Police took 11 guns from farmer in Transpower row

[Worfinator]

Police confiscated eleven guns belonging to Waikato farmer Steve Meier as a "precautionary step" when they accompanied Transpower contractors onto his land yesterday.

Police said they took Mr Meier's guns and licence as a 'precautionary step'. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Police confiscated eleven guns belonging to Waikato farmer Steve Meier as a "precautionary step" when they accompanied Transpower contractors onto his land yesterday.

Police were called by Transpower to accompany contractors on to the Matangi farm after a fire sparked by pylons in a shelterbelt of trees lead to the major power disruption in Auckland, parts of the Waikato and Northland.

Hamilton City area commander, Inspector Rob Lindsay, said 11 guns were taken by police as well as Mr Meier's gun licence.

"Under section 61 of the Arms Act, where officers suspect an offence has or is about to be committed we are able to write out a warrant to recover the firearms which is what occurred last night.

"The firearms were taken under these circumstances because the landowner presented behaviour that gave us some concern. This was a precautionary step only and no arrests were made," said Mr Lindsay.

So its now an offence to tell people to "Get the F@#! off my property"


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/artic ... d=10622354

[CT]

I wish I could say I was surprised.

But the real question is, Was the farmer acting in such an irrate manner to justify it or are we dealing with retarded police man? ( thats what i like to call anti gun cops these days)

Im actually hoping it was justified, Goes to show the outstanding work the men in blue can do. If it wasn't justified just adds more anti police sentiment amongst law abiding citizens who get shat on while criminals run free and work the system.

[Caerlonie]

He seems a very angry and agitated individual,ranting and raving and so fourth.Can't say I blame them for removing his guns in this instance,I don't like to see this happen of course but in this particular case it may well have been justified.

[Camaro]

I wonder if he'll ever get them back after this whole thing has passed and everyone has cooled off or if he'll be required to go to an anger management thing before he can get them back.

I saw him going nuts on TV last night, it seems he's pissed because he told them about the potential for an incident a few years back (And has been continuously telling them ever since) but then, when they come over to fix the problem he's been telling them about he won't let them in to do the job, so he's made himself look like an idiot and probably brought this on himself.

As mentioned, I don't like to see this happen, but I would be one of the first to lay blame on the cops if this guy did end up shooting some power workers or what not and then it turned into a standoff, I'd be asking why, if the cops knew he had a gun license did they not take precautions when this dude started going bonkers, so, it probably is a good thing in this case

[Atomrally]

Where does the electricity powering your keyboard come from?

No-one wants pylons or cell phone towers near them but we can't survive without them either........but of a never ending spiral

I saw the farmer on our wonderfully informative TV and thought he shouldn't have guns or a blasting licence for a few weeks minimum otherwise Auckland will be without power for quite sometime.

[second shooter]

nice to see cases being put foward for both parties!
bottom line for me anyway is, if i was working on those pylons i would feel a lot safer knowing that the angry landowner couldnt get to his rifles if he got the urge, to me its a clear case of taking sensible precautions, well done to the police for taking his firearms, and well done to those power guys getting the lights back on!

[Worfinator]

Where does the electricity powering your keyboard come from?

No-one wants pylons or cell phone towers near them but we can't survive without them either........but of a never ending spiral

I saw the farmer on our wonderfully informative TV and thought he shouldn't have guns or a blasting licence for a few weeks minimum otherwise Auckland will be without power for quite sometime.

True ... but then ... when you hear about power companies gouging prices and making record profits ... you'd think they should actually be leasing the land of the farmers that their megawatt power lines and pylons occupy. Especially seeing that those said power company assets render the land they are on useless and devalue the farmers no 1 asset. We all like having mobiles ... but I'd but pissed if tomorrow vodaphony or telescum errected a tower in my backyard and told me they wanted access, all without paying me a cent in compensation.

[Atomrally]

Yep there's the conumdrum.

Power companies don't gouge prices they rape and pillage us!

[colt45]

I know MANY farmers who have pylons on THEIR land and can recount many stories of how transpower have treated them.
Entering without consultation or permission.
Disturbing stock, missmothering lambs.
Tearing up freshly sown crop and pasture with 4wd trucks and service vehicles, without even attempting to put the damage right.
Felling (600mts in one instance I witnessed) windbreaks at ground level and just leaving the mess for the farmer to clean up, fucking fences and irrigation pipes in the process.

I could go on, but just trust me when I tell you, transpower have a lot to answer for, yeah I know we must have our electricity, but their is a right way and a wrong way to treat people and transpower have no fuckin idea what an amicable relationship is, and it's not just the heir-achy of transpower, their linesmen need a lesson or two in personal relations.

[CT]

Where does the electricity powering your keyboard come from?

No-one wants pylons or cell phone towers near them but we can't survive without them either........but of a never ending spiral

I saw the farmer on our wonderfully informative TV and thought he shouldn't have guns or a blasting licence for a few weeks minimum otherwise Auckland will be without power for quite sometime.

No guns or explosive for a few weeks?

