Gisborne police long service and good conduct awards were presented last Friday. The recipients were (left to right) Senior Constable Rangi Kingi, Sergeant Aubrey Ormond and Senior Constable Sam Cairns. Photo / Supplied
Gisborne police long service and good conduct awards were presented last Friday. The recipients were (left to right) Senior Constable Rangi Kingi, Sergeant Aubrey Ormond and Senior Constable Sam Cairns. Photo / Supplied
More than 130 years of combined service to the New Zealand Police was celebrated in Gisborne last Friday.
Local police officers received long service and good conduct awards at a special ceremony at the Gisborne police station.
School community officer Senior Constable Sam Cairns, Sergeant Aubrey Ormond, Senior Constable RangiKingi, Senior Sergeant Trent Higgs and Senior Constable Mutu Noanoa had their moment in the spotlight.
Prosecutions support officer Jill White also received special recognition.
The event was attended by friends, family and work colleagues, including new Eastern District Commander Superintendent Joel Lamb and Tairāwhiti Area Commander Inspector Danny Kirk.
The officers have spent most of their policing careers in Gisborne and work in a variety of roles, including community policing, school community officer and rural sole charge officer.
All of them stressed it was the people they connected with at work and in the community that kept them going in the job.
Cairns, who marked 28 years in the police, is well known in Gisborne for his work in schools across the city.
“I love connecting with students through schools and continue that mahi in the community, coaching rugby and working with youth through various programmes,” Cairns said.
Ormond was recognised for 35 years in the police, including his current role of overseeing Te Pae Oranga in Gisborne.
Te Pae Oranga is a restorative iwi-led community panel approach that holds people accountable while also helping them address problems they have been facing.
“Gisborne is a great place to live and work. The people are incredible and everything is so close,” Ormond said.
“You are just five minutes from the ability to dive, hunt, swim and surf. Gisborne provides a great work-life balance.”
Kingi, acknowledged for his 14 years in the force, said Tairāwhiti police remained a tight team.
“We work together and if someone needs a hand, we all pitch in and help out.”
Prosecutions support officer Jill White received the Margaret Norrie Award for outstanding female in Tairāwhiti police from the first female officer in the region, Margaret McQuillan. Photo / Supplied
The Margaret Norrie Award for outstanding female in Tairāwhiti police was also presented at the ceremony.
White received the award from Margaret McQuillan (nee Norrie), the first female police officer in Tairāwhiti.
A veteran of 27 years with the police, she has a passion for books and helping people, which has led to her getting involved in a range of extra-curricular activities focused on supporting children and nurturing a love of reading, as well as the theatre.
