Podcasts about chris cahill

I've surprised myself a little bit with my reaction to the news the police are looking at introducing body cameras. Generally, I'm all for it. But the civil liberties people have raised some very good points about them being misused. One example they're giving is the potential for the cameras to be combined with facial recognition technology. Which I'm torn on, after finding out about facial recognition being used at the Richmond Club, in Christchurch, to keep an eye on people using the pokie machines. They're are asking how we're going to know - once police start wearing body cameras - when an officer is filming and when they're not. Is there a chance, for example, that you or I might be walking down the street and get filmed by the cops walking towards us? Which is why the head of New Zealand's civil liberties council is saying that there needs to be robust policies in place before any officer starts going around the place wearing one of these things. The bit Thomas Beagle is concerned about most, is the lines between body cameras and facial recognition getting blurred. He's saying: “Suddenly, it turns footage into data of who was where, what their names are, and what they were doing. In a way, that's really quite worrying and can be put together to build up the surveillance society.” So he wants clear, robust policies in place. Policies which make it clear, for example, who will be able to access any footage captured on the body cameras. He says if we're going to bring-in body cameras, we may need to look at the idea of having someone independent deciding when footage is released and who it's released to. He reckons that could be a job for the Independent Police Conduct Authority, making the very good point that the cameras not only need to serve the police well - but they also need to serve the public well. And that's the bit that has probably surprised me a bit. That I'm not as holus-bolus enthusiastic about police body cameras as maybe I expected myself to be. The civil liberties people are spot on - referring to cases overseas where police have refused to release body camera footage when officers have been accused of things like misconduct. I've also been reading a BBC report which talks about other ways these things have been misused. Or abused. It reports more than 150 examples of camera misuse by police in England and Wales. For example, officers turning the cameras off when they've been dealing forcefully with someone. Giving someone the old heave-ho. You know: “I'll just turn this thing off for a minute while we give this turkey what he deserves.” The BBC has also discovered cases where police have deleted footage and even shared footage with other officers on WhatsApp. But, before you think I've gone totally civil liberties on it - I'm all for the police wearing body cameras. For many reasons. For starters - it's crazy that security officers and parking wardens can wear them, but police can't. And, even though there are a truckload of examples of these cameras being misused, you could say the same about any bad police behaviour. There are dodgy cops everywhere - but that doesn't mean we get rid of the police. And, as police commissioner Richard Chambers is saying today, New Zealand is one of the few countries not using them. He says body cameras are great for gathering evidence and they're great for keeping staff safe. So he's going to have people working on options over the next 12 months and, hopefully, by that time - they'll be ready to press go. I see Chris Cahill from the police association is a bit worried about the cost. He's saying that some countries are getting rid of them because of how much it costs to store the footage. And, not surprisingly, he doesn't want to see the spending on body cameras meaning there's less money to be spent on frontline officers and police vehicles. He says: “It isn't the game changer that we thought it might be, but it has certainly got significant benefits and many officers in Australia don't want to deploy without it.” But all up, when I consider what Chris Cahill is saying about the cameras not being the silver bullet and the many cases overseas of these things being misused, I still think is a great move by the police commissioner. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police union is celebrating the decision to work towards rolling out body cameras - but wants it done right. Police Commissioner Richard Chambers says staff are assessing options for equipping frontline officers with the technology. The Police Association says it could clear-up misconceptions in the field, reduce complaints, and lead to more guilty pleas. President Chris Cahill says body-cameras have become the international standard. He says many officers in Australia don't want to deploy without the technology. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tougher penalties hope to put the brakes on boy racers and fleeing drivers. The Government's establishing a presumptive sentence of vehicle destruction for street racers, those who flee police, and intimidating convoys. Police will also get greater powers to manage illegal vehicle gatherings by closing roads or public areas. Police Association President Chris Cahill says told Ryan Bridge something needs to be done because the situation is out of control. He says these aren't just boy racers, they are deliberately antagonising Police, throwing bottles and ramming cars.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police will continue with their plan to pull back from mental health callouts, but they're going about it more slowly. From Monday, 4 of the 12 police districts will move into the second phase, which involves 60-minute ED handovers. They will now be staggered across districts, instead of all at once. The Mental Health Foundation has been critical of the pull back. Police Association President Chris Cahill told Mike Hosking police need to draw a strong line in the sand to ensure people are taken care of by the right people. He says that shouldn't involve police sitting in emergency departments for six hours. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police were called out to four separate firearm related incidents at the weekend. Police Association president Chris Cahill spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Police Association has slammed the beefed-up citizen arrest powers proposed by the Government, saying they are highly risky and could have unintended consequences. The recommendations from a retail crime advisory group would give businesses wider power to detain shoplifters. Police Association president Chris Cahill spoke with Alexa Cook.

