Recent Media

• Police numbers drop as officers leave - Police Association President Greg O'Connor says that frontline staff are being affected by a drop in police numbers. 14 May 2013. [Source: Radio NZ]
• Police budget cuts causing deep unrest - Warnings from high-ranking police officers that budget cuts are causing deep unrest on the front line must be taken seriously, the Police Association says. 16 April 2013. [Source Taranaki Daily News]
• Ex-cop airs frustrations about police - The Police Association says the frustrations of a departing top detective are shared by many senior officers and only skim the surface of deeper problem nationwide. 15 April 2013. [Source: Radio NZ]
• Crime drops despite pressure, stress - The significant drop in reported crime reflects the work and dedication of police officers despite being under stress, the Police Association says. 2 April 2013. [Source: ONE News]
• Changes to police training regime concern Association - Police without up-to-date firearms and Taser training may be put in situations where they need to use them, the Police Association warns. 28 March 2013. [Source: NZ Herald]
• New training rules mean fears for police safety - The Police Association has expressed fears for the safety of a third of police constables who will no longer be trained to use firearms or Tasers. 27 March 2013. [Source: Newstalk ZB]
• Fears police training changes will put officers at risk - Police Association President Greg O'Connor says the changes to police training means some officers will find themselves in situations they are ill-equipped for. 26 March 2013. [Source: Radio NZ]
• Waikato Police slash costs to meet budgets - A proposed restructure of Waikato police has turned into a political spat, with Labour accusing the Government of putting pressure on police by slashing costs to meet budgets. 16 March 2013. [Source: Waikato Times]
• Waikato towns face cop chop - Waikato's smallest towns look likely to lose police officers in a proposed district-wide restructure, angering some who say crime will go unsolved as a result. 15 March 2013. [Source: Stuff.co.nz]
• Local contact may be lost, warns Association - Police Association President Greg O'Connor says it is inevitable that service to the public will be affected when staff are moved from local police stations to centralised locations. 15 March 2013. [Source: Newstalk ZB]
• Canterbury police permitted to wear tasers on hips - The Police Association supports the move to allow police officers in Canterbury to carry tasers on their belts while maintenance is carried out on the vehicle safes where they are usually kept. 19 February 2013. [Source: Radio NZ]
• Smartphones for frontline police - The Police Association welcomes the news that frontline police will be equipped with smartphones and tablets from April, however questions about budget constraints still remain. 13 February 2013. [Source: 3News]
• Fighting crime in the digital age - Arming police with smartphones and tablets will save more than 500,000 police hours per year, but the Police Association wants to ensure staff are not replaced by the new technology. 13 February 2013. [Source: ONE News]
• Jury still out on police restructure - Police Association President Greg O'Connor says the jury is still out on whether a restructure of Canterbury's police department will work. 11 February 2013. [Source: The Press]
• Police Association calls for more staff for WoF changes - The Police Association says extra government money for traffic enforcement is great but more frontline staff are needed to manage the new warrant of fitness system. 29 January 2013. [Source: Radio New Zealand News]
• Fears expressed over WoF changes - Police Association President Greg O'Connor fears that extra staff won't be hired to cope with the increased road policing workload due to changes to the WoF system. 28 January 2013. [Source: NZ Herald]
• Attacks on police lead to call for arms - Police Association Vice-President Luke Shadbolt repeats the call for general arming of police after four attacks on officers in the space of four days. 28 December 2012. [Source: Stuff.co.nz]
• Security chief wants Kiwis to carry guns - One of New Zealand's biggest security companies is calling for its staff and police officers to carry guns, a stance that is supported by the Police Association. 16 December 2012. [Source: NZ Herald]
• Opinion: Binnie appears to be captured by defence - Journalist Martin van Beynen comments on why he does not think David Bain should receive compensation following the release of a report by Canadian judge Justice Binnie. The Police Association shares these opinions on the matter. 14 December 2012. [Source: The Press]
• Compensation for Bain would be a travesty - Martin van Beynen shares his opinion on why he thinks David Bain should not get compensation. 13 December 2012. [Source: The Press]
• Plenty of doubt in Bain jury's verdict - Martin van Beynen shares his thoughts after the sitting through the retrial where David Bain was found not guilty of murdering of his family. 20 June 2009. [Source: The Press]
• Big police cuts feared in Canterbury - Canterbury could face a significant reduction in police numbers in the next two years as the department comes under budget pressure, the Police Association says. 13 December 2012. [Source: The Press]
• Police balk at bill for policing festival - A hefty public bill for policing a New Year music festival has rekindled debate about whether police should be able to recover costs from event organisers. 28 November 2012. [Source: Dominion Post]
• Police made scapegoats - The Police Association has asked why a judge was not criticised after a case was dismissed due to police committing a "fraud" on the courts. 21 November 2012. [Source: NZ Herald] 
• Better judge selection would help reduce bail decision mistakes - Police Association President Greg O'Connor welcomes a move to review training for judges and community magistrates. 14 November 2012. [Source: Newstalk ZB]
• Gang patch outlawing welcomed by police - A law banning gang patches in Government premises won't be a miracle cure to stop gang activity, but it is an important step, said Police Association president Greg O'Connor at a Select Committee hearing. 7 November 2012. [Source: 3News]
• No firearms training for 'response' police - Police funding cuts have seen sex crime investigation courses slashed and firearms training reduced. 20 October 2012. [Source: Dominion Post]
