The effects of this disconnect are none more obvious than in many aspects of police work in New Zealand. The rise in antisocial behaviour, the appalling domestic violence statistics, and the increase in drug use are all blights on this wonderful country. The meteoric rise in mental health associated offences highlights a failure that must be addressed. I have attended tragic incidents involving young women, old men, and all those in between where the pressure of life has got too much. It is unfair and wrong to expect police to bear the brunt of accountability as a result of failures in other departments and entrenched social issues. I learnt a lot during my time in the New Zealand Police. It's a hugely rewarding job, and I have enormous respect for front-line officers. I learnt that things aren't always as they seem.