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Thread ID: 136244	2014-02-07 21:50:00	From the Police Commissioner February 7 2014	WalOne (4202)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1367080	2014-02-07 21:50:00	No job for the faint-hearted 7th February 2014 by Commissioner Peter Marshall With the end of my term as Commissioner nearing, many people have asked me about the process to find my successor. It's very robust and not for the faint-hearted - the applicants undergo rigorous assessment, and rightly so. The Police Commissioner is appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The State Services Commissioner manages the process on behalf of the Prime Minister and Minister of Police. The position was advertised and a shortlist compiled. Those shortlisted underwent arduous assessment involving interviews, psychometric testing and scenarios to test them on a range of disciplines. Those who passed were invited to an interview chaired by the State Services Commissioner. They then met with the Minister of Police. The State Services Commissioner will provide advice on the nominees to the Prime Minister and Police Minister, then the Prime Minister will make a recommendation to the Governor-General. I'm advised the appointment will be made known in March, ready for the Commissioner designate to take over when my term concludes on 3 April. Meanwhile, I'll be busy up to the 11th hour as Commissioner. Police isn't the only service seeing change at the top. Last Friday I attended Government House, where the Governor-General marked the retirement of Lieutenant General Rhys Jones and succession of Lt Gen Tim Keating as Chief of Defence Force. There was a distinct Police connection - Lt Gen Keating's brother Nick is a constable with the Motorways Unit in Waitematä. Another brother Pat and I were colleagues as detective sergeants in Auckland in the 1970s and 80s. Best wishes to Lt Gen Keating in his role. This week I spent two days with staff at Waitangi - see attached photo. I applaud the work of District Commander Russell Le Prou, Inspector Wendy Robilliard and other Northland, Police National Headquarters and Auckland personnel involved in a very successful policing operation. This was down to an awful lot of work in advance and the input of many units - iwi liaison officers, Diplomatic Protection Service (DPS) and Team Policing, to name but some. I've been observing Waitangi operations for many years and there has clearly been a maturing by all involved. Police struck a balance between being highly visible when appropriate and being involved with community activities throughout. I was approached by senior government representatives who were very impressed by our operation. New Zealand Police was recently subject to a follow-up Performance Improvement Framework review. We're currently briefing the Police Minister but one comment I can share from the report is this: "Few Government agencies of Police's size and complexity have been able to lead and sustain such a comprehensive change to its strategy and operating model without major disruption to services to the public." While some areas require continued focus, Police should be pleased with such commentary reflecting everyone's efforts. We compare very well to other government organisations. It's intended the report will be put online this month. We saw great results in road policing over the summer. It's now time to assess them. Elsewhere, we've seen the results of cooperation between our Online Child Exploitation Across New Zealand (OCEANZ) taskforce and other agencies at home and overseas. Investigators caught six members of a child sexual abuse network, identified four children who were at risk and rescued a six-year-old victim in the UK. Well done to Detective Senior Sergeant John Michael and his team at OCEANZ and all involved in this great work. Two other examples of great work. Last week a driver in Auckland fled at up to 100kph on the wrong side of the road in a 50kph area when challenged by a police dog patrol. He was located by the Eagle helicopter, then the dog team backtracked and found, among other items, a shotgun and mask. Well done to them. Last weekend another offender who fled dangerously got out of the vehicle in Counties Manukau and threatened a constable with an AK47 rifle. He forced another driver at gunpoint to take him to a local address, where he was arrested. Well done to the personnel who kept their cool in a dangerous situation. Finally, a story that shows even Commissioners can be useful operationally. One evening I was off duty in Wellington when a car jumped a red light, which could have resulted in serious injury. With due diligence I recorded the time, date and place and reported the matter. I was surprised weeks later to hear from a member of the DPS that the driver was a senior diplomat who had immediately paid the infringement fee. We police without fear or favour - from constable to Commissioner. Stay safe and look after each other. :thumbs:	WalOne (4202)
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