Pubdate: Thu, 04 Dec 2014
Source: Northern Advocate (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2014 Northern Advocate
Contact:  http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2929
Author: Kristin Edge

EX-COP UNLIKELY TO DO TIME IN NORTH

Former Northland police Detective Sergeant Mike Blowers is unlikely to
serve out his jail term in the region, ironically because of the good
work he did to put drug dealers behind bars.

Yesterday, 51-year-old Blowers was sentenced to four years and nine
months in prison after a judge said his actions involved "a very high
level of hypocrisy".

Blowers, who joined the police force in 1992, admitted to supplying
methamphetamine between June 1, 2011 and June 31, 2012, as well as
stealing methamphetamine from the evidence lock-up at Whangarei Police
Station in October 2011, replacing it with rock salt to disguise his
theft.

He passed the drugs on to a woman, who cannot be named for legal
reasons, who sold them to criminals for thousands of dollars.

After sentencing, his lawyer Arthur Fairley said it was unlikely
Blowers would serve his sentence at Ngawha, near Kaikohe, as he had
arrested many of those serving time there.

He admitted to having concerns for Blowers while in
jail.

"There may be people in jail who might not like him. I don't think he
will be kept in Northland but it's up to the prison service where he
is kept," Mr Fairley said.

Blowers had suffered from anxiety and stress since being charged. His
wife of 24 years sat in the public gallery during sentencing.

Justice Geoffrey Venning said Blowers explained his offending by
saying he had taken the drugs to protect his family from perceived
gang threats.

He said Blowers' explanation did him no credit. "You were a senior
police officer. You know and would have been well aware of the
resources available to the police. You and your family could have been
protected."

The court heard how Blowers, who was heading the Organised Crime Unit,
had stolen methamphetamine and regularly supplied a woman who sold the
drug. Blowers constantly pressured her for cash and the largest single
amount she paid was $7000.

However, she was unable to keep up with the amounts of money Blowers
demanded from her. At the end of the offending, the woman believed she
owed Blowers about $20,000, Justice Venning said.

"It was theft in a situation where the community and your co-workers
placed trust in you, and indeed your co-workers looked to you for
leadership given your role as head of the Organised Crime Unit. Your
actions involved a very high level of hypocrisy." Northland's top
police officer Superintendent Russell Le Prou welcomed the conviction
of Blowers and said it showed the public could have trust and
confidence in the police to investigate their own.

"Blowers has let us all down - his colleagues, family, friends,
community and police as an organisation," Mr Le Prou said.

He said the matter had first been reported internally and admitted
police could have done things better in the initial stages, but the
end result had been the right one.

He said police took the conviction of fellow officers
personally.

"Every one of my staff will be feeling it today."

Mr Le Prou said initial investigations into Blowers were done by
Northland police but when it grew an independent investigation team
from Auckland was brought in.

There had been an audit of the police processes and procedures and,
while there had been some changes made, the procedures were found to
be sound.

"The police reflect society. From time to time we will have a bad
apple in the barrel. We work hard keeping public trust in us."

Detective Inspector Stuart Allsopp-Smith, who led the inquiry, said
there had been no evidence of other Northland police officers being
implicated in stealing or dealing drugs.

Blowers initially denied the charges but changed his plea to guilty
just days into a two-week trial last month.
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