In the end, what can be a half-hour journey took 70 minutes and cost $90

Ahhhh, Auckland. The problem is, it's so popular

will try to get the recipe for that pork belly up on object dart sometime soonish, along with kerry's request for how to clean squid (of course)

TVNZ ondemand

Windows Media clips of?

there seems to be quite a groundswell for sharia law in New Zealand

Only among the self-selecting sample of psychos who choose to spill their spleens on talk-back.
Middle class white left-ish leaning demi-liberals like myself just sit back and weep at the sad state of some people's lives.

Serious?

oh yeah and someone put our airport so far away that a cab ride is $70 normally – luckily my boss pays for it

Ummmm... Paul, would you prefer to have the airport so close that you can be there by taxi in $20, but 747s take-off over your house?

(oh yeah and someone put our airport so far away that a cab ride is $70 normally – luckily my boss pays for it)

Yeah I've always wondered about that – it's like, in another country it's so far from town – it'd be more than $70, wouldn't it?

The latent sadism of the good folk of suburbia.

Them's fightin' words.

The problem is not remoteness (good for airports) but access. Direct rail and bus links plus motorways that end at the terminals would help.

Actually I think in Dunedin the problem was available flat land. Why it's not next to Mosgiel though, I don't know.

Direct rail and bus links?

we caught a shuttle bus a couple of weekends ago and that cost us $50 for two people... so much for economy.

if i'm ever in auckland for work i just hire a car. the daily?

In the end, what can be a half-hour journey took 70 minutes and cost $90

It'll take slightly longer but for that price I can fly from Venice to Paris. (Yes, it's a super cheapie but it's mad innit?)

Maxx have recently announced new bus schedules that can get you to?

Yeah I've always wondered about that – it's like, in another country it's so far from town – it'd be more than $70, wouldn't it?

I caught a taxi from Mt Albert to Airport yesterday and it was $40.00. But granted, that was unusual, as was the traffic chaos earlier?

If only we had Wellington's foresight in establishing a proper train network all those years ago ...

it doesn't run to the airport. and the current council has absolutely no interest in it ever doing so.

it's all cars round here, mate.

i'd encourage anyone in wellington who's curious/perplexed by?

Ummmm... Paul, would you prefer to have the airport so close that you can be there by taxi in $20, but 747s take-off over your house every 20 minutes?

Or how about the worst of both worlds? My place in Sydney is about 25 mins from the airport – this?

we caught a shuttle bus a couple of weekends ago and that cost us $50 for two people... so much for economy.

Shuttles here in Dunedin were, at least until a couple of years ago when I last caught one, $10/person to your door. They were $10 when I first?

it's all cars round here, mate.

And parking at Wellington airport since they rebuilt the parking area a few years ago is criminal. Costs me about as much to park for a long weekend at Dunedin airport as it does to park for a couple of hours at Wellington.

That's what happens when you live in an urban sprawl dedicated to the motor car though. Takes 15 minutes to get from downtown Wellington to the airport. Sometimes they even have good enough weather?

Talkback callers would be starved and frozen in antarctic concentration camps. Provided with no food or adequate shelter, but a computer and telephone so that?

$68 a pop ($73 on the way back because the AIA monopoly taxes the cab drivers for the use of the rank...)

So if you visit regularly to the Garden City (currently foggy) gat a metro card.

Also you can ride the ferry (Diamond Harbour to Lyttleton) & catch a bus to the city and beyond?

a virtual train – a bus with dedicated road space and a reliable schedule

that's what the corridor plan is thinking.

not particularly green. but... at least the laneway could be converted over to light rail.

mind you, it's likely to be more costly. the current airport-city bus is twice?

You don't want any sporting team to be going through those situations.

"You live in that sort of life?

So if you visit regularly to the Garden City (currently foggy) gat a metro card.

It's all sunny as far as I can see!

The Christchurch public transport system is pretty damn impressive, though. They could do with a few more buses on circular routes, and an easier way to?

There's a pub I'ld bowl over but really love the renewal that's happened there.

it's all cars round here, mate.

Back in the day during one of the many ?bypass consultations?, I made a short submission to WCC on creating a Wellington Airport Downtown Arrivals /Departures lounge on the waterfront (next to the railway station from memory), using Hovercraft to move people to and?

I'm really pissed that they're giving money back.

This parking on the grass & footpath is ugly & blocks the path for pedestrians & wheelchairs – I want them towed not ticketed.