The Police Association is the latest group hesitant about moves to change citizen arrest laws. The Government's introducing legislation loosening general public arrest rules, including permitting citizen's arrests at any time of the day in response to retail crime. But association President Chris Cahill told Mike Hosking while it's not forcing people to take the law into their hands, it's still incredibly risky. Cahill says people make decisions without the full facts in front of them, and while someone may think they're dealing with a teenage offender, things can escalate. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 27th of February, we've got the details, kind of, of the changes to the citizen's arrest laws. So, are the cops happy? What is going on with our power prices? Meridian reckons they have some answers, so CFO Mike Roan joined the show to explain. Warriors coach Andrew Webster beams in from Las Vegas to tell us how we will beat the Raiders this weekend. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 3,000 charges have been filed against gang members in the three months from the launch of new laws. Police have seized 76 gang patches and 67 guns under the Government's patch ban. The Police Commissioner says gang members have been mostly compliant since the laws banning insignia began. Police Association President Chris Cahill told Andrew Dickens the gangs seem to have realised very quickly that if they wear their patches, they'll lose them permanently. And if they don't act immediately, police will turn up with a search warrant the next morning, he says. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Association says clarification around protest laws are long overdue. An Independent Police Conduct Authority report makes several recommendations for laws which would protect protestor rights and ensure public safety. One law would let police and local authorities set conditions in advance about how a protest may be carried out. Police Association President Chris Cahill told Mike Hosking that will be helpful for police and protesters alike. He says that would set clear guidelines for behaviour. Cahill says Destiny Church is a good example of a group which often steps over the line. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police officer Lyn Fleming's life will be remembered at a full police funeral today in Nelson. She died after she was run over while carrying out patrols in the city on New Year's Day. The funeral will be held at the Trafalgar Centre and livestreamed on the Police website and Facebook page. Police Association President Chris Cahill says there are unique features to a police funeral, including the police flag draped over the coffin, the police guard, and the performance of a haka. He told Tim Beveridge that the public support from across New Zealand have been felt both in Nelson, but also in stations across the country. Cahill says the support is always welcomed, even if it's come from incredibly tragic circumstances. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police are "rocked" after the death of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming in Nelson. How do the police respond internally to an incident like this? Police Association president Chris Cahill talks to Tim Beveridge about the fallout. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a warning from the Police Association that the wait for more cops will hurt the force. The Government wants 500 more cops by the end of next year. But new commissioner Richard Chambers says to ensure proper training, June 2026 is more likely. Association President Chris Cahill told Ryan Bridge the delayed timeline will have an effect. He says they are already moving staff across different roles, leaving some jobs undone. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From today, the police don't intend to respond to every mental health callout. But I don't think we're going to see any major difference. I'll tell you why shortly,. And it's based on an experience I had on Friday night. So if you're worried about the police saying “not our department” if you call up, as of today, about someone having a mental health issue - don't panic. But you know the background to this and what's led to today's change with the threshold for transporting mental health patients increasing; there'll be fewer visits to mental health clinics; and police handovers to mental health staff will be shorter than what they have been. So 11 percent. That's a key stat. Before today, 11 percent of police work involved mental health call-outs. And, as Chris Cahill from the Police Association was saying on Newstalk ZB today, whenever the cops are called-out to one of these jobs - it can keep them away from doing other police work for hours. He says, on average, a mental health callout keeps police tied-up for three hours - sometimes as long as five or six hours. So Chris Cahill is pleased about these changes coming into force today. One thing he isn't happy about, though, is that it's being forced by the police. As he said this morning, Health NZ hasn't come to the party itself on this one. He says police will