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Thread ID: 129060	2013-01-31 00:16:00	From the Police Commissioner - Jan 31 2013	WalOne (4202)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1325743	2013-01-31 00:16:00	Recruiting for the future January 31, 2013 I visited the Police College at Porirua recently for something of a special occasion. I spent an hour and a half with recruits from Wing 276 - the first time, to my knowledge, that a Commissioner has visited recruits on their first day. At the risk of stating the obvious, recruits are our future and it was great to meet Wing 276 so early in their careers. It's particularly heartening that, of these 40 young people, 38 percent are women and 43 percent are from Asian, Pacific or Mäori backgrounds. We're committed to making the profile of Police better reflect the profile of the population. Wing 276 shows our recruitment campaigns are reaching those we need them to reach. This is good news for Police and New Zealand and I'll watch Wing 276's progress with interest. If the recruits want to see where their careers might lead, they might consider the Colin Urquhart Cadet Wing, members of which met on Saturday for a reunion. They entered Police College in 1971. I presented 42-year long-service and good conduct awards to the five members still serving - Inspector Lindsay Duncan; Senior Constable Chris Best; Sergeant Mark Calwell; Senior Constable Ross Clarke; and Detective Mark Lodge. This is a wonderful example of dedication from five highly committed members of the police family. Thanks to them for their 210 years of combined service, and to other wing members for their contributions. On the subject of the police family, last week I attended the funeral of Anna MacGougan, the wife of Detective Inspector Greg Murton. Our thoughts are with Greg and it was poignant and heartening to see how the police family turned out to support him. On to operational matters, starting with the road toll. As of this morning, 18 people have died in 18 crashes in 2013. This compares with 35 dead in 29 crashes by this time last year. Eighteen deaths is nothing to celebrate, but we take heart from the striking year-on-year reduction, particularly in the number of crashes. I've thanked police staff for their efforts but credit is also due to the motoring public - we don't act alone and the figures also reflect an improvement in driving habits. However, we will maintain our focus on road policing - we make no apology for strong enforcement which saves lives. We've also seen success with Officer Safety Alarms. At the push of a button these alarms, issued late last year, send a GPS signal to the control room so help can be sent to an officer's precise location, even if they can't radio for help. They've proved their worth in a number of ways - not surprisingly, including incidents in which officers have been attacked. Elsewhere, an officer attending a serious injury road crash activated his alarm so the GPS signal could guide a rescue helicopter to his exact position. Other officers have used alarms to flag their whereabouts in remote locations. These are lifesaving devices and underline the Police Executive's determination to maximise staff safety. On to another article of equipment without which we would struggle - trousers! The search for a more practical replacement for dry-clean-only uniform trousers is progressing, with a working group and suppliers considering matters such as fabrics, design and colour. It's hoped a trial will start around April and run for a year so we can see how the trousers perform in all seasons and conditions - and through repeated machine washes. As with the boots we issued last year, we must ensure we get it absolutely right. As an aside, this issue prompted one of our favourite media inquiries, when a reporter asked: "When do police officers wear trousers?" The surprised media advisor replied that they were optional in the privacy of an officers' own home, but on duty they were pretty well mandatory! Finally, last Friday I was present when Deborah Marshall (no relation) was sworn in as Auckland coroner. She is a former police officer who topped a Detective course I coordinated in 1984. After leaving Police she became an Air New Zealand international flight attendant, obtained an LLB Honours on top of a Politics degree, joined Auckland law firm Meredith Connell as a Crown prosecutor, becoming a partner, and worked for the Privacy Commission and Serious Fraud Office. We welcome Coroner Marshall, whose background is second to none in preparing her for her new role. Stay safe and look after each other - and remember, it's less than 11 months to Christmas! Peter Marshall	WalOne (4202)
1325744	2013-01-31 00:21:00	These always make me feel good. thanks for posting :)	Zara Baxter (16260)
1325745	2013-01-31 00:48:00	11 months till christmas, friggen great	Gobe1 (6290)
1325746	2013-01-31 01:28:00	It has been great to see how many arrests the police have made recently.	tut (12033)
1325747	2013-01-31 21:20:00	Admin note: This thread has been split according to WalOne's preference for the thread to remain upbeat. Please respect that.	Zara Baxter (16260)
1325748	2013-02-01 07:19:00	Sadly this site is loosing its appeal through too much moderating and I am begining to understand why Metla has given up on it	mikebartnz (21)
1325749	2013-02-01 07:28:00	Sadly this site is loosing its appeal through too much moderating and I am beginning to understand why Metla has given up on it True; I have been censored for not being PC. I thought there was freedom of speech in this country? If the truth hurts, too bad!	mzee (3324)
1325750	2013-02-01 08:46:00	Sadly this site is loosing its appeal through too much moderating and I am begining to understand why Metla has given up on it Aint that the truth, it used be good with robust discussion of stuff. Lately its been moderated to Political Correctness grade 1.	prefect (6291)
1325751	2013-02-01 09:04:00	But remember, it's their bat and their ball. They can call a rain-break halfway through an over if they wish, and draw stumps anytime too. ;)	R2x1 (4628)
1325752	2013-02-01 09:37:00	Sadly this site is loosing its appeal through too much moderating and I am begining to understand why Metla has given up on it In this case, I accepted the offer by Zara to moderate and divide the responses. My post was made - and will be in the future - purely from the standpoint of passing on as a service a newsletter written by the Police Commissioner that most people would otherwise be unaware of, and certainly ignored by the news media. Our Police Force from the commissioner down need every bit of support and goodwill we can give. They may not always be right but they're there and deserve our support. While I'm inclined to agree with your post (over moderation), which is why on my earlier posts and in PMs, I challenged two of the Mods. One in particular should never have made any of the comments made. But let's keep the noise level down to a muted roar. FWIW	WalOne (4202)
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