Community role new police chiefs forte

Press, 9 May 1985, Page 4

Community role new police chiefs forte

By

JEFF HAMPTON

Christchurch’s new police chief is a man who has a special interest in the role of the police in the community. Chief Superintendent John Jamieson says that he plans to emphasise that role when police staffing levels in Christchurch are boosted later this year. Mr Jamieson, who is deputy commander of the Christchurch police, is expected to take up his new rank of deputy assistant commissioner later in July when the police chief, Deputy Assistant Commissioner George Twentyman, retires.

Superintendent Jim Waugh, aged 54, of Christchurch, has been appointed to succeed Mr Jamieson.

Mr Jamieson, aged 47, has a reputation of moving quickly up the police ranks. He joined the police in Auckland in 1956 when 18. He was promoted to sergeant at 23. At 39 he was appointed chief superintendent, the youngest officer in the history of the New Zealand Police to hold that rank. Mr Jamieson said yesterday that he had benefited from two early-retirement deals offered the police, which had created more

positions for younger officers. “I have just been in the right place at the right time,” he said. He has worked in Christchurch since 1980, for a second time, and before that was director of training at Police National Headquarters.

Mr Jamieson said that he had a particular interest in the role of the police in the community.

He has carried out research on this topic while studying for a diploma in criminology at Auckland University and while travelling overseas on a United Nations fellowship.

The police had’two roles, he said. One was the frontline service investigating crime and the other was a deeper one, continuing a relationship with the community. It was important for the police to run crime seminars and help set up neighbourhood support groups, he said.

Feed-back from the community and police staff about the type of policing they wanted was also helpful.

For example, Mr Jamieson said, he was keen to hear of ideas about what could be done to improve Cathedral Square, which had proved a trouble-spot at times.

Mr Jamieson said that his immediate aim was to maintain the standard of front-line policing in Christchurch.

The Christchurch police were now 31 officers below strength and faced extra work because of the All Black tour to South Africa.

Extra recruits were being trained and were expected in Christchurch later this year, he said. Mr Jamieson, who is married, with three children, describes himself as a keen Christian and a physical fitness enthusiast.