still turn up if people are at-risk of harming themselves or harming someone else but, if nothing changes, police will still be swamped by mental health callouts and the health system needs to “step up” and look after these people. The reason the police get so involved is that police officers are the only people who have the power to contain people and they can be invaluable in situations where someone is mentally distressed. Chris Cahill, though, says the experience overseas where police have pulled back from mental health callouts, he says patients have ended up getting the treatment they need sooner. Now I don't know about that. Because I haven't been able to find anything to support that online today. And remember it is Chris Cahill's job to represent police officers who are at the coalface when it comes to mental health callouts and who know full-well how these callouts impact their ability to deal with genuine criminal activity. Because that's been the argument the police have made all along. That, just because someone is in a state of mental despair, it doesn't mean they're a criminal. Which makes perfect sense. But, as we know, sometimes a person can be more inclined to commit criminal behaviour than they usually would because of their mental distress. Which is why the police have, in recent years, become the default responders in situations like these. That, if someone is a threat to either their own safety or someone else's safety, then call the cops. Which is the situation I found myself in on Friday. It was about 5:30pm and I was in the centre of town. I saw this guy who looked like he was crossing the road one minute, then walking back onto the footpath, and going around in circles, then trying to cross the road again. And drivers were tooting at him and there were a couple of people watching him. And I went up to them and said ‘is that guy ok?'. Now - one weird thing - was the number of people who seemed prepared just to watch what was going on. There were people standing on the balconies of their apartments looking down at the street. Another guy was closer to the action. And he was who I spoke to initially. Then the guy himself - who was pretty dazed - came up towards me and I tried to have a word with him. But he wasn't making much sense. He was wearing a bike helmet and I could see a bike nearby but he said he hadn't fallen off. But he just wasn't making much sense. And he tried to walk off in the opposite direction of where his bike was. So a few young guys who were staying at the backpackers across the road and I got him to stop and have a sit down on the footpath. And I knew I had to call for help. And, at that point, I thought we were dealing potentially with someone who diabetic or something like that, so called St John's. I went through the rigmarole of describing what was going on and the ambo operator got me to ask the guy if he was on any medication. So I did, and he said something about “mental health” - but that was about it. So I passed that on and the operator said they'd logged the job and asked us to stay with this guy. Not that long after that a cop car turned up. And, as soon as the cops got out, it was clear they knew what had been going on and they said that the ambo people were snowed under and they'd asked the police to deal with it. So they had a chat with the guy, found some prescription stuff in his bag, they seemed to think that he hadn't taken his meds and they put him in the back of the police car to take him to hospital to get checked out. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Phase One of the new Police approach to mental health callouts takes effect today. Police Association President Chris Cahill tells Mike Hosking that 11 percent of jobs that Police attend are related to mental health. Police will still attend to people who are at risk of harming themselves or others. Overseas, the removal of police from mental health callouts has lead to better outcomes for patients. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Association says it's pleasantly surprised at the surge in new recruits. Recruitment numbers have soared in the past year, with five and a half thousand applications in the first eight months of the year. President Chris Cahill says one reason behind it is the state of the economy, and policing is seen as a place of stable employment. He told Heather du Plessis-Allan some rule changes for recruitment have also helped, such as only needing a full license by the time they reach police college, instead of upon applying. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's been mission creep when it comes to politicians meddling in police operational matters and there needs to be clear boundaries drawn for the next Commisioner, according to the Police Association.The country's top cop Andrew Coster has resigned to take up a new role leading the government's new Social Investment Agency. His term with the police was due to end in April next year, but he's finishing up early. However the president of the Police Association, Chris Cahill told Lisa Owen Commissioner Coster hasn't always been a favourite of front line officers.

