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Thread ID: 136135	2014-01-23 04:01:00	From the Police Commissioner January 23	WalOne (4202)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1365872	2014-01-23 04:01:00	A busy year ahead 23rd January 2014 By Commissioner Peter Marshall Welcome to the first blog of what will be a busy 12 months. Tragedy struck early in the year in Dunedin with the shocking deaths of a man and two children. As we await the coroner's findings our thoughts are with our colleagues who dealt so professionally with that terrible scene, and with all affected by these events. We must often deal with difficult or complex situations in our work. There are many unsung heroes or quiet achievers among us whose work has escaped formal recognition until now. The new Meritorious Service Medal is one way of rectifying this and we're well on the way to identifying the first recipients. I expect them to receive these honours in March. Many people have worked hard for several years to bring these awards into being - it's a Royal honour but bestowed by the Commissioner of Police, for constabulary and non-constabulary members. Watch this space. Last week the Police Executive hosted the outgoing Chief of Defence, Lieutenant General Rhys Jones and senior colleagues at Police National Headquarters to acknowledge Lt Gen Jones's pending retirement and announcement of Major General Tim Keating as his successor. I spoke at the function and recorded my personal appreciation of assistance provided to Police by Defence, noting that we share a history going back to the 1800s. In my career there have been many instances of such operational assistance, for example the Napier siege, Canterbury earthquakes, the Mt Erebus tragedy and 1999 APEC meetings. Of particular note was the close cooperation in overseas deployments such as Afghanistan, the Solomon Islands and Timor Leste, to name but some. In essence our relationship has been, is and will continue to be very warm and professional. We wish both men every success in the future. Yesterday we said farewell to Superintendent Ross Ardern, Pacific Liaison Officer and formerly Chief of Police for Niue, now appointed High Commissioner to Niue. His retirement function was attended by family members and dozens of past and current colleagues. Looking ahead, much work is being done in preparation for this year's Waitangi celebrations and I look forward to interacting with staff there next month. Plans for the forthcoming Royal tour are also well under way. As I said, it's going to be a busy year but New Zealand Police excels in these situations. Tomorrow I'm attending the funeral of former Assistant Commissioner Graeme Dallow in Wellington. Though Graeme retired decades ago there will be a very large presence from his former colleagues. I was able to visit Graeme in hospital the week before he passed away. His last words to me were "I'm bound to go to Heaven and I'll make sure there's a place reserved for you. See you there". It was a measure of the man that he maintained his humour in the face of adversity. This weekend I join members of the Sam Barnett Cadet Wing at their 50th anniversary reunion in Wellington. It's a sign of Police's great camaraderie that they still feel the ties that bind after so long. At the other end of the career ladder, I recently met members of the 283 Steve Long Recruit Wing on their first day at the Royal New Zealand Police College. I was able to reveal some of the conditions of employment enjoyed by recruits. These included a seven-day working week, one week's unpaid leave a year, an expectation that officers walk about 20 miles each 12-hour shift and no meal breaks - though a snack may be carried under the hat. I pointed out that police officers had to wear their uniforms even off duty and were not allowed to vote in elections or gossip with members of the public. They must not sit down in pubs and should expect a hostile reception from all sections of the public. Before the Police Association gets on the phone, this was from a recruitment poster for Peel's Police in 1839. It makes you wonder how they got any recruits and marvel at the dedication of those who put up with such conditions. Fortunately conditions have improved beyond recognition and the dedication of our staff has endured - from the earliest days of New Zealand Police, through the days of Sam Barnett, Graeme Dallow and Ross Ardern, right through to Wing 283 and beyond. Stay safe and look after each other. :thumbs:	WalOne (4202)
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