• Warning gang members are trying to infiltrate police - The Police Association says some notorious gangs are trying to infiltrate police ranks. 17 October 2012. [Source: ONE News]
• Gangs attempting to infiltrate police - Motorcycle gangs are attempting to infiltrate police by joining up, Police Association President Greg O'Connor says. 17 October 2012. [Source: Dominion Post]
• New police projects but no new money - In a speech to the Police Association's annual conference in Wellington, Police Minister Anne Tolley noted falling crime rates and a record low road toll in 2011, despite no new money in the police budget. 17 October 2012. [Source: 3News]
• Police union president warns of budget freeze risk - The union for front line police officers has given the Government a fresh warning about the risks of freezing police funding. 17 October 2012. [Source: Radio NZ]
• Police cutting backroom jobs - The police are poised to cut up to 45 more backroom jobs on top of the 125 non-sworn positions that have already gone. 10 October 2012. [Source: Radio NZ]
• Impact of job cuts at NZ Police - Police Association President Greg O'Connor talks about the impact staff cuts will have on the force. 10 October 2012. [Source: Newstalk ZB]
• Job cuts will add to mounting pressure - Up to 45 administration jobs are to be cut in the police as a result of restructuring. Police Association President Greg O’Connor says it will just add to the mounting pressure on the organisation. 10 October 2012. [Source: Newstalk ZB]
• Impact of budget cuts on falling crime rate - The nationwide drop in crime is being hailed as a sign of success, but Police Association President Greg O'Connor fears that all the good work may be undone by Government budget cuts. 2 October 2012. [Source: TVNZ Breakfast]
• Police stress levels on the rise - Police Association President Greg O'Connor says the increasing stress levels are a reflection of the changing way police officers are treated by civilians. 17 September 2012. [Source: 3 News]
• Police stretched thin by stress - Figures released show that two police officers a day have been referred for trauma counselling over the past five years. 16 September 2012. [Source: Stuff.co.nz]
• Law shields frontline staff - The Police Association welcomes a law change that means people who assault emergency service staff (police, firefighters and ambulance officers) will be treated more harshly by judges at sentencing. 14 September 2012. [Source: NZ Herald]
• Road policing budget frozen for three years - Police Association Vice-President Luke Shadbolt comments on the minimal impact the three-year freeze in the road policing budget will have on service delivery. 30 August 2012. [Source: Radio NZ]
• Scrimping may 'run force down' - Canterbury police have been told to save $2.36 million and the Police Association fears a nationwide tightening of budgets will lead to a "run-down" force. 25 August 2012. [Source: The Press]
• Family mourn hero cop after assault - The Police Association has supported the family of Constable Kali Fungavaka, who died after being assaulted while in police custody in Tonga. 24 August 2012. [Source: NZ Herald]
• Police investigate fatal crash - The Independent Police Conduct Authority, the police and the coroner are all investigating the incident in Manakau where a police car collided with a vehicle, killing a mother of four. 23 August 2012. [Source: 3 News]
• Fatal crash involving police - Greg O'Connor talks about the fatal crash in South Auckland where a woman died after a police car and a 4WD vehicle collided. 23 August 2012. [Source: Radio NZ]
• Judge takes swipe at prosecution - A judge has criticised police for trying to prosecute one of their own, saying that the case was "doomed from the outset". 17 August 2012. [Source: Manawatu Standard]
• Kiwi cops lured by Aussie cash and lifestyle - Police Association president Greg O'Connor has warned that police officers who make the move to Australia may not always find it better. 17 August 2012. [Source: NZ Herald]
• Police pay deal confirmed - The Police Association believes the latest  police pay deal is a pragmatic response given our current economic climate. 14 August 2012. [Source: 3 News]
• Calls for 'guns on hips' renewed - The Police Association has renewed its calls for "guns on hips" after a rifle was allegedly aimed at a female officer in the Bay of Plenty. 25 July 2012. [Source: NZ Herald]
• Inquiry after three killed in police chase -  Following three fatalities after a Gisborne police chase, Police Association President Greg O’Conner comments (1:34 mins) on the rise in accidents as drivers and criminals become more aware of restrictions on police in fleeing driver situations. 15 July 2012. [Source: ONE News]
• Departing police chief criticised for airing dirty laundry - Whangarei's departing police chief is being criticised by his own union, the Police Managers' Guild, for airing what it calls dirty laundry in public. 13 July 2012. [Source: Radio NZ]
• Police told to bite the bullet on cuts - A top North Island officer has said police and the public need to accept that the only way to keep frontline officers is to make cuts elsewhere, in response to claims that police were being run like a business. 13 July 2012. [Source: NZ Herald]
• Pressures that drove Whangarei's top cop to quit - Frontline police in Whangarei are backing their former police chief, Paul Dimery - who's just quit his job - because he says a government funding squeeze is putting officers at risk in the regions. 12 July 2012. [Source: RNZ]
• Police Commissioner responds to comments by former police chief - Police Commissioner Peter Marshall says the public should not be alarmed by Mr Dimery's sudden resignation and his parting comments. 12 July 2012. [Source: Radio NZ]
• Discussion of 'Urewera Four'  - Greg O'Connor discusses with Willie Jackson on Radio Live the 'Urewera Four' from a police perspective. 30 May 2012. [Source: Radio Live]
• How much police time is wasted by highly intoxicated people? - Breakfast talks to Police Association President Greg O'Connor about the wastage of police resources dealing with highly intoxicated people. 29 May 2012. [Source: Breakfast TVNZ]
• Budget 2012: Justice sectors in line for megafund - Police are worried the megafund would crank up competition between parts of the justice system, leading to an exaggeration of achievements to boost funding. 25 May 2012. [Source: NZ Herald]  

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