Tauranga Police dog Turk and his handler Senior Constable Derek Orchard are this year's national police patrol dog champions and winners of the Frank Riley Cup.

Both handler and dog have many years of experience behind them but have only been working together as a team for the past twelve months.

Senior Constable Orchard is well aware of the necessity for dog and handler to build unique bond of trust and skill. In 2006 he and his dog Ben were attacked by a man with a claw hammer.

The competition is taken very seriously, patrol dogs are used in extremely dangerous situations and 23 police dogs have died in the course of duty. The skills tested during the competition are potentially lifesaving skills.

Auckland’s Senior Constable William Birrell with his dog Hawk were runner's up and also won Commissioners Challenge Cup for obedience. Constable Stuart Rota and Link from Wellington were third and also won the William Rose Bowl for Criminal Work Disciplines.

This year's top explosive detector dog champion team and winner of the Aviation Security Shield is Aviation Security Officer Harvey Jefferies and ‘Shadow’ from Auckland.

Corrections Officer Barry Nelson and his dog Olesia from Christchurch won the Alan Symes Cup for the narcotic detector dog title, and the 'Customs Cup' for the highest marks in locating white powders.

Deputy Commissioner Mike Bush made a special presentation to the New Zealand Police Dog Section at the prize giving. A commemorative plaque was presented to Inspector Brendon Gibson to recognise the professionalism and devotion to duty when some patrol dogs and personnel were called away from this competition, in 2009, to attend the emergency in Napier arising from the murder of Senior Constable Len Snee.

The top ten police patrol dog teams from around New Zealand competed for national honours at the New Zealand Police Dog Centre at Trentham this week. They were joined by six of the best narcotic detector dog teams from Police, Corrections and Customs and the top five explosive detector dog teams from Police, Aviation Security Service and Customs.

EXCLUSIVE| FIRST @ INFONEWS.CO.NZ: Two men were taken to Taranaki Base Hospital last night when they were assaulted by another male in a central Mc Donalds food store in New Plymouth.

The two men received moderate injuries, one got a broken nose.

However a infonews.co.nz exclusive investigation has confirmed the two men never tried to start the fight in any way and did not know the man that assaulted them.

The man that assaulted the two men was 'off his face' and 'heavily drunk'.

The man that assaulted the two men is in police custody when Mc Donalds staff called police.

Investigations are continuing.

Police has today announced changes that will see officers receive enhanced tactical training that better matches their role and will improve staff and public safety.

National Manager Operations, Superintendent Barry Taylor, says changes to current Police Integrated Tactical Training (or PITT), to be rolled out over the next 16 months, will see the introduction of a three-tiered tactical response structure.

“While the current PITT training structure is working well, it cannot deliver all that we need it to into the future, especially if we are to ensure that all constabulary staff are deployable and trained to a consistently high level that best matches the day-to-day demands of their role,” he says.

As of 1 July next year, the revised structure will see staff receive enhanced tactical training as either level one, two or three responders, with level one representing those who will respond to high risk and urgent situations that may necessitate access to Taser and firearms, while level two and three responders will deal with the remainder of incidents that are lower risk and make up the vast majority of Police interactions.

“These changes are about reinvesting our training resources more effectively into the people that need it the most,” Mr Taylor says. “For example, it doesn’t make sense that an officer in a support role, who is highly unlikely to come across a violent or potentially dangerous offender, needs Taser and firearms training. But at the other end of the scale, where we have a frontline officer who is far more likely to encounter potentially high risk situations, it is appropriate they receive the enhanced training.

“With these changes, we expect that our service levels will improve further as those staff who most often respond to critical incidents will receive more targeted and relevant training that better matches their role and responsibilities.”

The level of response training staff receive will be based on careful assessment of their role and its risks by their district management team, and will principally affect those staff who receive Taser and firearms training. The enhancements will be delivered within existing training budgets.

All Police staff will still receive training in important tactical techniques such as baton, handcuffs, OC spray and defensive tactics, which are effective in resolving the vast majority of situations encountered.

“The reality is that the vast majority of Police interactions are resolved without incident. This is supported by analysis of our use of force data, which shows that situations requiring the deployment of tactical options such as Taser or firearms represent only a small percentage of these interactions. Accordingly, the new structure continues to focus strongly on de-escalation through good communication and sound decision-making skills,” Mr Taylor says.

