Mike Bush: Hurting gangs and cutting crime ... with more to come

Police Comissioner Mike Bush. Photo Mark Mitchell

Opinion

New Zealand's police work 24/7 to keep our communities safe. The public rightly has high expectations of us and in 2014 we have again shown their faith is well-placed.

Major events include several operations targeting the methamphetamine trade and the organised criminal gangs that run it. We have hit these gangs where it hurts, seizing millions of dollars in cash and drugs and confiscating millions more in assets. We'll do more of the same this year.

Other highlights include our staff supporting the royal tour in April and sending a contingent to assist with the G20 summit in Brisbane - our biggest overseas deployment. We also made deployments supporting events in Samoa and Solomon Islands.

In August, police took a big step forward in repairing relations with Tuhoe by apologising for some of our actions during the termination of Operation Eight in 2007. We also completed a meticulous review of the original investigation into the 1970 Crewe murders and apologised to Rochelle Crewe after shortcomings were identified.

Behind the scenes, we have transformed the way we work. We have put preventing crime and meeting the needs of victims at the forefront of everything police do, with outstanding results.

These include a 20.1 per cent reduction in recorded crime in the past five years, meaning tens of thousands of people were spared the trauma of becoming victims. That's what New Zealand Police is all about.

And we have revolutionised the way our people work by issuing our frontline with smartphones and tablets loaded with customised apps to allow them to spend more time in their communities and less time at the office doing paperwork. On the streets is where they can make the most difference.

Police also refreshed the core values that guide everything we do, adding empathy and valuing diversity to our existing values of respect, integrity, professionalism and commitment to Maori and the Treaty.

Most importantly, we have retained the very high levels of public trust and confidence - a top priority for me as commissioner.

Building on our successes to keep our communities safe will be priorities for police in 2015.

Christmas had extra meaning for me as Boxing Day was the 10th anniversary of the 2004 tsunami. As the police liaison officer in Thailand, I was the first New Zealand officer to arrive in Phuket, where more than 5000 people perished.

On Boxing Day, I represented New Zealand at the commemorations in Thailand. It's important to mark tragedies like these because they remind us that life is precious, so we should all look after each other.

Christmas reminds us of that, too. That's why we want everyone to take care on the roads over the holidays.

While most of the country has their holiday break, police staff will be working around the clock to keep you safe. On that note, on behalf of New Zealand Police, the very best for the festive season and here's wishing you all a happy new year.