The new blue line: Faces of the police force

New Faces of the Force

PETER MARSHALL

Took over as Commissioner in April last year. Joined police in 1972 and held a variety of uniform and CIB positions, and commanded high-profile operations such as policing of the APEC Conference and America's Cup in Auckland. He was Commissioner of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force before taking his present job.

Marshall became a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2000 and when a schoolboy he received a Royal Humane Society bravery award after he and another student swam out to rescue a woman who had suffered a stroke and was being swept away off Devonport Wharf.

MIKE BUSH

One of two deputy commissioners. He joined the police in 1978 and overseas posts include South East Asia liaison officer. When based in Bangkok he was the first New Zealand official to reach devastated Phuket after the Boxing Day tsunami which swept through in late 2004 and was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Bush was previously the District Commander for Counties Manukau where the Prevention First model was tested. He has also led a number of high profile cases, including the abduction of Chinese girl Xin Xin Ma in 2008, and has solved every homicide he has worked on.

ALLAN BOREHAM

Assistant Commissioner Upper North who oversees Northland, Waitemata, Auckland City and Counties Manukau. Boreham joined the police in 1985 and has been district commander in Waikato, manager of the Northern Communications Centre and Area Commander in Eastern Waikato and Road Policing Manager in Wellington.

GRANT NICHOLLS

Assistant Commissioner Lower North oversees Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Eastern, Central and Wellington Police districts. He joined the police in 1985 and has held operational, policy and administrative posts, including district commander of Eastern district, based in Napier, and assistant commissioner positions covering strategy, policy and performance and specialist operations. He was a contingent commander in Thailand after the 2004 Boxing Day Asian tsunami.

DAVE CLIFF

Assistant Commissioner South. Oversees Tasman, Canterbury and Southern districts. He joined the police in 1983 and held positions including National Road Policing Manager and Acting Assistant Commissioner. He was appointed Canterbury district commander in 2007 and became familiar to TV audiences as the face of policing after the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010 and last year.

Superintendent RUSSELL LE PROU

Northland District Commander. Was the acting District Commander for Waikato between July 2010 and February 2011, and previously the manager for investigations and intelligence in the district. Before that, he was the Area Commander of Western Waikato between February 2007 and October 2009.

Superintendent MIKE CLEMENT

Will start as Auckland City District Commander on January 31. Was an Inspector and the Area Commander for Western Bay of Plenty based in Tauranga. Joined New Zealand Police in 1978 and served the first 26 years of his career in Christchurch. Strong investigative background including work on organised crime and homicide. He was promoted in 2005 to Detective Inspector and transferred to Police National Headquarters in Wellington where he helped set up the Crime Monitoring Centre.

Superintendent JOHN TIMS

Appointed as Counties Manukau District Commander in November 2011. Previously a Detective Inspector in Counties Manukau CIB, with earlier roles including leading roles in the Child Abuse Team. Held other detective and uniform roles in Auckland.

Superintendent MIKE RUSBATCH

Wellington District Commander. Previously spent four and a half years as Northland District Commander. Started his career in Wellington in 1982 then came to Counties Manukau for a decade. Last 10 years have been in Northland in a number of roles, including the armed offenders squad commander.

Superintendent GARY KNOWLES

Appointed Canterbury District Commander in November 2011 after nearly three years as the Tasman District Commander, where he led the police response to the Pike River disaster. A Cantabrian, Knowles was previously the area Commander for Christchurch Central between August 2005 and February 2007. Other roles included being the head of the Wellington CIB, head of the national bureau of criminal intelligence.