Whangarei/Kaipara's new police chief has been pitched into the deep end just days after arriving.
But her opinion of the district has not changed - she loves it here.
Inspector Tracy Phillips has been sent from Wellington to act as Whangarei/Kaipara area police commander, following the sudden retirement of Inspector Paul Dimery earlier this month.
Arriving on Monday, Ms Phillips attended her first Whangarei District Council meeting on Wednesday, where she got more than she bargained for.
As she waited to be introduced to the council by Senior Sergeant Cliff Metcalfe, an angry confrontation broke out between protester Vivienne Shepherd and Mayor Morris Cutforth.