Iwi officers tackle youth crime

COMMUNITY CONNECTION: Police national manager of Maori, Pacific and ethnic services, Superintendent Wally Haumaha at the three-day workshop for police iwi liaison officers at Waiteti Marae, Ngongotaha. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER 300414SP7

Police iwi liaison officers from throughout the country have gathered in Ngongotaha with the main focus on Maori youth offending.

Forty-five Maori police officers are taking part in their annual workshop, which is the second time it has been held outside the police academy in Porirua. The three-day conference at Waiteti Marae is being led by former Rotorua policeman and now national manager of Maori, Pacific and ethnic services, Superintendent Wally Haumaha.

"These are long-serving officers who have come together with the direction of the Police Commissioner Mike Bush to look at what we can do in terms of Maori offending over the next three years," Mr Haumaha said.

"Iwi liaison officers are a specialist role, they have the language background and are able to connect with families. They have been able to broker that relationship of trust and confidence of our people, and as a result New Zealand Police have come a long way to establish a strong relationship for Maori."

Mr Haumaha said the work by the officers in the community had been terrific.

"For example, our Gisborne sergeant is working with gang wives. She started off with six and now has 15, and has supported them in growing their own vegetable garden. It's not about growing vegetables but it's about whanaungatanga (kinship-ties) and coming together to understand each other.

"We also have iwi liaison officers in preventative panels who refer some offenders directly to Maori networks to address the behaviour before they get fully immersed in criminal activity."

He also spoke about a 17-year-old in Wellington who unlawfully took a vehicle and was a prospect for one of the gangs.

"He appeared before a Maori network service and was sent away to a farm for six months. When he came back he said he never thought he would be given the chance to change his life and said all he wants to do is be a sharemilker on a farm.

"Having an event like this at the marae helps our iwi liaison officers reconnect hand, heart and head to the purpose of what they do."