New Year's honour: Tamuera Aberahama, the cop who saw Camberley's troubles as a child and chose to fix them

Hastings-born inspector Tamuera Aberahama has become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his service to the New Zealand Police and the community. Photo / Supplied

A former high ranking Hawke's Bay policeman says he will accept his New Year's honours title on behalf of his home-town region.

Inspector Tamuera Aitama Aberahama (known as Sam) has become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for his service to the New Zealand Police and the community.

Aberahama, 55, who has been part of the police force across the North Island since 1988, was instrumental in establishing a number of programmes across Hawke's Bay aimed at helping reduce family harm, suicide prevention, road safety and prisoner reintegration.

He said he was deeply honoured to receive the award and would accept it on behalf of all communities in Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti.

The Camberley-born policeman, who attended Camberley School, Heretaunga Intermediate and Hastings Boys' High School, said he is simply one of many trying to rebuild resilient communities.

"The police are involved in community initiatives supporting whanau in need and I'm proud of my staff that do an amazing job every day," he said.

"My upbringing had its challenges, some of which I deal with in homes and communities today. But my heart is in the community and my love is for people."

Aberahama said his mother, who worked in the laundry department at Iona College and still lives in their family home in Camberley, has been instrumental in his development and supportive of his journey in policing.

Aberahama has been part of the police force across the North Island since 1988. Photo / Supplied

Now living in Gisborne with his wife Cathy and their three children, Aberahama often returns to Hawke's Bay as a speaker at schools.

After policing South Auckland for 10 years, where he qualified as a detective, Aberahama was promoted through the ranks to detective sergeant and returned to Hastings.

"I was fortunate to work with Pacific communities across my time in the Bay supporting youth development in EIT, supporting our Pacific families and churches around family harm," he said.

In 2006, Aberahama was promoted from officer in charge of the Hastings Criminal Investigation Bureau to the role of crime services manager for Eastern District Police.

He was instrumental in establishing Te Hahi - a partnership between police and a collective of local churches with a focus on family harm, which has since expanded across Hawke's Bay and Rotorua.

He also helped with a number of other community projects, including providing a safe network for families, suicide prevention, elderly home safety, road safety, Tamariki Ora working group and alcohol and smokefree initiatives.