Police volunteers ‘sacked’ amid safety concerns

 

Rural and small town police stations around Rodney and Kaipara have recently lost an invaluable asset – their police volunteers.

An undisclosed number of unpaid helpers who assist overworked officers were all ‘sacked’ in April due to concerns for their safety.

Spokesperson for police, Rodney Area Commander Inspector Mark Fergus, says that due to advances in mobility technology, officers are no longer tied to a physical location which means volunteers are often alone at police stations, sometimes for extended periods.

“Without the presence of a uniformed police officer, the safety of volunteers working alone at police stations cannot be guaranteed,” he says. “Officers at Mangawhai and Mahurangi stations are front line operational constables whose duties often take them away from the station. A safety audit identified that this places these community-minded volunteers at some risk from aggressive visitors and that to mitigate this risk police would no longer use volunteers on the front counters at these locations.”

Mangwhai Senior Constable Graham Gough says the seven local volunteers provided a significant service to the police and community, as many small towns and rural police stations generally have only one officer rostered on per shift. He understands the police administration decision but also believes the extra workload could put more pressure on rural officers to the detriment of local communities.

“I wouldn’t want to see any volunteer hurt from being on the front counter but the decision to remove all volunteers affects our ability to do our job,” he says. “In Mangawhai we only have one officer on duty at a time and are often out of office but once people know we are in the station, we are often inundated with enquiries. With all the paperwork, phone calls and follow ups we have to do, we are pressed for time to attend to counter enquiries. The community loses out because we can’t always be available to them.”

Front counter volunteers help keep the police station doors open to the community, providing a friendly face when officers are out of the station. Their duties included attending to enquiries like minor offences and lost and found, giving crime prevention advice and forwarding messages on to the local officers.

“Mangawhai volunteers began in 2002 and it was a system that worked very well,” Gough says.

The reason for the services to be withdrawn was thought to be linked with a volunteer who was badly assaulted while on duty at a South Auckland station in March.

However Inspector Fergus refutes this saying he is unaware of any assault. “The decision to stop the use of volunteers was based on a national assessment of front counter safety, not just a single incident,” he says.

Mangawhai station has recently been outfitted with anti-jump wires across the front counter and Gough believes these along with a couple of solid security doors could help provide a secure environment for the station. But Fergus says no measure is completely effective and states that “the installation of safety measures on the front counter will not see the re-introduction of volunteers.”

Long time police volunteer Helen McDonald has enjoyed ‘manning’ the front desk at the Moir Street station since the volunteer service began. She understand’s the reasoning behind the closure but still feels disappointed and throughout her 14 year involvement, says she has never felt threatened.

“Had a few ranters and ravers but once they vented they were ok,” she says. “But I wonder now volunteers aren’t allowed, what is going to happen to the local community’s enquires and reports when the station is unattended? Where would the lost and found items end up going?”

The number of police stations affected by the loss of volunteers and the impact of the extra workload on the efficient running of the stations, is currently unknown.

Fergus says officers at Mangawhai and Mahurangi stations can still be contacted when on duty and crimes reported through either Wellsford or Warkworth Police if the stations are unattended.

“I have no evidence at the moment to comment on regarding the increased workload on the police officers,” he says. “People wishing to report crimes can still do so via the channels described which does not impact on the local Police.”

Police volunteers were recognised and thanked for their many years of contribution to the police community with plans to honour the many volunteers to come in the near future.

A nationwide review of volunteer services is ongoing.