I heard something about development plans for my beloved Newtown, any truth to that?

my reading is cursory (planning to do some research over the weekend), but it looks like they want residental intensification around the newtown area.

but... the aren't willing to substantial improve the quality or type of?

the blog swarm poneke and stephen judd seem to be getting closer to.

Yes, behold my, er, stinging contribution.

Yes, behold my, er, stinging contribution.

i'm planning to pirate your ideas and build on them.

one of the city's main concerns is short-term parking for shoppers. which is an issue captured by commercial rate-payers.

but these people are idiots. they're premising their ability to attract shoppers on parking, which?

Part of the payment for public transport comes from parking tickets.

That's a cool idea. I wonder what the parking fine income from the various Auckland councils would do for improving public transport.

I'm really pissed that they're giving money back.

Did you see the silly bint quoted in the?

but these people are idiots. they're premising their ability to attract shoppers on parking, which is premised on shoppers noticing their business as they drive past at 50km/hr.

This boggles me. We had a couple of local businessmen bitching in the paper the other day about the council's plan to?

but, if they're premising their shoppers on foot traffic, then how they get into the city shouldn't matter. good public transport is as effective as paying through the nose for parking!

Depends on what they're buying. Around the corner (quite literally) from my home is a small strip of shops.?

Them's fightin' words.

And I say bring it on bitches. Sorry, folks, I'm slightly to the right of Ghenghis Kahn (as the saying goes) but when it becomes "political correctness gone mad" to assert the rule of law, and the wet pussy notion that you don't assert the sanctity of?

That bloody tram is a tourist feature, and there is a mind set that tourist have money = build for tourists.
They're extending the tram (to nowhere).
The touristy city tram in Melbourne is free this one is over $14 & goes nowhere.?

I'm slightly to the right of Ghenghis Kahn

Is that Oliver's brother – Football on my mind

But?

The boy racers of the cycling world need to curb their ways, be a little curtious and stop shaving their legs (unless you like that sort of thing).

The way to get your average person on a bike is?

Emma-- if it's just about getting customers to a business, then of course, you're absolutely right. But might it be possible that some businesses require some parking space close at hand for delivery vehicles?

The guys were definitely talking about customers, not deliveries. And their business was a gents' hairdresser?

Riccarton Rd has a has Girls?

But might it be possible that some businesses require some parking space close at hand for delivery vehicles?

Loading zones.

And perhaps f the retailers value "their" parking so much "they" could pay for exclusive use of it. I pisses me off how much city parking in Wellington has been?

What is PAS but online talkback?

Kind of...

However, I can look at a list of blog postings and after a few lines of each one can see if they are making a relevant or interesting (to me) point. If not I can decide to skip to the next one.?

Stephen – I must contest that we have reached Peak Lycra!

Some things just jump right out at you & make you wonder who's been watching too many Baywatch reruns.

Green Cabs now – efficient in all ways!

Except if you want to leave too early in the morning in Chch, in which case they send another taxi company! This was in the their first few weeks of operation so perhaps it's not the case anymore. Ironically it was a?

Glorious but run down Red Brick old styled shop fronts, flat upstairs & coffee shop downstairs seems perfect.

Better still a few of the little people might want to divert from owning residential rental property?

surely it is best, ... for them to park around the edges

Best would be for them to take the train/bus.

Next best would be to build a big carpark with it's own exit ramp out by the stadium somewhere. $5 to park, $10 congestion charge if you continue into?

On the Harolds site the comments just seem to come out of thin air

Not aided by the arbitrary approvals process that leaves comments in limbo for hours. I've responded into threads with no comments that end up putting my contribution on the second or third page because so many?

If any developers are out there – I recon Colombo St South offers a real oppitunity.

I reckon too, and so does Henderson apparently. The fence surrounding the building site at Sydenham Square has Vespas, pearl neclasses, outside coffee tables... There is a decent cafe down that way now, but?

Brilliant – we've fixed it.

Be warned Hendersons 5Mile in Queenstown seeks to go underground for a couple of stories – including accomodation.
Really horrid thing is the mall/shopping complex is going to be?

What's good about PAS:
– There are fairly few wingnuts.
– Almost all of the comments are thoughtful and literate
– The volume is enough to retain interest while not overwhelming.

To which I'd add:

– diversity of writers/topics
– consistently high quality of writing
– tolerance

To invoke the?

Matthew – bowl both bridges on Colombo & Moorhouse cnrs creating a tree lined walk/cycleway (OK with a set of lights for rail) seperated from cars & open the city to the south.