Bay of Plenty Police will be joining law enforcement agencies from around the world this week to increase awareness of police work via social media.

The first Global Police Tweet-a-thon will see officers and staff from eight countries tweet about their experiences from the frontline giving a snapshot of the work that they do and the issues they face on a daily basis. Messages will be sent out from nearly 150 different Twitter accounts.

Globally the tweet-a-thon will run for 24 hours from 8am on Friday (22 March) with agencies operating for all or any part of that period. Due to time zones New Zealand and Australia will be first out of the blocks.

New Zealand Police will be tweeting from 8am until midnight using three accounts - @BOPPolice, @BetterWorkStory, @ManukauPolice - and the event hashtag #poltwt

In fact you may even spot a few early tweets as Taupo's Tauhara Paetiki Neigbourhood Policing Team kick off their shift at 5.30am and at 6am they will be involved with CACTUS, a military style physical training programme helping youth aged 13 to 17 to experience a change in lifestyle.

The team already has a popular Facebook presence (www.facebook.com/tauharanpt) and team member Constable Ross Humphrey, recently hit media headlines with his infamous Gangnam style dance moves.

Acting District Commander, Detective Inspector Tim Anderson, said: "We ran a similar exercise on New Year's Eve in Tauranga which resulted in really positive feedback from our Twitter followers. It enabled us to interact in real time giving people an insight into the work we do and providing them with tips and information that will hopefully prevent them from becoming future victims of crime.

"The popularity of social media continues to grow so as a communication tool it makes perfect sense. We're looking forward to Twitter users joining us on this global venture and it will be interesting to see the similarities and differences between New Zealand and overseas law enforcement agencies."

Media enquiries should be referred to Communications Manager Kim Perks on 027 234 8256.
Additional notes:

• It is important to note that Twitter should NOT be used to report incidents or crimes. Anyone needing emergency assistance should use the 111 system. Non-urgent reports should be made through the local police.

• In the interests of privacy no identities of individuals or addresses of incidents will be shared via Twitter. Although the Twitter feed will be in real time there may be instances where a slightly delayed message is needed in order to protect the safety of individuals involved.

• A full list of the agencies participating can be found on Google map

Police today honoured four officers and a civilian whose deaths at the hands of lone gunmen were the catalyst for sweeping changes to Police tactics that have saved countless other lives.

A ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Police College this afternoon marked the 50th anniversary of the double homicides of Detective Inspector Wallace Chalmers and Detective Sergeant Neville Power at Waitakere on 6 January 1963, and those of Constable Bryan Schultz and Constable James Richardson at Lower Hutt less than a month later on 3 February.

Civilians James Berry, who was also killed during the Waitakere incident, and Harry Pettit, who was seriously wounded, were also remembered.

“Today’s service is important because it marks the brave sacrifice made by all these men who were trying to help others and keep their communities safe,” says Deputy Commissioner Viv Rickard. “While their loss is still keenly felt, their deaths led to significant changes in how Police respond to armed incidents, which ultimately led to the formation of the AOS and unquestionably the saving of many other lives.”

Attendees included Police Minister Hon. Anne Tolley, as well three of the men’s widows, their descendants, retired Police staff, current staff, MPs, local mayors and members of the Police Executive. Local commemorations have also been held in Waitakere and Lower Hutt.

Officers Chalmers and Power died after being shot by a lone gunman while responding to an incident at boarding kennels in Bethells Road, Waitakere, while Mr Berry was killed by the same offender after helping a badly injured Mr Pettit and others to safety. Just a few weeks later, Constables Schultz and Richardson were shot dead by an armed offender at a domestic incident in Lower Hutt.

Former AOS commander and member, Detective Superintendent Ray van Beynen, says both events sparked a wide-ranging review of Police tactics relating to armed offenders – resulting in a recommendation that New Zealand Police form a specialist squad to respond to armed incidents. In August 1964, the AOS was formed.

“These men did not give their lives in vain. The armed response units set up after their deaths have been extremely successful, so much so that we’ve never lost a squad member during an AOS operation – and I have no doubt that countless other lives have been saved because of their intervention.”

