Police head rejects views on resignations

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33932, 27 August 1975, Page 16

Police head rejects views on resignations

There had been no significant

trend in the number of resignations b\ Christchurch policemen, said the commander of the Christchurch Police District (Chief Superintendent C. F. Twentvman) vesterdax.

He was fomenting on 1 a reported assertion bypolice in Auckland that resignations from the department were increasing. The assertion — which has I been rejected by the Commissioner of Police (Mr K. B. H Burnside) — was contained in 4 a newsletter published bv the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Police Association. This suggested that more policemen were resigning bei cause of “the attitude of cerItain members of the adminlistration toward the lower i ranks.” i The newsletter said that j 135 men had resigned from ■the New Zealand Police this year, and predicted that the I total number of resignations II for 1975 could reach 230. SHIFT WORK Mr Twentyman said that he would be surprised if oppressive control was causing j resentment among Christchurch policemen. He had noticed no significant change I in the number of resignations ■ locally over the last few I years. “I can only say that shift ! | work and stress involved in 4 police service put a heavv “ burden on the wives and ‘ families of policemen, and that this is a factor in many I resignations,” Mr Twentvman Hsaid. He was unable to comment on statements in the branch i newsletter about the situation in Auckland. That was the province of the Commissioner of Police, he said, j It is believed that the alle- ■ gations made in the newsletter will be discussed by the Christchurch district committee of the Police Association at its meeting next week. I The chairman of the ccmi mittee (Senior-Sergeant T. O. Tozer) had no comment to intake last evening when asked whether Christchurch I policemen supported the I views contained in the Auckland newsletter. ‘NOT SUBSTANTIATED’ Mr Burnside said yesterday that statements implying ; that the resignation rate had l increased this year could not ;be substantiated. “For the year ended Augjust 19, 1974, the 184 resigt nations received resulted in a 4.86 per cent loss. For the

year ended August 19. 1975. the 198 resignations consti tuted 4.76 per cent of the total staff—which, in fact, shows that resignations have fallen." he said. Mr Burnside said that ac tual police staff had increased bv 371 between August 19. 1974. and the same date this month. “Losses from resignations have remained consistently low in recent vears. which reflects the success of mea sures to reduce them." he said.