Brilliant – we've fixed it.

And reconvert the Hoyts into a railway station again, and everyone who is now?

To invoke the 8 tribes analogy, pretty Grey Lynn, whereas talkback is generally Papatoetoe.

PA System – there's a bit of Raglan and Cuba Street in there too.

Talkback – much of it overlaps with the Balclutha tribe as well.

On the Harolds site the comments just seem to come out of thin air and so have little substance, just a bitternes that exposes the contributors shallowness of thought.

Provide the bucket and they'll vomit.

Meanwhile the 'Medical Matters' thread here at PA has swollen to twenty-something pages, for little?

The cab ride home to Eastboune cost $70. I wonder what law of economics applied?

In other words, talk about something you know, rather than just?

Meanwhile the 'Medical Matters' thread here at PA has swollen to twenty-something pages, for little purpose other than providing a playpen for a single obsessive trollfoetus.

Shhh! leave him there.Don't invite him to move on over.

What do you reckon? He has trollish spells of commenting on his own comments,?

...

:D

The downside is that this erudition can rather dauntingly raise the bar for new entrants.

To be all intellectually snobbish, is that such a bad thing? :P

On the police state thing, remember that most of these people actually do want these rules. But only for other people. I cannot?

What's good about PAS:
– There are fairly few wingnuts.
– Almost all of the comments are thoughtful and literate
– The volume is enough to retain interest while not overwhelming.

To which I'd add:

– diversity of writers/topics
– consistently high quality of writing
– tolerance

To which I'd?

What's good about PAS:
– There are fairly few wingnuts.
– Almost all of the comments are thoughtful and literate
– The volume is enough to retain interest while not overwhelming.
To which I'd add:
– diversity of writers/topics
– consistently high quality of writing
– tolerance
To which I'd?

Antiques aren't something one carries home on the bus.

Indeed not — but our one adventure in antique buying incolved the owner offering, if we would wait until the weekend, to drop our item off on his way to an auction. Unquantifiable amount of good will and positive word of?

I cannot recommend enough Corey Doctorow's Little Brother (free download).

Indeed. Though while Doctrow deserves oodles of kudos for sharing his toys with others, how about rushing out and buying a couple of copies for 'young adults' who need something a little more stimulating than Girlfriend or Harry Potter.

There?

but our one adventure in antique buying incolved the owner offering, if we would wait until the weekend, to drop our item off on his way to an auction

read: "he liked the look of you".

but assuming he was above board, that's exactly the kind of customer service you?

What do you reckon? He has trollish spells of commenting on his own comments, but then someone responds and I'm unwilling to cut off the exchange. I could just ban him, but it doesn't seem quite right.

It's a fairly stationary brick wall, if people choose to bang their heads?

My almost-18 son was in Palmerston North last Saturday night, minding his own business, walking with 3 friends to pick up their car. Two young guys approached them (there were?

* know how to use a stick (totally legal, helpful in all kinds of situations, and a very good fighting weapon; there are good teahing schools for joduko/taiaha;)

*carry a nice little spray?

read: "he liked the look of you".

Wounding as it is to my ego, I think the small stack of fifty dollars bills was more enchanting. :) (OK, that sounded even worse — but paying cash on the nail does seem to make small retailers so much more obliging.)

My almost-18 son was in Palmerston North last Saturday night, minding his own business, walking with 3 friends to pick up their car.

I'm always suspicious of any story that is along the lines of "I was just minding my own business when, out of the blue, a complete stranger?

I could just ban him, but it doesn't seem quite right.

I suggest participants in that discussion treat him like the palm oil guy was treated – ignore him, don't fuel his fire. He ain't never gonna change and similarly he isn't going to change anyone's opinion.

Eventually he will?

My almost-18 son was in Palmerston North last Saturday night, minding his own business, walking with 3 friends to pick up their car.

on the other hand robyn, i was in palmie a few weeks back, and saw a van swerve to the side of the road and two thugs?

in short, fight dirty.

nothing like a decent squirrel grip or a plain old kick to the goolies to calm a bloke down.

What about spraying menthol in the offender's eyes? It's legal to purchase over the counter at the local pharmacy.

I'm always suspicious of any story that is along the lines of "I was just minding my own business when, out of the blue, a complete stranger did something horrible to me, totally unprovoked."