Police Minister Anne Tolley has today attended a ceremony to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the tragic deaths of four Police officers.

Detective Inspector Wallace Chalmers, Detective Sergeant Neville Power, Constable Bryan Schultz and Constable James Richardson were all killed by gunmen within a four-week period in early 1963.

“The events of fifty years ago shook the whole country, and today’s ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Police College was a moving tribute to the memories of the four officers who lost their lives while serving the public,” says Mrs Tolley.

“It was humbling to meet the families and former colleagues of the fallen officers, and a reminder to everyone of the sacrifices that are made by Police officers and their loved ones.

“Our Police have to show bravery, courage and professionalism every single day – and without family support they wouldn’t be able to do their job.

“The traumatic events of fifty years ago had a huge impact, not only on the families, friends and colleagues of the slain officers, but also on the Police service itself.

“It directly led to the formation of the Armed Offenders Squad, which is keeping New Zealanders safe to this day.

“The officers who died in 1963 will always be remembered, as will all of the Police staff who have given their lives while protecting our communities.”

Police Minister Anne Tolley says Labour is once again trying to mislead the public over Police resources.

“Their spokesman has claimed that there are 57 fewer Police Communications Centre staff than in 2009, but this is completely false. There are, in fact, fifty additional staff,” says Mrs Tolley.

“Figures supplied to the Law and Order Select Committee Financial Review clearly show that in 2012 the average number of staff in these centres increased from 508 in 2009 to 558 in 2012.

“Not only that - by the end of June this year there will be an extra 42 staff in place as part of the expanded Crime Reporting Line.

“So either Labour don’t understand the figures, or they are deliberately trying to mislead the public by selecting figures which don’t tell the true story.

“The Police just don’t deserve to be continually undermined and treated as a political football by Labour.

“Communications Centre staff work extremely hard and last week answered 96 per cent of 111 emergency calls within ten seconds.

“They deserve huge praise for the service they provide to the public.

“I back the Police to continue preventing and tackling crime despite cheap and false attempts at trying to score political points.

“Crime rates are falling and communities are safer thanks to the Police. That might be hard for Labour to swallow, but they’ll just have to face facts.”

It's expected to be a busy time on the roads over the next week as families make the most of Auckland anniversary weekend before the children head back to school.

Settled weather is forecast across the Bay of Plenty for the weekend so no doubt outdoor activities will be high on the agenda and police fully anticipate increased traffic flows particularly around the lakes, beaches and tourist attractions.

Road Policing Manager Inspector Kevin Taylor said: "Whether you are going on a short trip or a longer journey, plan it well, allow plenty of time and show consideration while sharing the road."

After the weekend's fun in the sun, the focus turns to keeping our children safe on our roads. The new school year gets underway and children are particularly vulnerable as they travel to and from schools on foot, and on bikes or scooters.

"There will be a lot of excited and nervous littlies starting school for the first time and many others catching up with their friends after the long summer break. They will easily be distracted; losing awareness of their surroundings and an appreciation of the risks.

"Many youngsters also don't often have the ability to accurately judge speed and distance, particularly when crossing the roads. They may over-estimate the how much time they have to safely get to the other side," said Inspector Taylor.

Police patrols will be increased around schools in both urban and rural areas and will be enforcing parking offending and monitoring speeds. Police staff will also be checking that all occupants of vehicles are wearing seatbelts and approved child restraints.

"It is important that all motorists are alert, careful, considerate and patient. Congestion is inevitable around schools, so regardless of the posted speed limit drivers need to slow down and be prepared for the unexpected. Children's safety is the responsibility of us all, not just parents," said Inspector Taylor.

Parents are also being urged to discuss with their children road safety and ensure their children have coats and bags that make them highly visible and the right safety equipment if cycling to school.

Christchurch Police have located a man they were seeking in relation to reports of inappropriate behaviour in the Port Hills area.

Detective Constable Fiona Croft says Police visited a Christchurch address early this afternoon, acting on information received from a member of the public.

"We have had an initial discussion with a man at that address, and he is assisting us with our enquiries.

"No decision has yet been made on whether charges will be laid. The investigation is continuing and we are speaking with a number of complainants."

Detective Constable Croft says Police have received several complaints or reports from members of the public over the past 48 hours.

