Kerre Woodham: As minister, wouldn't you make it your business to know operational matters?

Who on Earth would be a copper these days? Maybe the job is more rewarding than the news reports suggest. Certainly, the young men and women I dealt with from about 7 different countries and ethnicities who were all part of the New Zealand police when my car got stolen –they were onto it. They seemed positive they had a really wonderful worldview. They were good people and they seem to have enjoyment in their job. They were proactive in finding the little former 501s that had ripped off my car and used it to commit some armed robberies. 
They were really, really wonderful young men and women. And I thought, well Police are in some pretty good stead if young people like that are joining. But the stats seem to tell a different story. A report out last night on One News shows that police response times have become remarkably slower under this government and police have come under criticism for that. 
Now you can't be across everything. I get that. But if you're a minister, don't you want to get your teeth into the portfolio and get into it and make it your own? Wouldn't you make it your business to know operational matters? I think police response times are something that a government minister should know. 
Let's face it, the pay doesn't keep people in jobs. You're not going to be a police officer because of the pay, are you? You're going to do it because you believe in your community because you believe in service because you believe in people because that's ultimately what the job is all about. Job satisfaction keeps people doing what they do. 
How many officers can still hand on heart say this is the job they signed up for? When it comes to the public, how many of you have faith that the police will be there when you need them? The vast majority call the police because they need them, not because they quite like them to be there.

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