirdle.
8 | AUGUST 2018
NEWS AND VIEWS
This column is written by a frontline police member. It does not
represent the views or policies of the Police Association.
Inhuman resources? Never mind fighting crime, when you’re Although, I could only speak one language!
I ’ve heard that the human resources cabal busy battling your own bureaucracy. Which reminds me that I’ve also been
appear to be having a few problems. impressed with reports that more and
Maybe they are sick to death of working
Diversity in the ranks more people throughout the country are
with MyPolice – everyone else certainly is.
Or maybe there are not enough of them.
A ll the talk we’ve heard about diversity is
starting to become a reality judging by
signing up to learn te reo. Ka pai!
Justice Canterbury styles
the make-up of the largest ever Auckland-
N
Whatever it is, we at the coalface seem
only Police wing in 40 years that graduated ext time you find yourself in
to be experiencing, to put it kindly, an
from the Police College in May. Christchurch, get in touch with a local
“irregular” service.
Among the 78 graduates of Wing 314 copper for a tour of the Justice Precinct.
For example, a mate of mine can’t figure
were officers of Māori, Pacific Island, Asian It’s an impressive beast… now that the raw
out if he’s being paid right. Apparently, it’s
sewage issue has been resolved. Basically,
done automatically by MyPolice, but no and New Zealand European descent and
everything has been turned into an old-
one actually knows what the calculation is! some speak second languages such as
school muster room. You have your locker
When he questioned it, HR decided to use Māori, Afrikaans, German, Hindi, Punjabi,
and your little tray of goodies and you sit
a “service desk job” autobot reply to get it Korean, Mandarin, Thai and Samoan.
yourself down anywhere you can find a
resolved. Like when your computer breaks. It certainly reinforces Auckland’s status as
spot. It’s worked brilliantly for us frontline
And, just like when your computer breaks a multi-cultural melting pot. The officers
staff for years…
and they fix it and send you an e-mail were posted to Auckland, Counties
telling you the problem has been resolved,
he got an automated response saying: “This
Manukau and Waitematā.
Let’s hope they stick around. Some of
Stay safe out there...
job has been resolved. The pay is correct.” the stories I’ve been hearing about attrition Constable Iam Keen
He doesn’t think so, which was the whole rates this year have got me wondering To update Iam Keen
point of his original complaint. Geez, it’s about whether policing is still the long-term with information, email
enough to send a good bloke off the rails… career that it was seen as when I started out. iamkeen@policeassn.org.nz
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.
AUGUST 2018 | 9
NEWS AND VIEWS
Bolder & wiser
All five of our Wing 276 graduates say they can hardly
believe it’s been five years since they left Police College
to begin their careers as police officers.
T
wo of the Wing 276 graduates have also Sam Hutcheson, who is single, says the high cost
been doing their bit to add to the police of living in Auckland is a challenge, but not unique
family, producing twin boys and a girl. to police. “It needs to be addressed within Police,
All have spent time working with tactical crime units but it’s a distraction from the wider issue that police
and all continue to broaden their policing skills. officers everywhere in the country face – that
Three of the five are based in Auckland, where, our pay does not acknowledge and reflect the
as detailed in this month’s cover story, some of our high-stress situations we are in on a regular basis,
members are doing it hard. the responsibility we hold and the high level of
Amy Flower says there is no doubt that the costs of accountability that we are, rightly, subject to.
living and working there are very high. “We’re forced “It also doesn’t account for the price police officers
to move further and further away from the centre due pay in donated overtime and the toll the job takes
to rising rent/house prices and end up spending more on their wellbeing. It generates resentment in the
on fuel and time travelling to and from work, which ranks, particularly in an environment that prioritises
impacts on family life. I feel for those with even larger social media campaigns and recruiting while we
families to provide for.” haemorrhage quality people to other industries and
Catherine Sieczkowski says she would like to take overseas. It goes deeper than a bunch of Aucklanders
a whole year off with her twins, but she and her wanting a few more pennies in their pocket on pay
partner simply won’t be able to manage on one wage, day.”
even though the costs of daycare are going to be Police News has been following the group since
“ridiculous” – almost $600 a week for the two boys – 2013. Here’s what else they have to say about their
“Most of my pay gone in a fortnight.” professional and personal lives this year.
