Police Minister Mark Mitchell’s emotional speech at Police Remembrance Day service

An emotional Police Minister Mark Mitchell teared up while remembering police officers killed on duty during a moving speech at a Police Remembrance Day service.

Mitchell, a former police officer, choked up at the start of the speech and had to pause twice before beginning again.

He told those gathered for the service that he was upset because of talking about Constable Murray Stretch, killed in Mangakino in May 1999, and Constable Matthew Hunt, who was killed in June 2020.

Mitchell has previously spoken about being called out as a dog handler on the day Stretch was killed. He had also served with Senior Constable Len Snee, who was killed in May 2009 while carrying out a routine search warrant at the home of Jan Molenaar in Napier.

After Hunt was killed by Eli Epiha at a traffic stop in 2020, Mitchell supported Hunt’s family, including throughout the trial of Epiha, and delivered a moving tribute to Hunt in Parliament. Later that year, Mitchell said it had been a “tough and sobering year” – “Matthew’s death has cut very deep. A young man on the cusp of a full and exciting life”.

Mitchell – who wears the police remembrance huia pin every day on his lapel – marks Police Remembrance Day every year but this was his first as Minister of Police.

“It’s a special solemn time as we remember those from our Police family who are no longer with us. Together we wear the huia pin on this day, which for me is a very special symbol. It’s my connection to police past and present, and it’s our connection to each other.”

He also thanked the families of those police officers being remembered, saying they too were part of the police family: “I hope you can take some comfort from the honour and respect shown here today.”

He said he thanked every police officer for their service.

“This is a day of significance not just for police, but for our entire country. It is time to reflect on how lucky we are to be served by a professional police service that works hard, day and night, taking on often difficult and dangerous duties to make our communities safer.”

Police Commissioner Andrew Coster also spoke at the service at the New Zealand Police Training College – it is his last Remembrance Day in the Police after the announcement he will step down in November to head the Social Investment Agency.

“I want to acknowledge that every day New Zealand police officers are confronted by dangerous and difficult situations and sometimes the result is physical and mental injury.”

Coster said in the last year, nine serving members of the police and 130 former members had died.