If he's disgruntled he wont harm anyone or anything.
If he's crazy in a few weeks he'd blow the pylon up anyways.

Why not carry the work out under police supervision while the police talk to the farmer and get to know him?
It's easy to brand anyone un-fit and propper to hold a licence when your given minimal information about the person and the situation.

If he's crazy revoke the licence.
if he's disgruntled talk the man.

+1 on the personal relations lesson.
I know of a farmer who still has piles of shit they left when they upgraded the line that runs his section.

[JayDee]

As said by one of Napoleon's marshals:

"Fire is more sure than the carbine or the sword"
Marshal Ney

Note: the felled trees have been left under the wires!

There appears to have been an expression of 'concern for safety' from the Power company which lead to the revocation of FL - not any threat from the Farmer. The Police have revoked his FL 'as a precautionary measure' (to cover the bases in case of further escalation, perhaps)

Just another way for the power company to 'attack' the farmer ??
They are now trying to imply that the farmer may have set fire to the trees rather than the arcing from the wires ... by what is reported.

The whole process has been a long-standing bungling mis-handling on the Power company's part - IMHO

[Bretta]

The power companies/corporates are the biggest set of rogues you will come accross. The second that you sign on the dotted line they have literaly just bought out your soul to do with as they please. Colt makes valid statements of what the bastards can do when they get legal access to your property. What irks me is if you wanted anything from them then you would end up going through every call centre in the known world while jumping through endless hoops and you will probably never get what you were after. But the second that they want somthing that you have they send there best PR guys round wearing there best number one's and the worlds biggest smile all the while waving round invitations of dinner and talk of compensation for use of your land. Refuse however and you will more than likely face the public works act which if you fight will literaly ruin you. I sense that the farmer involved here has high moral values and principles and in my books there is nothing wrong with that. At the end of the day these outfits have bottomless bank accounts and can pretty much do anything they please. Bit off topic but i have had dealings with a particular company and will continue to do so in the forth coming years.... unfortunately

[SiChotic]

nice to see cases being put foward for both parties!
bottom line for me anyway is, if i was working on those pylons i would feel a lot safer knowing that the angry landowner couldnt get to his rifles if he got the urge, to me its a clear case of taking sensible precautions, well done to the police for taking his firearms, and well done to those power guys getting the lights back on!

This sounds like a "Sod his rights just so long as I get my electrickery!"

This guy was not going to shoot anyone, two thirds of the firearms they took were his son's and his father's, the cops are not being safe they are being officious and prejudicial.
Yeah, yeah i can hear the squeals about them "just doing their job" but this is "guilty until proven innocent" and is a VERY dangerous road to go down, eh JayDee?

Second Shooter, can you be angry without being dangerous? (Of course you can and I suggest that this man is).
Or are we to be good little units and flat-line our outrage at injustice, deny our humanity and subjugate normal and healthy responses to offenses against us ???? I think not!

I have to say I agree. The phrase "but for the grace of God..." springs to mind. If we all put ourselves in his position how would we really feel? Easy to comment from the sidelines but it is his land, his business and the power company is riding rough shod over him from what I can see.

I suspect there will have been a little bit of coercive influence on behalf of the power company within the police hierarchy using the tack of "public safety" in order to send this guy - and others - a message: don't mess with us. It is a sad story in many ways.

[skkman]

It just maybe that the guys perceived irrational behaviour has just been bought on by the frustration in dealing with the fukwits of another Government run entity. If I was in his position I would probably feel exactly like he does, If you get trespassers on your property you call the police and have them evicted but because the trespassers in this case work for a Government entity the police become transpowers own private army of thugs and henchmen to force their way on to his property. There needs to be better rights for property owners and I would support more extensive rights regarding trepassing laws in this country. If one of the cellphone companies decided they wanted to put a tower in fornt of my house I would be horribly pissed off.
I also believe that councils themselves need to get back to core business of providing ratepayers with a better community and they should not be involved with building stadiums that the mayor can put his name on as that should be left to private enterprise to do. I also believe that rate increases should be tied into the inflation rate, my last rate increase for a 685 sq metre section was from $1685 to $2486 per annum, how can they justify a rate increase like that? to put it quite simply they don't have to. They can make up whatever figure they want and charge you that and there isn't anything you can do about it.

[Caerlonie]

Agree absolutely with that last comment SKK man,local councils are supposed to be about providing essential services like water and rubbish collection nothing more,but they have moved on from that and are now basically setting themselves up as virtual local governing bodies,usurping power and taxation totally beyond their brief.Rates on a small land block I own moved from just a tad over $500 to $1020 in a space of 3 years.....thats more than I make off the land in rent each year .As you say they seem answerable to no-one and just do what they like,despite the wishes of local ratepayers.My parents got a visit from the council this past week,they have to install a new log-burner and insulation in their home due to a law change in CH CH.....$4200 thanks very much.Thats quite a chunk of change for elderly retired people to come up with and its forced upon them despite the old burner being not very old and in good condition,but again thay have no say they have to comply.