Long time manning the thin blue line
Mangawhai’s Senior Constable is retiring after being on the policing frontline for 46 years.
When Graham Gough joined the police in 1972 he didn’t plan on being one of the longest serving frontline officers in the organisation’s history.
Now, more than 46 years later, he’s retiring with that accolade firmly under his epaulettes.
Deciding to end his almost-half century career was bittersweet for the Senior Constable from Mangawhai — policing is a job he has loved passionately — but he felt keenly that it was his time to step away.
“I never set out to be the oldest policeman in New Zealand, I had no desire to do that but I venture to say that I’m probably one of the very few who has been in frontline policing for the whole of my career,” he said.
“It’s 46 years now and I’m starting to now feel my age… There’s a lot of younger, fitter guys out there that can handle it a lot better than I can.”
Gough — Goffy to the Mangawhai masses — graduated from police college on September 4, 1972 in the 53rd wing of recruits.
“At that time it was the biggest wing that had gone through,” he recalled.
“There were 149 of us graduated at the time, including former Commissioner Peter Marshall and now it’s like 10 green bottles sitting on the wall — there’s one left.”
There are just 17 police officers left who have served longer than Gough.
The officer with the most time under his belt has been on the frontline for 52 years.
Back when it all began, Gough hoped to start his career in Auckland or Whangarei, but was sent to Gisborne. He met his wife in the East Coast town and soon after they married, they shifted north.
Gough was stationed at Whangarei for two years before deciding on his career path.
“There were two things that I wanted to do — the number one choice was to be a dog handler and the second choice was to be a country constable.
“I couldn’t get into the dog handling section, I kept missing out by the skin of my teeth. But in 1976 I applied for and was given the second constable position at Waipu.”
After Waipu came 11-and-a-half years at Maungaturoto as the sole charge constable.
And then, Mangawhai.
“In towns such as this you’re not treated as a police officer, you’re treated as Graham or Goffy, the local cop and it’s very very personal — it’s very satisfying.
“Country policing can be very hard on the officer himself because you’re dealing with people you know right the way through — particularly in times of tragedy. In the city when you deal with a sudden death, a fatal accident or something, you might only see those people that one time.
“In a small country town you’re seeing the people down the street, you’re going to social functions and mixing with them — you’re actually dealing with people you know so you’re sharing in their loss and that helps the family, but at the same time it’s taxing on us.”
Gough looks back on his years as a cop with fondness — but there were also some hard times. In September 1975 the freighter Capitaine Bougainville went up in flames, killing 12 crew and four passengers. Gough was one of those tasked with body recovery.
“That was a very traumatic experience for me dealing with so much death in such a short time,” he said.
“It’s definitely one of the worst things I’ve ever had to deal with and it did affect me. In those days there was no counselling for police officers dealing with serious incidents such as that, you were just expected to harden up and do your job.”
The father and grandfather has also been attacked on the job and by all accounts was lucky to survive on both occasions.
Graham Gough I’ve had a bad run, I’ve used up a few of my nine lives… Nothing would have put me off policing.
“The first occasion was back in the early 80s in Maungaturoto where I disturbed a group of youths — gang members — who were siphoning petrol. “I was set upon by three people swinging a tyre lever, was hit over the head and received serous head injuries from that.
“Then in 2004 I was assaulted by the son of my then-best friend who I’d known since he was about 9.
“He was 19 at the time and suffering from mental health issues.
“I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, I went to check on him because I was told he wasn’t well and I got set upon with a huge iron bar. It nearly killed me…”
Gough still becomes emotional talking about the second assault; he remembers it like it was yesterday.
Then, exactly a year later he was rushed to hospital and a tumour was found on his kidney. He had the organ removed and made a full recovery.
“I’ve had a bad run, I’ve used up a few of my nine lives… Nothing would have put me off policing.”
Gough, who cannot walk more than a few metres down Mangawhai’s main street without a handshake, hug or natter with a local, was officially farewelled on Thursday. He’s ready now to relax into his retirement and spend time with his family.
First on the agenda: A Christmas holiday. He’s lived in a summer hot spot for almost 30 years but this will be the first time he’s been able to clock off properly and enjoy time off.
“The time is right . . . it’s time that I sat back, go fishing and diving while the sun’s shining.”