"We have been contacted by a number of women who have been approached on Port Hills tracks, and by people who have seen a man matching the description that was circulated yesterday," she says.

"Sightings and incidents have occurred in the vicinity of the Rapaki Track and the Mount Vernon Tracks. The man was also seen in the St Martin's area.

"In addition to the recent incidents, some of the incidents reported to us this week date back several months, but had not previously been reported."

Complaints include reports of a man attempting to hug or kiss women, and making offensive gestures or comments.

Any other people who may have been affected by similar incidents in the Port Hills area can contact Detective Constable Croft at Christchurch Police, ph. (03) 3637400.

Wellington Police have arrested and charged two men with conspiracy to import and importing 220 grams of methamphetamine after a joint Police and Customs operation.

Two Wellington men, aged 54 and 36, have been remanded in custody and will reappear on 30 January in the Wellington District Court.

Detective Senior Sergeant Warwick McKee says "This is a significant seizure and will put a dent in this drug syndicate.

"Police and Customs have been tracking the movements of these men for several months after they were detained some time ago at Auckland Airport.

"Evidence, including forensic evidence, has subsequently linked the two to the package.

"The clear message is that we know who these people are and we'll be relentless in preventing the harm this drug causes to our communities", says Detective Senior Sergeant McKee.

This operation is not linked to the arrests made last month in Wellington.

Scammers trying to sell cheap art works for inflated prices are again targeting Christchurch residents.

Police are warning householders to be wary of the scam, which usually involves young foreign backpackers going door-to-door representing themselves as art students.

Acting Inspector Glenn Nalder of Christchurch Police says the "students", who come from a variety of countries, attempt to pass the paintings off as their own work, selling them for several hundred dollars apiece.

"The paintings are actually mass-produced and can be purchased online for a few dollars each," he says.

"These groups have been active in Christchurch recently. Police received a report earlier this week of people going door to door trying to sell the paintings.

"Last night police caught up with a pair in the Cashmere area. Inquiries are continuing in relation to the man and woman spoken to - and we have not ruled out charging the pair," says Acting Inspector Nalder.

"Falsely representing the paintings is an offence and may result in arrest.  Obtaining by deception is punishable by up to seven years imprisonment."

Police will also sharing information about these people with the New Zealand Immigration Service.

"Often the scammers are in breach of immigration regulations. Police will liaise with the Immigration Service who may also take action."

Police urge residents to turn away people selling art door to door.

Nelson Bays Area Commander Inspector Steve Greally got the New Year’s Eve he had asked for, with no reported assaults and just a handful of arrests.

“Most people came to town with the right attitude and celebrated the new year in great spirit. I believe that the way in which Nelson Police has policed Bridge Street over the last year may have contributed to the improved behaviour of patrons,” he said

Inspector Greally said patrons generally displayed reduced levels of intoxication throughout the night.

“I want to acknowledge the efforts of the licensees across the Nelson Bays area. There was greater vigilance and professionalism tonight. This is a great improvement on previous years.”

Across Nelson Bays there were no arrests for family violence, no reported victims and just a small amount of low level disorder.

Nelson Bays Police Prevention Strategy worked well and managed to prevent victimisation through high visibility policing and zero tolerance on alcohol related offending.

About 800 people celebrated the new year at the Maitai camp. Behaviour was generally very good. There were no reported issues at any of the region’s beaches.

In Motueka there were no significant events and only four arrests for low level alcohol related offences. There were no incidents at Kaiteriteri or at the rock concert at Riwaka.

Some disorder in Stoke at about midnight involving a group of males but there were no arrests or injuries.

A problem with a party on Williams Street… nil major problems though.

In total 28 people were arrested:
Breach of Liquor Ban = 10
Disorder = 12
Intoxicated = 5
Drugs = 1

On the roads Police conducted four checkpoints and stopped 2080 vehicles.

Four people were caught driving with excess breath alcohol, 33 tickets were written for other matters and one vehicle was impounded.

Inspector Greally said he was very pleased with the way Police had managed the evening.

“The work we have done over the year in changing people’s attitudes to what is acceptable behavior was evident. To get through such a significant event without a single victim is an outstanding effort and I can’t thank my team enough for the effort they put in.

He said the high visibility policing would continue through the holiday period.