The world is watching the American presidential election with fascination and trepidation.

Sometimes, one event will bring to public attention a slow-burning issue that those directly involved with can clearly see, but which is not obvious to the general population. The seizure in the Far North of nearly 500 kilograms of methamphetamine is a case in point.

Sergeant Jonathan Westrupp has no recollection of diving head first through the glass of a second-storey bathroom window during an armed siege in April. Moments beforehand, however, he knows he made a calculated decision that it was the best option to get away from a wanted man who had just shot and killed a police dog in the hallway of the Porirua house. Ellen Brook reports.

We live in a world where the tasks and activities necessary to achieve goals are narrowly defined, broken down into their component parts – it’s called specialisation, and it makes sense.

Last month, Police lost one of its four-legged own when police dog Gazza was killed in the line of duty during an incident in Porirua when an officer was also injured. When police dogs are injured or killed, the whole country responds. The loss is felt deeply, not only by the dog section, but also the Police Dog Trust, which helps fund the breeding and training of our heroic police dogs. Heather McDonald reports on the trust’s vision for the future.

I have written about gangs and organised crime a few times over the years.