Three events in quick succession raise serious doubts about the ability of the New Zealand Police to deal effectively with critical situations and should be of concern to the business community.

The Clint Rickard saga stands out as an HR disaster that has been allowed to get out of hand. The Pumpkin case calls into question the competence of the investigating unit who can learn lessons from several popular US crime dramas screening nightly on our main TV channels. The Putaruru stand-off is another example of lack of preparedness in trying to defuse a dangerous incident with volatile consequences.

Law and order and in particular violent crime are of increasing concern. Recruitment difficulties, which are not unique to New Zealand, are symptomatic of a poor image of the employing organisation. While there has to be a balance between stricter policing methods as advocated by some and human rights and personal liberties by others, low morale and lack of direction are the inevitable result of an overly PC environment of operation.

The Police administration is not different from other armed and enforcement agencies which are less conspicuous in their operational deficiencies. A good example of organisational efficiency is the Royal New Zealand Navy as illustrated by repeated attainment of the annual supreme award from the NZ Business Excellence Foundation according to the Baldridge formula. It stands to reason that this model can be applied with good effect to law enforcement.