Apec drain a hardship for some say police

By Scott MacLeod

HAMILTON - Police in some northern areas admit they will be sorely stretched during the Apec conference as 30 per cent of their staff leave to protect world leaders in Auckland.

Up to 2400 police are being drawn from as far as Christchurch for the September 4 to 14 conference.

Police chiefs in Northland, Waikato, Coromandel and Bay of Plenty yesterday said they would reduce court cases or ask staff to work longer hours to cover the gap left by absent colleagues.

Police leave has already been cancelled nationally during Apec.

The issue has struck a raw nerve in Rotorua, where police are copping flak from district councillors who claim they are failing to solve enough crime even with a full complement of staff.

Deputy mayor Johnny Lepper said this week that city people were unhappy with the standard of policing, and mayor Grahame Hall said the amount of minor crime being solved was unacceptable.

The region's commander, Superintendent Peter Smith, yesterday struck back at the criticism, saying Rotorua's crime-solving rate was well above the national average.

He said Rotorua would need to be closely managed during Apec and might need help from police in other areas if staff became too stretched.

He was confident that the cancelled leave and longer working hours would cover most problems.

"There will be some impact. I should know how much by May 14."

Waikato's district commander, Superintendent Clint Rickards, said yesterday that the cancelled leave should cover most holes left by missing staff.

But "there may be some areas we can't police as well."

The drain on the regions is one of quality as well as quantity. Waikato alone will lose eight of its top-ranking staff to the summit, including Mr Rickards.

Others to be lost include Waikato's top rural policeman, Inspector Kelvin Powell, and the chiefs at Tokoroa and Te Kuiti, Senior Sergeants Viv Rickard and Rex Knight.

Thames-Coromandel Senior Sergeant Bryan Oliver said his area had managed well when it lost staff to the Commonwealth heads-of-government meeting in 1996. He was confident it could cope with Apec.

The Northland district manager, Superintendent John Rivers, said cancelled leave meant his district would be at full strength despite losing 25 per cent of its police to Apec.

The Minister of Police, Clem Simich, has confirmed that each region will lose an average 30 per cent of staff.

Policing would "not be affected to the point that people's security will suffer."

Police have been planning for the Apec gathering for two years. Twenty-one leaders from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation nations are expected, including those of China, Russia and the United States.