Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Ex-police chief criticised by own union

Updated at 7:28 am on 13 July 2012

Whangarei's departing police chief is being criticised by his own union for airing what it calls dirty laundry in public.

Paul Dimery retired abruptly last Friday after 12 years as Whangarei and Kaipara area commander, saying he has had enough of never-ending pressure to do more with less.

He believes government funding constraints have stretched resources too far and put front line staff at risk.

Police Managers' Guild executive officer Earle Cooper says being an area commander is probably one of the hardest jobs in the force but he questions why Mr Dimery went to the media to vent his frustrations.

"You don't air your dirty washing in public, you go and talk to the people who can do something about it."

Mr Cooper says his organisation has regular meetings with the Police Commissioner and the senior executive where they discuss and try to resolve issues raised by guild members.

He says Northland is a difficult area to police but the Government is under pressure and cannot put extra police on the front line.

Police Commissioner Peter Marshall says Northland police have one of the best staff-to-population ratios in the country and the region is not under-resourced.

Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand