Policeman leaves

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 5, 5 July 1983, Page 3

Policeman leaves

''The policeman 's lot" 4^ the song goes) "is not l^ays a happy one" but at a function held at the Ohakune Hotel last Sunday evening, a relaxed and informal John McCartney and his wife Sheree were farewelled in grand style. After 16 months in Ohakune John has been transferred to Napier and is due to leave the Waimarino to take up his new appointment next week. Constable John McCart-

ney was appointed to Ohakune early last year to fill the gap created by the transfer of Don Lee to the Wellington C.I.B. Before that John, who has been in the NZ Police force for 5 years — was stationed in Palmerston North. Prior to joining the police he had spent some time in Australia working for a refrigeration firm. Little did John and his wife suspect what a busy 16 month tour of duty it would

be for them, at the time of their appointment to the Waimarino. Since they have been here they have been involved in (1) New Zealands worst helicopter accident which claimed the lives of 5 local people, (2) the recovery of the bodies of two trampers who died in an attempt to climb Girdlestone Peak, (3) an armed offenders incident in Raetihi which caused the wounding of a woman by a shot-gun blast, (4) another incident in Ohakune involving the armed offenders sguad in a search and arrest operation, (5) a brawl outside the Raetihi hotel that resulted in a warning shot being fired, (6) Five (as yet unsolved) cases of arson in the township of Ohakune including the police station and police vehicle itself and (7) all the other cases of burglary, theft, breaking and entering, assault, growing, possession and smoking of drugs, etc normally associated with a policeman's lot. John and Sheree — they have no 'family' apart frpm two dogs and a cat — are looking forward to their new posting in Napier where the work will be shared by a much larger police presence. Here in the Waimarino — an area as big as the State of Israel as Ohakune' s mayor Bill Taylor has pointed out — the families of the 3 local policemen are bound to become involved in both routine and emergency calls at all hours of the day and night. But John and Sheree have many pleasant memories of the people they have met and the hospitality they have received from the many friends they have made whilst in the Waimarino. They have vowed to return to the Waimarino again when time and opportunity allows. They take with them a memento of the area which was presented to them at Sunday' s farewell function — a pastel drawing by local artist Fiona Lundy.