No police plans to halt staff leaving

Press, 14 May 1985, Page 6

No police plans to halt staff leaving

PA Wellington The Commissioner of Police, Mr Ken Thompson, has said that he is “not even considering” invoking part of the Police Act to halt a trend of resignations. The Police Association’s president, Mr Keith Morrow, said recently that a sudden increase in Auckland police resignations could be the start of a national trend. The Royal New Zealand Air Force has taken steps to stop members of its aircrews resigning with less than two years notice. “The police position in no way resembles that of the R.N.Z.A.F. and the use (of section 16, sub-section three of the Police Act, 1958, has not been considered,” Mr Thompson said. ( “Resignations are below those of other organisations and recruiting is going very well. There will be 400 recruits either under trailing or graduating by the end of this year, to compensate for early retirement or optional disengagement (leaving for medical or psychological reasons),’’ he said.; The part of the Act quoted by Mr Thompson, says: “Where in the opinion of the Governor-General special circumstances Require that no member of the police shall resign without permission, he may, by warrant under his hand, declare that no member shall resign except on the conditions set out in the warrant.”