5 years ago...
Sam
Mefiposeta Amy Catherine
Mel
10 | AUGUST 2018Making a as not to draw negative attention to my
family. My daughter has said she wants to
“Promotion has financial rewards
attached to it, but I don’t feel that an
difference at be a police officer too, and I’m okay with
that.”
increase in pay is enough to warrant me
taking on the stress and responsibility of a
the coalface Mel says that in the course of her work,
she always attempts to defuse difficult
supervisor’s role at this point in time.”
The move to working in Foxton wasn’t
situations without resorting to her planned, Mel says, but has quickly
C onstable Mel Kingi, 37, has found
herself in a role where she feels she
can bring all her skills to the workplace –
appointments, and to date has used only
her OC spray.
become a highlight of her career.
“I’m able to incorporate all of my
frontline at the Foxton Police Station. “Maybe it’s because I’m female. passions within policing, working in
Since graduating from Police College, Maybe it’s because I’m Māori and have a small community, getting to know
Mel was working in her home town of a connection with the large Māori people on a first-name basis, helping
Levin doing general duties, including population I deal with in this job. Whatever to educate those needing to break free
six-month stints in family harm and with it is, I try to connect in some way with the from the criminal system, protecting
the tactical crime unit (TCU). That work people I deal with and to avoid presenting and supporting those affected by crime
helped clarify where she felt her policing as intimidating or threatening. I think that and ultimately feeling that I am helping
future was heading. has helped me avoid potentially hostile, people.”
“TCU focused on volume crime, physical altercations.”
gathering information and intel from Mel says she is not interested in
covert sources, executing search warrants climbing the ranks within Police at
and with a strong focus on getting ‘bad this stage in her career.
guys’ off the streets,” she says. “While I “While some strive for
loved the experience, my passion and promotion, I get satisfaction
purpose for joining Police was not to ‘lock from working directly with
up baddies’, but to help people break free those needing immediate
from the criminal system and to work police assistance. I rate my
closely with those affected by crime. successes on establishing
Working with the family harm team gave trusting relationships with
me more opportunity to do that.” people who may previously Mel Kingi says working
It’s an ethos she has had since she went not have been willing to frontline in Foxton has
interact with police. become a highlight of
to the college. Back in 2015, a year after her career.
graduating, she told Police News: “Every
person has a story, yet I am only given an
insight into one chapter. Whether they are
drunk, homeless or have been beaten, I
want to help them.”
And when it comes to family harm
incidents, that is where police can really
make a difference, she says.
This year, she is based at Foxton
Police Station, about 15 minutes’ drive
north of Levin. “We work in pairs, but,
as is expected, we often find ourselves
working alone. There are challenges
that come with that, but it suits me –
talking to people, establishing trusting
relationships and helping create a
positive rapport between community
and police.”
Mel’s daughter, who was 10 when
she started with Police, is now 15.
“I used to worry about the effects
that my job would have on my
family, but I think that being
a mother makes me a better
officer. I strive to establish fair
and positive interactions so
AUGUST 2018 | 11NEWS AND VIEWS
At a crossroad He’s considered exploring negotiation
work and did some training with the
C onstable Sam Hutcheson is the Auckland police negotiation team, but even
Sam Hutcheson
youngest of our five Wing 276 that was still a bit far from the action for
says he's more
graduates. At 25, he admits he is at a bit at home doing him. “The AOS is my next challenge, but I
of a crossroad in his career. “I was only 19, "hands-on", need to get a lot fitter for that.”
operational
just turning 20, when I started. I’ve grown Right now, he’s considering doing the
work, dealing
up a lot in the past five years and now I’m with people, CPK sergeant’s exam.
going through a transition period, trying than sitting During his first year on the job, Sam was
behind a desk.
to figure out what I want to do. part of TV’s Police Ten 7 cop show. Looking
“I don’t feel at the moment that I would back, he says, it was certainly strange being
necessarily spend my whole career in followed by the cameras and he was a bit
Police though I’ve gained experience and sort of work, but at the moment I would more conscious of what he was saying.
