Auckland man earns long service award
Peter Cooke has worked in the same job for 49 years.
The 73-year-old is the longest serving staff member at Mount Eden's Community Corrections service in Auckland.
The probation officer has been recognised with a long service and good conduct award.
It all started in 1971 when Cooke joined the probation service after gaining his law degree at Auckland University.
The probation service "seemed a good place to start and much more exciting than being a lawyer," he said.
"(I) stayed because I still have some of the idealism left and the criminal justice system is still an exciting place to work in."
In 1971 the Probation Service, as it was known, was a division of the Department of Justice.
This changed with the establishment of the Department of Corrections in 1996.
In Auckland, there was a main office in High St with reporting centres in the suburbs, Cooke said.
"I looked after Henderson and you were at the reporting centres at night on your own.
"In addition, probation officers collected fines and reparation as part of a special condition of probation, and a cash box with a float of money accompanied us."
Cooke was the sole charge district probation officer at Kaikohe.
He recalls travelling on his own to do home visits for most of the rural caseload.
Cooke has seen many changes over the years.
People under probation orders were now much more difficult to manage and more unpredictable, he said.
Before the 2002 Sentencing Act, there was a national Parole Board for those sentenced over 7 years Imprisonment and a District Prisons Board for each prison deciding release for those serving under 7 year sentences, Cooke said.
"They also decided on back end Home Detention before Home Detention became a separate sentence. "
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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36.5% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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63.5% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Scam Alert: Bank cold calls
ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.
🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.
Remember, banks will:
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes
❌ Never need to know your full credit card number – especially the CVC
❌ Never ask you to download software or remotely access your device
❌ Never ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer funds.
If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
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