Why Dunedin's longest-service female road cop quits after 38 years

Senior Constable Kath Goodman is leaving the police force tomorrow after 38 years. Photo / Peter McIntosh, Otago Daily Times

Dunedin's longest-serving female road police officer is hanging up her hat tomorrow after 38 years on the job.

And she says while she will miss her team, dealing with crashes and bad drivers doesn't get any easier.

Senior Constable Kath Goodman, 58, worked with the Ministry of Transport as a traffic officer for 12 years, joining the police in 1992 when they took over traffic responsibilities.

She admitted she joined the MOT because she "wanted to ride motorbikes and chase baddies".

As Dunedin's only female traffic officer at first, Goodman said the job "had its moments'' and she had to deal with sexist comments.

"Some people tried to be nice, and other people were trying to give you a hard time," she said.

Goodman had done everything from taking part in car chases and attending crash scenes to taking driving tests and serving summonses. She had also done point duty on special occasions, or when traffic lights in the city were down.

She began her career in Dunedin where her family lived - and her mother, a policewoman, was initially disappointed her 20-year-old daughter chose to join MOT rather than the police force, Goodman said.

She moved to Mosgiel about two years after the merger, and during her 26-year career in the police she had also spent time working in the watchhouse in South Dunedin, as well as having an eight-year stint in the city's public safety team.

One of the secrets to lasting in the road police unit of the police force was having "trusting face", she said.

"I think I've lasted because of my manner, I suppose."

Goodman said she would miss "the boys and girls" she worked with, but she felt it was time for a change.

"It's just a different world out there now," she said.

For instance, dealing with more drivers under the influence of drugs - and drivers who were carrying drugs in their vehicles - changed the job.

Her time spent working as a traffic cop had also instilled in her it was impossible to give common sense to people who did not have any.