skills and learnt a lot about humanity.” quite like to spend some more at the “The programme has become more and
Up till June 2017, Sam had spent time coalface.” more ‘PC’, and so has Police, I reckon. We
with several workgroups – the public He definitely prefers frontline, operational, do serve the public and we are accountable
safety team, as a field training officer and “hands-on” work, dealing with people, to the public, but sometimes we seem to
acting sergeant, Crime Squad and Auckland rather than sitting behind a desk. bend over backwards to avoid offending
Metro, attending a lot of major incidents. That was evident when he was on a PST anyone. It’s a shame we can’t show real
He spent the past year in CIB. “It was patrol in 2017 in Auckland and drove by a policing on TV.”
never my ambition, but I wanted to do it young man standing on the edge of the Off-duty, Sam has been trying to build
to see what it was like. It has been a good Grafton Rd overbridge, “obviously about to a race car – a mid-90s Honda Integra –
experience, but I haven’t enjoyed the file jump off”. Sam stopped and spoke to the but about two months ago, it was stolen
preparation aspect of the job.” man, spending about 20 minutes negotiating from outside his house. “It’s completely
He was part of the team that put together to get him down. “It was a good day’s work. disappeared and is probably in parts
the case on Rollie Heke, the fugitive I’ve come to realise that I operate on a somewhere now.”
gunman who shot at police with an MSSA more instinctive and intuitive level. I don’t It’s been a disappointing setback, but
weapon, and who last month pleaded guilty really work so well in a slow, methodical he’s consoling himself with a planned
to using a firearm against police officers. environment, but I thrive at working under snowboarding trip with his friends to the
“Down the track, I will likely return to that pressure and making quick decisions.” north of Japan next year.
Opportunities homicides, robberies, burglaries and arson.
His last job with TCU was another first, and
Mefi Taele is
keep coming another learning experience, working on
reviewing CCTV footage and collating that
now part of
Police's Pacific
F ormer professional rugby player information. Island officer
network.
Constable Mefiposeta Taele, 42, is the Mefi has always been keen on picking up
oldest of the Wing 276 graduates being new skills. “I just keep working on upskilling
tracked by Police News since 2013. a little bit more and applying for jobs as
Mefi was a relatively late starter to join they come along. There are so many
Police, at 38, as his talent on the rugby opportunities in policing.”
field had sent him to France for 10 years, One of those opportunities came along
then he owned a sports business and in 2015 when he was chosen as one of 50
later worked for the Ministry of Justice in Samoan police officers from New Zealand
Tauranga. He’s always said that if he could to help police the Small Islands Developing
have turned back the clock, he would have States Conference in Samoa, providing
become a police officer much earlier. security and looking after delegates. Mefi acknowledges there were hurdles
Now, he’s well settled into his job in Meeting so many other Samoan police along the way. A couple of years ago he
Tauranga where he lives with his wife, officers was a revelation for Mefi as was struggling with the shift work and file
Joanne, and their two children. This year, previously he didn’t know any. Now, he’s management was an issue, but that had
he has completed 12 months with the firmly a part of Police’s Pacific Island officer been more manageable while working in
tactical crime unit, which he says was very network and keen to find more ways to TCU where the hours were more regular.
different from his previous work with the make use of his heritage within Police. He finished that deployment in June and
Public Safety Team. He is also keen on community policing. is back on the frontline and ready for his
He’s been working on “high-end stuff”, It has been “a great journey so far”, but next opportunity.
12 | AUGUST 2018Twins take
hard work to
a new level
C onstable Catherine Sieczkowski, 31,
recalls the moment she found out
she was having twins. “It was a complete
shock. I had to asked the sonographer to Twins James and Max
Catherine Sieczkowski and her partner, Nick. were born in April.
double check what I had just been told.”
