How things have changed

**Lou Girardin** · 26th July 2006, 11:30

A Taranaki cop has been charged with EBA after being breath tested at the scene of a fatal accident.
The story I read said that he'd been drinking with one of the dead drivers who left his place. Soon after he received a call to bring 2 oxy bottles to the scene. Apparently he was closest by quite a margin. When he arrived, another cop at the scene smelt booze and breath tested him.
I guess you can debate the rights and wrongs of his actions till you're blue in the face. But he was trying to help, why didn't the other cop turn a blocked nose?

**Motu** · 26th July 2006, 11:34

Did this other cop have a well trimmed mustache and shiny boots? There are back stabbing pricks in every job.Of course Brutus has done no wrong,but he's still a prick to bring down a guy who did his best....

**Ixion** · 26th July 2006, 11:35

Reading between the lines , in some of the press stuff, I sense undercurrents. Think maybe he'd made some enemies.

**placidfemme** · 26th July 2006, 11:38

Originally Posted by Lou Girardin

A Taranaki cop has been charged with EBA after being breath tested at the scene of a fatal accident.
The story I read said that he'd been drinking with one of the dead drivers who left his place. Soon after he received a call to bring 2 oxy bottles to the scene. Apparently he was closest by quite a margin. When he arrived, another cop at the scene smelt booze and breath tested him.
I guess you can debate the rights and wrongs of his actions till you're blue in the face. But he was trying to help, why didn't the other cop turn a blocked nose?

My aunt was the second person on the scene after that accident... apparantly it was really bad

**nadroj** · 26th July 2006, 13:13

What were his options?

Not attend cos he may have had too much while off duty. (closest backup 45 minutes away with possible extra loss of life due to delay).

Get someone to drive him in the police vehicle with it's equipment to the incident - against police policy to allow non authorized personel to drive departmental vehicles.

Biggest mistake he made was entertaining the 'alledged' person responsible for the incident & turning a blind eye to him driving home from plod's place.

**Beemer** · 26th July 2006, 13:57

By the sound of it, there have been a lot of blind eyes turned in that neck of the woods and perhaps pressure is being put on those who had until now looked the other way. It's one thing to not ticket every speeding driver when you know most of them, it's another to let them drink and drive.

**Deano** · 26th July 2006, 14:08

Originally Posted by Lou Girardin

he was trying to help, why didn't the other cop turn a blocked nose?

Originally Posted by Beemer

By the sound of it, there have been a lot of blind eyes turned in that neck of the woods

I got told in here this week that cops don't ignore ANY offences....

**placidfemme** · 26th July 2006, 14:25

The cop shouldn't have let the guy drive drunk... but he may not have seemed drunk... i think the cop did the best he could.

**Ixion** · 26th July 2006, 14:33

Wonder if the dobber-copper was HP ? (I assume the dobbed-in one was general duties) .

**Mental Trousers** · 26th July 2006, 14:41

Originally Posted by Beemer

By the sound of it, there have been a lot of blind eyes turned .....

Grew up in Taranaki. Have 1st hand experience of cops turning a blind eye. Went to pick up my father and a few others who were drinking after a Squash tournament. One of the guys told the local cops that called in he was parking his car up for the night and could they keep an eye on it. Both cops told him just to drive home cos the black & whites (yeah this was a while back) had all gone home.

**Lou Girardin** · 26th July 2006, 14:41

Originally Posted by Ixion

Wonder if the dobber-copper was HP ? (I assume the dobbed-in one was general duties) .

The dobber-copper was from Waitara apparently. I think the dobbee was local. Near Mokau?

**marty** · 26th July 2006, 16:09

Originally Posted by placidfemme

My aunt was the second person on the scene after that accident... apparantly it was really bad

as opposed to not too bad, but someone died anyway.

**Lou Girardin** · 26th July 2006, 16:15

Originally Posted by marty

as opposed to not too bad, but someone died anyway.

I've been to one of those. a minor fender-bender with a dead guy at the wheel.
He struck his temple on the seat belt mount.

**nadroj** · 26th July 2006, 19:50

Originally Posted by placidfemme

The cop shouldn't have let the guy drive drunk... but he may not have seemed drunk... i think the cop did the best he could.

Word is another at the 'event' offered to drive the culprit home so he stayed for another drink. He went for a piddle then a vehicle started & he was off.