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This column is written by a frontline police member. It does not represent the views or policies of the Police Association.

Mañana

So, how many times can the Police Association send an email telling us they are going to have an offer for us tomorrow?

My dad always said tomorrow never comes and this pay round has made that fact abundantly clear.

I am not sure what has gone on with negotiations this time around, but something has seriously gone off the rails and needs to change in the future.

Going by the number of clever memes on social media, police humour is alive and well, but that shouldn’t hide the level of frustration with the way these negotiations have unfolded.

Making allowances

I see that overtime, short notice shift changes allowances and out of town allowances are all fair game in negotiations. Police seems to think they aren’t needed, and we can operate in a better manner to prevent staff having to incur the need for these things.

Well, try telling that to staff in Eastern District who’ve had to deal with the double homicide in Gisborne after a brawl among 100 partygoers, and then follow it up a couple of days later with a body in the boot of a burnt-out car in Hastings.

I understand staff were flown in from across the country to assist and it was great to see the police minister congratulating police on their response, but don’t tell me overtime, travel and meal expenses and short notice shift changes weren’t required from all these great staff who responded?

Charity begins in the station

Talk of hardship among police officers has become commonplace this year, but I was still shocked to hear that in Canterbury, a box for food donations has popped up at one station. At first I thought it was a joke. But it’s not.

And neither is it for the needy out in the community, it’s for our police officers!

A note with the box asked for non-perishable items for staff who may be struggling to put food on the table. This comes on top of news reports of some Police staff having to access food banks.

How did it come to this? I expect that box will be overflowing as colleagues rally to a cause that should never have been necessary.

 

Stay safe out there.