The unexpected news took some getting
used to. “We started to worry about
whether we could financially afford to have On April 9, baby boys James and Max In fact, she says, prosecutions proved to
two babies. I also worried about how we were born at 35 weeks. Catherine and her be an “eye-opener” and a steep learning
would cope.” partner, Nick, couldn’t be happier. “Despite curve, but she developed new-found
Catherine had not long heard the news our worries, we wouldn’t change them for confidence in court procedures, something
before she started a challenging CIB the world, although I think it’s been the she had previously struggled with as nerves
selection and induction course. “It was hardest thing that we have ever done.” sometimes got the better of her.
a pretty tough four weeks and I often When we last caught up with Catherine in Before the birth of her boys, Catherine
wondered if I would make it to the end,” 2016, she had made the switch from general had been on light duties with Auckland City
she says. duties to the tactical crime unit. Halfway Area CIB.
However, the course, run through Unitec through 2017, a secondment opportunity For now, she says, she is enjoying her
in Auckland, was really well put together came up with Auckland Prosecutions. “I was parental leave before she gets “back
and the trainers, particularly Detective happy in TCU, but I’ve always had an interest into the thick of it all”. She is considering
Sergeant Matt Lynch, helped make the in that aspect of policing and it seemed like returning to work near the end of the year,
course the success it was, she says. the right time to give it a go.” either FEO or fulltime.
Search and rescue
enthusiast Amy Flower
Challenges she had been with at Glen Innes Police is passing on her love
of the outdoors to
Station when she last spoke to Police News daughter Zara.
come in many in 2016. At that time, she had also just been
made a permanent member of the search
forms and rescue squad.
With the change in roles she went from
W hat’s worse for sleep deprivation – investigating burglaries and other crime
on-call police shift work or looking to visiting schools and taking part in
after a baby? community events, even doing a dance
Before she had her baby girl, Zara, performance at a school disco. For an on-call SAR role.
Constable Amy Flower, 35, thought she officer who enjoys the testing environment Outside of work, Amy’s focused on the
was well prepared for broken sleep patterns of wild search and rescue ops, this was an needs of her active one-year-old who
having done a few years on the Police experience that took her “right out of my apparently shares her parents’ love of the
roster. comfort zone”. outdoors. “If she ever needs settling down,
“I’ve been quite shocked at how tiring It just goes to show that the challenges of we just take her outside!”
being a parent can be,” she says. “The thing policing can come in many forms. In terms of how parenthood will work
is, when you’re doing shift work, you know Now she’s juggling motherhood with with her career, Amy is philosophical.
that it will come to an end in a week or so. another new role on the enquiries team “Police has been very accommodating with
That doesn’t happen when you’re looking while she works on becoming recertified. regards to FEO,” she says, “but I think it can
after a baby. There are no sleep-in days!” She has recently completed her PCT and put limitations on your career in terms of
Amy went on parental leave in May last two of three integrated training packages the childcare responsibilities that you have
year, returning to work three months that she needs to finish before she can get outside work, which mean that you can’t
ago, working FEO three days a week in back into uniform. always be on call or available for shift work.”
the enquiries section at Avondale Police She has also successfully completed There was never any question about
Station. the Core Investigation Knowledge (CIK) returning to the job, though, she says.
Before Zara came along last year, exam that brings her a step closer to “Even though I needed to go back to work
Amy had been working as a community being eligible for CIB training. Becoming for financial reasons, I was also definitely
constable at Mt Roskill Station. It was quite a detective is one of her goals, along with ready to go back. I still love my job and I
different work from the tactical crime unit returning to work fulltime and resuming her missed it.”
AUGUST 2018 | 13NEWS AND VIEWS
Committee
newsflashes
The Police Association’s 34 committees held their annual meetings over June and July,
attended by either Association president Chris Cahill, national secretary Greg Fleming or
Welfare Fund manager Pete Hayes. The committee chairs reviewed the past year, giving
insights into the issues that were top of mind for members.
