President's Column - Being in Police means learning to ride emotional roller coasters
“We will still gather evidence and arrest criminals. We will still do our best to deliver justice to those who seek redress from their assailants, their thieves, and their bullies.”
Four police officers were awarded Honours in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List announced last month for their services to New Zealand Police. They were:
The New Zealand Order of Merit M.N.Z.M.
To be Members of the said Order: Malcolm James BURGESS, Detective
Superintendent, New Zealand Police, of Christchurch. Daniel Francis O'CONNELL, Senior Constable, New Zealand Police, of Wellington. For services to the New Zealand Police.
The Queen’s Service Medal Q.S.M.
Ross Alan BARNABY, Senior Sergeant, New Zealand Police, of North Shore. Bryan Emlyn WARD, Community Constable, New Zealand Police, of Auckland.
Being in Police means learning to ride emotional roller coasters. From the first sudden death we attend, being surrounded by grieving families, to standing at the funeral of a slain colleague, we learn that our business touches and impacts on lives.
Experience and professionalism teaches us to deal with these emotions, hopefully not hardening us to the trauma of others experiencing things for the first time - things which have become common for us to deal with.
Court cases are like that.
I always found it extremely difficult to deal with the frustrations and disappointment of victims and vulnerable witnesses when they were on the wrong end of a judicial or jury decision.
Even police officers have their faith in the system tested when they see someone, they know is guilty, walk free from court.
I remember being told by an experienced sergeant as I railed against a verdict I felt was patently wrong. “He’ll come again son,” was his response.
You know what? He did. They always do. Because we almost invariably get it right, especially in the big ones where the level of investigation leaves very little evidence unearthed.
I detected a very emotional response among police following the Bain acquittal; echoing the strong sense of bewilderment and disillusionment I have experienced walking away from court with distraught victims.
A head shaking sense of 'why bother?'
Well, it’s a case of 'get over it'.
We will still gather evidence and arrest criminals. We will still do our best to deliver justice to those who seek redress from their assailants, their thieves, and their bullies.
We’ll do it knowing that those who choose to victimise, to shun the law, may only get caught and convicted for a small proportion of their crimes, but ultimately, they do come again.
It’s little comfort as we recover from the indignation and disillusionment we all feel following David Bain’s acquittal against overwhelming evidence; but just reflect on the words of my old sergeant - they always come again.
Such disappointments are just another emotion we have to get under control, so we stay on the roller coaster rails. Remember, no one ever learned to sail on a still lake.