Happens all the time. Last time it happened to me I was having a quiet drink?

carry a nice little spray bottle of ammonia mixed with chilli powder
(this is not illegal and is very good against aggressive dogs too; actually, I'd reccommend this for *everybody*

You're sure about that? I'm pretty sure I read that the police would treat someone who carried oven cleaner (which?

Runnings better than fighting. If you think you can win the fight – do?

Off current topic – but BLOODY HELL! Send Jed Town over to London with his band! I can't believe they're playing those songs!!

personally i've always relied on being big and scarey.

Che, that's so sweet of you to say that. Big? Yes. But scarey? Not to anyone who knows you.

OTOH, I'd feel very safe walking anywhere with you... maybe that height does have some serious advantages.

I think the UK public is onto something with the parenting thing. Parenting classes should be either state funded and compulsory for first time parents and/or introduced into the school?

But scarey? Not to anyone who knows you.

i've been invited to have a beer in a black power HQ, if that was any indication.

though mostly as a reliable customer.

and being 6'5' has gotten me out of a few scrapes. managed a road-rage incident in melbourne by just?

Parenting classes should be either state funded and compulsory for first time parents and/or introduced into the school cirriculum.

That is a brilliant case of the misdirection you just referred to.

We can't even get through all the curriculum requirements properly now without adding more crap that has nothing to?

I see women in the states are loading up with tasers. The hairspray's a good option – ta!

I'm pretty sure you don't want to encourage your son to take up smoking. Nonetheless, the most effective offensive weapon I've happened to 'just have on me' was the ol' 'lit cigarette?

So you're strolling home, and someone comes up to you, and hits you.

At what point do you manage to get your spray out of your bag or pocket, make sure the nozzle is facing the right way, point?

As far as effectiveness goes... in the Castro in the 80s when gay-bashing was?

95% of our students know all that stuff already and practice it as do their parents. Those causing all the grief are an incredibly small minority

True. Dumping it on teachers to solve and parenting classes ain't the answer either. Of course the naughty boys know it's naughty! That's the?

To invoke the 8 tribes analogy, pretty Grey Lynn, whereas talkback is generally Papatoetoe.

PA System – there's a bit of Raglan and Cuba Street in there too.

Talkback – much of it overlaps with the Balclutha tribe as well.

Maybe I should spend more time in Raglan ;-)

I'm?

Do CCTV cameras deter crime??

CCTV means the cops will get there if something is going on long enough, but they're not the solution.

Better policing of intoxication (serving food), crowded bars, and more mixed use of an area might?

Note that the police are quoted as saying they were useful in apprehending criminals.

O'rly? Coz that's not what the UK experience is. In fact, in London only 3% of street crime is solved courtesy of CCTV. That's in a country that kinda defines pervasive surveillance. So I'd be very,?

Pepper spray & Tazers kill, but to my knowledge a police dog never has. Therefore as scary as they may be I'ld like more dogs on the beat than a more heavily armed force.

Pepper spray doesn't usually kill on its own. Deaths as a result of its use are statistically?

Assuming the lad didn't?

I don't know the numbers of deaths from pepper spray but with dogs not killing any = has to be better.
Remeber the film of the cop pepper spraying the dude hand cuffed and lying down, hmm.

My assumption was that the cops need more toys.
It is?

If you'd like crime to drop by 30%, double the number of coppers available to chase violent criminals, cut NZ gangs off at the knees, dispose of 60% of the prison population and help people who struggle with addiction?

there's this bunch of radical raving pinko, umm, Chief Constables in Britain who have the answer.

Someone pass that Welsh copper a joint ....

as for 'revenge in new Guinea' – well, the revenge reflex lies dormant until pinged by personal horror and loss. I'm a pacifist until I'm threatened,?

The veneer of civilisation is pretty thin.

i agree entirely. i went and saw 'prince caspian' the other day (lame...), and found all the messages of nobility, bravery and justice a little underwhelming.

the great majority of mankind is little other than self-interested and petty, but, that's what we have?

My assumption was that the cops need more toys.
It is probably easier for them to get toys than recruits at the moment

That's a disturbingly cynical view. Cops who feel under-equipped leave the job. If they don't believe that they're being given the tools to do the work moderately?

even if that means the dog dies

Police dogs don't just materialise fully trained. It takes years. They're a finite resource, and treating them as utterly expendable displays an alarming lack of understanding. For one thing, their handlers get attached to them. The bond between dog and handler is very?