Police are using force 9 percent more often and are facing increasing levels of violence.  The Annual Tactical Options Report provides an overview of what officers face and the tactics they use.  Nearly 1 in 10 events where force is used involves a gang member. The report reveals gang members are 25 percent more likely to be armed with a firearm than any other offender.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Association says officers' workloads are big enough without enforcing smoking and vaping bans.   Newstalk ZB has revealed in the four years since a law banning smoking and vaping in cars with children was passed, no one has been fined or summonsed to court.   Association President Chris Cahill says there are much more important things for police to focus on.   He told Mike Hosking police are damned if they do and damned if they don't.   Cahill believes as soon as police start enforcing fines, there would be immediate questions about equity and whether the fines were given out fairly.  He said officers already have to deal with breath testing, retail crime, beat work and fighting the gangs.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Associate Justice Minister Nicole Mckee accused union boss Chris Cahill of throwing his toys out of the cot because he didn't get his own way. It comes after Cahill wrote an open letter raising concerns of alleged bias and calling for the Police Minister to take over responsiblity for the review because the police association has not been included in the latest round of consultation, Minister Nicole McKee speaks to Lisa Owen.

On today's episode, the Paris games have come to an end, we look back on the best moments with Barry Guy and Felicity Reid who are in Paris, we also hear from the parents of double gold medallist Ellesse Andrews, the Police Association wants responsibility for firearms reform taken off ACT Minister Nicole McKee, Chris Cahill joins us, Wellington water insists it's working "at pace" to keep the environmental impact of a broken sewerage pipe in Lower Hutt to a minimum, deputy mayor of Lower Hutt Tui Lewis joins us, and we cross the Tasman for the latest from Kerry-Anne Walsh.

The Police Union says judges let too many high-level drug offenders off easy. A meth bust in Hawke's Bay and Gisborne in 2021 ended with the arrests of 15 - but only five went to jail. Police Association president Chris Cahill says the problem is sentence discounts. He says one person who imported 4 kilos of meth got five different discounts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 30th of July, the Police Association's Chris Cahill discusses the proposed Firearm Prohibition Order laws and its warrantless searches.  The Prime Minister is on to talk an abundance of public sector wastage.  Indy NXT driver Callum Hedge is back in the country for the mid-season break, so we had to get him on the show for a catch-up.    Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police say they need search powers to crack down on gang associates and their firearms.  New proposed Firearm Prohibition Order laws would ban people committing lower level offences from holding a firearms licence, and allow warrantless police searches of suspects.  The Justice Select Committee's asking the Government to soften some changes, concerned it would give police too much power.  Police Association President Chris Cahill told Mike Hosking it's better than what they had.  He says the law is toothless without any form of search powers.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The police union is warning police bosses will struggle to recruit and retain staff because the new pay deal isn't good enough. After the parties failed to reach an agreement, an independent arbitrator was brought in to make the final call, and has decided the government's offer is fair. It includes a $1500 lump sum payment, a flat $5000 pay increase, plus another 4 percent increase in July and again in 2025. Police Association president Chris Cahill spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Police Association feels a recent pay deal doesn't recognise the force's work enough.   An independent arbitrator stepped in after negotiations with the Police Association failed, siding with the Government's offer.   Association President Chris Cahill told Mike Hosking while it's not the worst deal ever, it doesn't get officers back even with inflation over the past years.  He says neither does it address the big increases in demand and risk, and the complexity of the role.   Cahill says other groups who are able to strike have had this recognised, but police never have.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Cahill from the Police Association speaks to Lisa Owen about concerns regarding new police community beat teams will be staffed by taking officers off other essential services, 63 staff are due to join the new teams across Auckland's three policing districts, Wellington and Christchurch over the next two years.

There's want for changes to police officers pay conditions to combat New South Wales' poaching attempts.  The state is 1500 officers short and has announced it'll fast-track New Zealand officers, shorten training, and allow experienced cops to keep their rank.  Police Association President Chris Cahill told Andrew Dickens that while we can't compete on wages, there are issues we can address.  For example, it takes 21 years for a constable to reach their maximum earnings, compared to the six or years it takes a nurse or a teacher.  That needs to change Cahill said.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 16th of May, Andrew Dickens is once more filling in for Mike Hosking. Both the Police Association and Minister Mark Mitchell joined to discuss NSW's increased push to steal our cops to their shores.  The Brits are both shocked and in awe of King Charles first official portrait. Andrew gave his thoughts.  Christchurch country-pop singer Miranda Easten gave a world premiere of her new single ahead of her upcoming sophomore album.  Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The president of the police association is skeptical about the likely impact of new police gang units. Chris Cahill spoke to Corin Dann.

On today's episode, we get reaction on the Government's new National Gang Unit, Police Association president Chris Cahill and Labour leader Chris Hipkins join us, we also hear from two school principals who say that charter schools could be a 'game changer', we cross to the US to hear the latest from the Donald Trump trial, and the winner of the Zonta Science Award joins us.