C
hristchurch City chairman Lachy Members were still faced with near Gisborne chair Brent Griffiths said that
Garrick was in a nostalgic mood constant reviews and the daily scramble over the past year, his area had carried up
when he delivered his report to to ensure minimum response levels were to 16 vacancies at any one time across all
the committee this year. met, which all took a toll on Police’s most workgroups, due to promotions, welfare
He noted how much Police had changed important resource – its people. transfers, leave without pay, appointments
since he joined in 1989, when “we were On that note, just about every committee to national vacancies and resignations.
all quite happy with our green screen chair had something to say about the plan
Whanganui computers, hand-written notes to inject 1800 more staff into Police over Pleasingly, several chair reports also
and the occasional report courtesy of a the next three years. While welcoming showed that committees had taken on
typewriter”. the prospect, many said the fear among board the Association’s desire for more
“I recall a revamped AOS command bus members was that there would either not diversity and gender balance among reps.
specially fitted with PCs – a new term – be enough money and recruiting standards
that moved around stations in Canterbury might fall, or attrition levels would make Jesse Mowat, chair for the North Shore,
allowing staff to become familiar with the that an impossible target. Rodney and Auckland Motorways
Windows operating system, complete with committee, said they had achieved a 50-50
a mouse!” Rotorua chair Mike Membrey said the gender split, and a 66-33 constabulary-
Now, the committee was holding its first promise of 700 extra staff for fighting Police employee split (equating to two
annual meeting in the modern, safe, state- organised crime was welcome, “but we Police employees).
of-the-art $300 million Justice Precinct also need to balance the removal of
where police worked alongside other experienced staff from the frontline. We Not to be outdone, Waitakere chair
agencies serving the community. do not want to put undue pressure on new Michael Colson reported that his
But despite all the advances, he said, the staff starting their policing careers”. committee had assigned an ethnic
issues that members faced daily remained liaison rep.
as complex as they ever were “in an In Tauranga, chair Wayne Hunter said the On a more prosaic note, Michael also
environment that demands the best and yet number of new recruits coming out of the reported that the new locker room at the
is increasingly less forgiving when things Police College was failing to keep pace Henderson Police Station was going to be a
don’t go as planned”. with attrition there. The public safety teams unisex facility, “which is a big change from what
were particularly hard hit and those left at we are used to”. Staff would have to “change
the coalface were having to take up the with the times, and not get changed in front of
slack. their locker, as is the current practice”.
The Palmerston North committee
had the biggest turnout for its annual
meeting with 70 people attending.
14 | AUGUST 2018Several chairs said they wanted a broader In Nelson, chair Brett Currie said there was real relevance to members, “advocating
cross-section of staff from all work groups obviously a problem with planning around for them in a manner that removes
joining the committees, especially younger recruitment, resulting in large “peaks and personalities and places the onus on Police
members. troughs” of staff numbers there. “Given that to follow best practice, or sometimes
it takes the better part of a year to get a simply their own policies”.
In Waikato, chair Derek Lamont reported recruit in place, trained and back to district, Turnout at this year’s annual meetings
on a busy year for his district, including two Police should be able to plan ahead and was variable around the country, with the
critical incidents – the Morrinsville shooting standouts being 70 people in Palmerston
keep the actual staffing levels at a relative
and the River Road fleeing driver death. North and 60 in Invercargill. And the
constant.”
In relation to the first incident, Derek said metropolitan centres? Well, not so good.
that an unarmed officer coming under President Chris Cahill has acknowledged
fire was totally unacceptable. “So I would that the logistics of getting to meetings in
ask Police and the Government to ensure the bigger cities can be difficult, but thinks
that the health and safety of staff and Members are still better communication could help.
public can take a serious step forward to
routine arming and provide a safe working faced with near
The value of the committee system was
environment for staff.” constant reviews highlighted by several chairs, including
Of the second incident, he said that failing
Marlborough’s Barrie Greenall who also
to stop for police should come with a and the daily praised the Association’s office holders
mandatory prison sentence.
scramble to ensure training course, held earlier this year in
Wellington, for raising the skill level of the
Whanganui chair Zak Thornton said his minimum response committees.
committee had a wish list for the future
that included: levels are met,
Wairarapa chair Mark Brown wanted to
• Continued rollout of cross band radios in
vehicles so that communication was not an
which all takes a get the message across that being a
committee member did not come with
issue for staff attending jobs in rural areas. toll on Police’s most an obligation to be an office holder,
• Sufficient numbers of firearms sets and
important resource unless you wanted to, in case anyone
suitable access for all work groups. was confused about that.