I'd rather they shot someone who's a direct threat to their lives, because at least they're under no illusions as to the potential danger of their actions

IIRC, a similar sentiment was (incorrectly) attributed to something I said in another thread, and you were seemed to have a distinctly different?

Did it vanish or am I just completely blind or need to go back?

I'm not interested in an arms race with the police bidding for increased powers & weapons. Better and more of what they have, in the way of dogs could be a start.
I would be keen on more dogs, and am aware of the limitations but that may be an?

One thread tied to the first but maybe this ones a different coulor & not quite a match to the first.

The War on Drugs is real, because we have already conducted it against China & won.

:) Exactly – and we scored a new name for a City from it!

There's an interesting economic aspect to how the drug<->tea trade operated in the 19thC... the state (emperor and all the corrupt?

IIRC, a similar sentiment was (incorrectly) attributed to something I said in another thread, and you were seemed to have a distinctly different point of view there. Has something changed your mind, or have I misread what you are saying?

If you can point to me something contrary, please do.?

They have a long lead-in time to availability, and are limited to taking down one person at a time.

You could also say this about Tasers too, subjectively of course.
AFAIK Tasers are also a single shot weapon, unless you are talking about the XREP which is one of?

They have a long lead-in time to availability, and are limited to taking down one person at a time.

You could also say this about Tasers too, subjectively of course.

Each cartridge is good for a single shot, yes. But the reload process appears to be little more?

I accept all of what you say & care about the welfare of dogs too. I just think if we are to invest in the police, Dogs are the way to go. They do the job and are yet to kill anyone (to my knowledge).

If tazers are one shot?

The hand held Taser is a one shot device, until it is reloaded and charged.

Charged? Reloading is sufficient, from what I've just read. It's possible to shock a suspect multiple times once the weapon has been fired, so clearly there's sufficient charge for more than one shot. According to?

I have no knowledge of tasers or guns, but I have seen police dogs in action. And they seem to be very, very effective.

Oh, unquestionably. I'm not disputing their effectiveness as currently utilised, simply the practicality of trying to use them as an all-situations replacement for pepper spray, Tasers?

Wallace is the?

The veneer of civilisation is pretty thin.

Sorry for the gratuitous erudition :), but has __The Decline of the West__ gotten the nod for the Oprah Book Club, and I didn't notice?

I am firmly against extending police powers and surveillance but totally in favour of spending large sums on more cops on the beat.

I think we can have CCTV footage without heading down a bad 'surveillance state'. CCTV footage is not the magic bullet to dealing with crime in urban?

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23894019-5005961,00.html

I put it to you Kyle that even if someones position is known sending a dog in would be very effective in subduing them.

A dog with a muzzle I suspect might still be effective as?

simply callous calculations

Unfortunately, that's how budgets work. It's impossible to afford everything, or even a large subset thereof unless "everything" is "not actually very much". It's a very significant issue for emergency services, since they're funded out of taxation (even in the US), and thus have only limited available?

Seems dogs are used for armed offenders – 3 days ago in Melbourne

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23894019-5005961,00.html

I put it to you Kyle that even if someones position is known sending a dog in would be very effective in subduing them.

A dog with a muzzle I suspect might still be effective as?

Dogs can't enter buildings.

Actually, they can. The Police Act 1958, s44A(a) states A police dog under the control of a police dog handler may enter and be on any place that the police dog handler may lawfully in the course of police duties enter or be upon.
As a?

Bottomline Police Dogs haven't killed.

These two make up a large number of the target market after all.

Actually, they can.

Sorry, I didn't mean that legally they can't enter buildings. Just that they're of limited use in a house or business or pub etc. And if doors are closed, which they probably are in relation to an armed offender, the dog can't get in to get them.?

All weapons are open to abuse – handcuffed & peppersprayed

Distasteful as it is, that's entirely within procedure. So technically that's not abuse.

You're so hung up on the apparent safety of dogs that Kyle and I really just seem to be talking past you. People usually require medical attention, sometimes?

Tazers can be used only once to get a person at range without reloading...... but can be used multiple times or on multiple people if you bring the business end of the weapon into direct contact....

This was touted?

Sorry, I didn't mean that legally they can't enter buildings. Just that they're of limited use in a house or business or pub etc. And if doors are closed, which they probably are in relation to an armed offender, the dog can't get in to get them.

There's always windows.?

Even fences are a problem, despite their training.

I could fix that. My dogs have found ways through and over my back fence to harass the goat that lives there, no matter what I do.

If police dog training was moved to my house and my dogs were put in?