The Police Association says the latest pay offer did nothing to close the pay gap between officers, and teachers or nurses. The Association's president Chris Cahill spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Police hope to go to arbitration over pay next month. More than 75 percent of members have voted NO to the latest pay offer, which included a new overtime rate, a pay increase and a cash payment. They say it doesn't remedy the decline in salaries. Police Minister Mark Mitchell says it's disappointing - and will draw out an already lengthy process. Police Association President Chris Cahill told Heather du Plessis-Allan they want pay increases to match the rate of teachers. "They received 6 percent last July, which is when ours (agreement) ran out," he said.  "They received another 4 percent at the start of April and they'll receive another 4 percent at the start of December this year." Cahill says those are the figures his members want to talk about.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More issues are arising within the Police force.  In an effort to meet the Government's cost cuts, indefinite restrictions have been placed on the recruiting of non-sworn staff.  The Police Association has said that the freeze on hiring backroom staff will trickle over and impact the front line.  Association President Chris Cahill told Mike Hosking that you have to be really careful.  Without the backroom staff there would be no one to answer emergency calls or sort administration.  There are some real pressure points, he said.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"We are not being greedy"; However, it's a hard no to what police are calling a kick in the guts pay offer from the government. The offer includes a general wage increase of $5000 back dated to November of last year. A 4% across the board wage increase from the first of September this year; that's not backdated and another 4% kicking in from July next year. However, police will lose other benefits like heath checks, allowances for detectives, and leave accumulation and the deal will be locked in for 3 rather than the usual 2. The police union said its insulting from a govenrment that campaigned on getting tough on crime and now expects already stretched officers to enforce dsome demanding policies. Police Association President, Chris Cahill speaks to Lisa Owen.

The union representing Police says the minister needs to do more to support officers.  It comes after the Police Association dubbed the Government's latest pay offer as "insulting".  They rejected the government's offer in September 2023, and were presented with the same offer on Friday, which due to the amount of time passed, is now worth about $2000 less.  President Chris Cahill told Mike Hosking that Police Minister Mark Mitchell, a former officer himself, is putting extra work on them, so needs to pay up.  He says while Mitchell is a good advocate for Police, he campaigned on law and order so now needs to compensate them.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Association has slammed the Government's latest 'insulting' pay offer. Police staff have dubbed the four percent pay increase 'demoralising' and are calling for the Government to come to the table. Association president Chris Cahill says this increase is lower than the public service pay adjustment offer they received last year.  "It doesn't recognise the high cost of inflation that members have been suffering, the real struggle to make ends meet, pay their rent, pay their mortgages. It's just missing the mark on so many levels." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The police union says new anti-gang-patch laws will put staff under increased pressure. The Government has announced its plans to ban gang patches in public and introduce extra powers for police to stop gang members from congregating. But there are questions over whether the law will be able to be enforced, particularly by officers in small towns with few staff. Police Association president Chris Cahill spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The union representing Police officers is waiting on the detail of the Government plan to curb gangs. Legislation is soon to be introduced banning gang insignia in public places, enabling police to issue dispersal notices, and allowing courts to issue non-consorting orders. Police Association President Chris Cahill told Mike Hosking that if the law allows Police to retrospectively take patches off people, that could make it more workable. He says if officers can turn up at their house at a later date, that might give it some extra power. Cahill says at times, when there's enough Police, they could take the patches off gangs in the street.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Association says black mould and leaky ceilings in stations throughout the country are making it difficult for officers to do their jobs. It says many buildings are a health and safety hazard after so many years of neglect. These include stations in Greymouth, Nelson and Blenheim. The association's president Chris Cahill spoke to Corin Dann.

Long-term neglect of Police infrastructure has led to health and safety concerns at a number of stations nationwide.   The Police Association says issues range from areas being off-limit because of black mould, to leaky walls and roofs, nailed-up windows, and lockers housed in toilet cubicles.  Association President Chris Cahill told Mike Hosking that this isn't this government's problem.  He said that it's an infrastructure problem that should be planned for over the next 40-50 years, not the three-year election cycles.  Cahill said that most of the stations around the country were built in the 60's, and are at the end of their lives.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warnings the Government's police recruitment goal will mean splashing some cash. The Police Minister has confirmed in the House 500 new officers will be delivered over two years, as promised in the coalition deal with New Zealand First. Mark Mitchell had to U-turn on saying recruiting and attrition issues mean it'll take three years. Police Association President Chris Cahill says they haven't had a pay rise since July 2022. "Those people can't afford to join if they can't pay their mortgages, can't sort their cost of living state. That's what they need to look at, if they want to recruit and retain, they've got to sort the pay out." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The president of the Police Association is disappointed the government is backtracking on its commitment to deliver 500 new frontline officers in two years. In Parliament on Tuesday, Police Minister Mark Mitchell admitted they had pushed the deadline out to three years. He said this decision came after advice there are significant challenges with recruiting. Police Association president Chris Cahill spoke to Corin Dann.