• That deployment of staff, especially – its people.
PST, below minimum numbers would And Taupō chair AJ Munro had this
become a thing of the past. message: “Being a committee member,
Lack of PST numbers was a concern in you are asked to keep in touch with what
Uncertainty over the upcoming is going on at the coalface. By doing this,
many other areas, including Palmerston
restructure of file management centres we ensure early detection and provide
North, where chair Allan Wells said there
is on the radar for several committees as appropriate information. If we do not hear
were shifts where minimum numbers
were not being met. “Many members are they deal with member concerns about or identify current trends and concerns
concerned not only for their own safety, their future employment, particularly in to our national office, then they will be
but about the service we give to our provincial areas. oblivious to what is really happening. All
community.” Sadly, he said, many staff members have a part to play. If your gut
were simply afraid to speak up about the On such issues, it was in the advocacy feeling tells you your mate is not right,
problem for fear of “not being on board” space, said Timaru chair Paul Hampton, either talk to them or advise someone who
and doing themselves out of a job. that the Association continued to prove its can have that discussion.”
AUGUST 2018 | 15NOTEBOOK
Keeping you up to date with evolving
THE TECH FILES technology at work and at home
An eye for details The system has now been rolled out to 16 provinces.
Skynet has a database of blacklisted individuals and officers
I
f you want the skinny on the best of surveillance and are supplied with the name and address of each person. This
security techniques, ask the Chinese. helps them identify and locate wanted people and can also
China already lays claim to being the world’s largest be used for intel gathering.
surveillance state with about 170 The specs look almost exactly
million CCTV cameras keeping an eye like sunglasses from a distance,
on its multitude of citizens. making discrete observations
Naturally enough, its police are all possible.
over that technology and this year a Information gathered in such a
new gadget has joined the ranks – way has raised concerns among
smart glasses. some human rights groups, which
The concept that was dumped by have warned about China’s big-
Google has been embraced by China, data “police cloud”.
in sunglasses form. For me, it’s about how that
The tinted glasses are equipped with information can be used to keep
facial recognition technology and people safe, and I like the idea
hooked up to a national database, of having access to an extra
powered by a system called Skynet. intelligent set of eyes – almost like
Photos snapped by the glasses are compared against police “having eyes in the back of your head”.
intel to identify suspects, retrieve addresses and track the I don’t suppose it will be in the next budget, though. The
movement of people. cost could be somewhere in the ballpark of NZ$2200 each,
While it sounds spookily like something from the even before the software development necessary to hook it
Terminator movies, based on the reviews I have read, it has up to NIA. – BEN RUTHERFORD
the potential to be a real success story.
Police trialled the specs over the Chinese New Year in
February at a busy train station in the city of Zhengzhou and Constable Ben Rutherford works in road policing and is an
reportedly caught up to 35 people using fake IDs. administrator of the Christchurch Police Facebook page.
Vintage tech The classic gadgets from your
youth are creating a buzz among
in demand collectors who see them as
representing a golden age of
W
hile most people are looking innovation, particularly in gaming
to the future of technology, and music.
some are going back in time, A 1990s Tamagotchi digital pet
searching out old-school devices such recently sold for NZ$1200 and a
as Game Boys and Walkmans. first-generation Apple iPod from
And it’s not just for the sake of nostalgia. 2001 has been listed for more
Vintage tech from the 80s, 90s and even than NZ$23,000.
early 2000s is selling for big money on Old Nokia phones, particularly
overseas online trading sites. the 3310, are making a
According to reports in Britain, an original Nintendo comeback, partly because of their long battery life. Retro
Game Boy that would have cost about NZ$120 in 1989, PCs are also popular, with Apple Macintosh computers
recently sold for NZ$1700 on eBay. It was in its original dating back to 1984 selling for between NZ$2000 and
polythene wrapping, but enthusiasts say that even an NZ$3000 on eBay.
unwrapped model in good condition might fetch about It might be time to have a rummage around in the
NZ$320. garage.
16 | AUGUST 2018You can also read