If police dog training was moved to my house and my dogs were put in charge, they'd be leaping 6 foot walls after offenders before you could go woof.

Before or after you add the barbed wire and broken glass to the top of it?
Police dogs are trained to?

Here's the condiments:

"Two deaths have occurred in NZ following use of pepper spray by police. Mentally ill Ian Horsfield, aged 66,?

What sort of dogs are they Kyle?

They're from the same litter. Mother was a blue heeler collie cross. Two different fathers we suspect. Brown one the father is probably a kelpie, the black one is definitely a bearded collie from over the road.

The black collie taught the other?

"Two deaths have occurred in NZ following use of pepper spray by police. Mentally ill Ian Horsfield, aged 66, died in 1999. Intellectually disabled Russell Hamilton, aged 32, died in July 2001."

(emphasis added) Remind me of the year again. 2008, innit? So in the last nearly seven years, with?

If the police started doing that every time they had a call that a mentally ill person was being violent and threatening people, they'd rightly be ripped to shreds by the public.

"Why did the police leave a man to die while they waited for dogs?" you mean? Completes the?

Matthew – none of these weapons are benign.

" SOPs have been refined "
As we're talking about deaths, what is this code for – unlawful killing?

Whatever weapons the police use,?

Any thoughts on the new model M16s in wider use by the cops?
I'm in two minds myself.

As am I. Although they aren't strictly speaking M16s (no fully automatic capability) I'm not entirely sure they were a good choice for the police.

Aside from the pretty abysmal training of?

I used M16 to give the picture of what's to come & suspect there has been little (if any) need for semi-automatic rifles over bolt action.

Prior to Timor, I did have the CO of the Tasmanian Reserve Army say with some exasperation that his?

e.g. where a police officer once would have talked someone down, his gung-ho young colleague simply tases someone

This is certainly a concern, but as much as anything that risk comes from the fact that very few experienced officers exist anymore. It's quite normal to see sergeants, and even senior?

A number of incidents have highlighted the limitations – that dog where the cop emptied a mag & missed

A competition (I think. Was someone who gets a lot more trigger time than our cops, anyway) shooter said that trying to shoot a dog that's not tied up is going to?

About a decade back(?) A stoned skinhead drove to the Central Police Station & started shooting up.
Cops?

I agree that the semi-auto action absorbs recoil, so too does the weight of the rifle. The recoil from a .223 is pretty negligible, in fact it is hard to find a centrefire calibre that has less recoil, so the argument about the model 7's having too much recoil?

You're right, centre mass is definitely the safest bet for them (despite the apparently appalling sight picture of the police issue m4s esp compared to?

The Piggy back on Army ammo is interesting. How long before Greg O'Connor calls for?

To what point do Police take responsibility for their own skill level?
If you're too fat, go for a run before work, if you can't shoot straight, go to a range one day a month.

Unless they're on a duty that requires high levels of firearms proficiency, which is limited?

AS, amongst considerations were the usability by, shall we say, petite officers.

There was a similar consideration in the move from the old handgun – I forget what it was, S & W? – to the Glock. They surveyed all the cops, and a lot found it difficult to draw, heavy?

If you're too fat, go for a run before work, if you can't shoot straight, go to a range one day a month.

Part of the contract of all police officers is that they get one hour a week for maintaining their fitness. It's not a lot, but it's something.?

I sincerely hope that cops would never have to fire a weapon in anger. The consequences of that would not be a pleasant thing to contemplate.

BUT, and it is a big one, when you are messing around with rifles, which have a potential lethal range of up to?

police hq should cough a few grand a year extra for some additonal ammo, it remains an option

It's not the cost of the ammo that's the issue. Once you require police to meet some higher standard, it's part of their contract and therefore you have to provide the environment?

Part of the contract of all police officers is that they get one hour a week for maintaining their fitness. It's not a lot, but it's something.

That's pathetic! Better than nothing, you're right, but come on. An hour?! I guess I'm just used to the FS model, where PT?

That's pathetic! Better than nothing, you're right, but come on. An hour?!
Do police stations even have gyms?

All decent sized police stations have gyms, but I suspect most of them go jogging. And most cops would do more exercise than that a week, but if we got realistic and?

I'd put the odds against a kiwi cop having to shoot someone as well into the "fairy story" realms. Many tens-of-thousands to one.

Well we have less than 10,000 cops, and there certainly are shooting incidents every year, so it's a bit less odds than that.

Not every time a?