There's belief stricter penalties will help against a surge in people fleeing police. Police data from the Bay Of Plenty shows 883 drivers in the region didn't stop when signalled, from January to October last year. That figure was 902 for all of 2022 - and 521 for 2021. Police Association President Chris Cahill says countrywide in the first nine months of last year, drivers kept going 8900 times. "If you're drunk driving, currently to go to court- you'll get penalised for that, but you won't get anything extra for failing to stop. We say there has to be a mandatory aggravating factor put on top." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police union says the new Minister's expectations are very clear, but it's less clear how they can be achieved, while having to make cost savings.Mark Mitchell met with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster yesterday and released a letter afterwards setting out what he expects, including more of a focus on core policing with a back-to-basics approach. Mr Mitchell says he wants a more visible police presence and new legislation used to crack down on gangs. But he also told the Police Commissioner that police would still have to find cost savings, just as other government agencies and departments do. President of the Police Association, Chris Cahill, says police are already struggling to retain officers, and it's going to be tough to deliver what the government wants without more resources.

'He's the man that's there': Police union boss coy on Coster's suitability -Jamie Lyth, NZ Herald As the new Government makes its expectations for Police clear, the performance of Commissioner Andrew Coster has come into question - with the Police Association describing him as “the man that's there”.  Last night, National's new Police Minister Mark Mitchell publicly released a letter of expectations he had agreed to with Coster.  The letter sets out National's key policies, including those in its first 100 days plan, including gang patch bans and law changes to give police more search powers and stop gang members associating with each other.  Mitchell said earlier today that he has full confidence in Coster, despite his past criticism.  But Police Association President Chris Cahill did not give such an endorsement when asked by Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking whether Coster was still “the man for the job”.  Cahill responded with: “Well he's the man that's there and we've got to move on.”  Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Commissioner of Police Andrew Coster. Photo / Alex Burton  On the letter itself and the expectations from the new minister, Cahill said he expected mostly positive reactions from ground-level staff.  “I think most frontline cops will be on board with the reset in focus.  “I think they'll be very enthusiastic, it's pretty clear now what they want is to get out there and put some pressure on criminals and put some pressure on crime.”  Cahill said the letter showed police were being asked to work less in the prevention area, and more in direct response.  “I think you can't say that Andrew Coster didn't have ideas around the prevention space and long-term changes.  “What he's been told now is that he's got to focus on the here and now, so I think it's pretty clear in that letter of expectation that that's what he's got to focus on.”  Cahill said the ideas in the letter were good in theory but police need more resources to achieve the goals set out.  “The challenge, of course, is who is going to do all of this if we're losing cops to Australia.”  Hosking mentioned that the coalition deal promised 500 more police officers, but Cahill said he wasn't sure what this would look like in reality.  “We'd like to see that word extra, rather than just new.  “We already get 450 new [officers] a year, so that needs to be clarified that it's extra, not just new.”  Cahill said police need government organisations to do their job in the crime prevention area so police can focus on responding to crime.  “I want to see the letter of expectations going to the CEO of Health [NZ], the CEO of Oranga Tamariki because they've got to step in and do their job because it can't just be police.”  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police cybercrime unit is investigating the origin of threatening emails.   Schools and hospitals around the country received the emails yesterday.   Police are confident they pose no threat.   Police Association president Chris Cahill told Mike Hosking that these things always need to be taken seriously, and there has to be a thorough threat assessment.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's Queensland Police Service has launched what they're calling a 'cheeky campaign' to poach New Zealand officers. 'Warmer days and higher pays' is what they're promising the cops who make the move across the ditch. The service is also offering a $20,000 dollar relocation bonus. Police Association president Chris Cahill spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Police Association responds to the Police Minister's call for a greater role volunteer wardens to help patrol Auckland's city centre. The recent fatal shooting at a construction site has renewed calls from community and business leaders for more police on the streets. Police minister Ginny Andersen met with the central business association Chief Executive Viv Beck last week, suggesting that co-ordination between Maori and ethnic wardens could help free-up the police to respond to crime in the area. Kathryn discusses the suggestion with Viv Beck, is Chief Executive of Heart of the City and president of the Police Association, Chris Cahill.

The 24-year-old man who killed two civilians and injured at least six other people with a shotgun, including two police officers, had been convicted for domestic abuse earlier in the year and was wearing an electronic ankle bracelet. The gunman was working at the building site in the CBD where he opened fire on workers and the police. Police Association president Chris Cahill spoke to Corin Dann.