Wanganui's new top police officer, area commander Detective Inspector Sue Schwalger, says she's a straight shooter and what you see is what you get.
Mrs Schwalger, 47, took over from Duncan MacLeod when he retired on September 1, and will hold the position until July 1. 2012.
She comes to Wanganui from her position as Central District's crime manager, based in Palmerston North.
She has most recently come to national media attention as the detective in charge of the Scott Guy murder investigation, and says she still has an obligation to that case, but only in an oversight role.
Because of the high public profile of that case, Mrs Schwalger's career has been pretty well documented.
She started her career in her hometown of Hawke's Bay in 1983, but left after having two children. She rejoined in Waikato in 1993 where she worked until 1999, when she transferred to Counties Manukau, where she worked as a detective senior sergeant until 2007.
She had a brief stint in national headquarters in 2007, but was called back to Counties after just a few weeks to deal with serious crime.
In 2008 she was promoted to detective inspector and took up the position of Central Districts crime manager in May, responsible for an area from Ruapehu south to Otaki, west to Taranaki and east to Dannevirke.
Mrs Schwalger is part Samoan and was the first woman of an ethnic background to be appointed to the role of crime manager.
No stranger to Wanganui, she was involved in her first homicide case here in 2008, the murder of Paul Shane Kumeroa, who was beaten to death while walking down Cross St in Castlecliff.
That experience, and other serious crimes she has been called to Wanganui for, meant she got to know the staff in the best way possible - by working with them.
Mrs Schwalger has retained her Palmerston North home, but lives in Wanganui during the week.
"I've worked in a number of different areas in a number of different towns, and wherever I work, I will commit to the town, so while I'm here I will give my full attention to Wanganui and the Wanganui area. That's just the way I work."
Since she started her new role, Mrs Schwalger has been trying to catch up will all her staff, including officers in Marton and Waverley. She already has a list of community meetings to attend, and says she is available to any community groups or individuals who want her input.
While she is here, Mrs Schwalger will oversee the implementation of a new national initiative, the Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT), which is expected to be up and running by December.
Based on successful trials in about a dozen Counties Manukau communities, the NPT was proactive and preventative, and more assisting than policing, she said.
The NPT is in the process of seeking expressions of interest amongst the officers for the team of six - one sergeant and five constables, who will spend three weeks training in November before they hit the ground running in an area of town that is in need of assistance.
"It's a little bit different than what we are used to. It's about preventative stuff and that's the big push for us," Mrs Schwalger said.
They could not yet say which area of town it would be in because they were still in the process of doing community engagement and consultation around it, she said.
The uniformed staff would be housed in the community, and would work in shifts, not just 8am-4pm, targeting a range of areas of need to enable the community to become empowered themselves.
"It's not a permanent fixture. The last thing we want to say is 'we're going to put a police station in here and they are just going to operate as normal'. It's not; it's about actually engaging with the community and being actually in the community they are assisting."
The philosophy behind it was that once officers had gone in, addressed the problem and the community was back on its feet or the problems resolved, they could move on to target a new area in need.
"We're moving away from building stations in one community and staying there forever. Because if there are no problems, then what's the need for us to remain?"
She is quick to point out that it's not to be seen as an "enforcement" role, although there would be enforcement if necessary. They would also be working with other agencies for a multi-pronged approach.
"It is exciting. It's not viewed as responsive policing, it's actually engaging with the community."
Mrs Schwalger said there was talk that the teams would be in operation only for a set period of time, but her thoughts were that they would need around 18 months to get embedded and start making some headway.
"It's not about police going in and saying, 'this is what you need'; it's about asking what the needs are and assessing what we can do to help and assisting the way forward.
"It's something I may not be able to finish, but we can kick it off."
Another thing she will be doing while here is hiring a new staff member to replace a retiree. The aim is to smooth the process by hiring the new person before the staff member left, so there could be a handover.
Mrs Schwalger saw her new role as a good opportunity to broaden her experience.
"I have been very focused over the last three years on serious crime. This is giving me the ability to focus on more community issues. I have more staff, and so it's more a development opportunity for me."
Although she had relieved as area commander for short periods of time, here she had a set period of time to sit down and plan the way forward for the area.
"I am happy to be here and I'm really thankful for the opportunity to get my teeth into having an area, and Wanganui is great."
But, she adds, it was not just her vision, it was the staff and the management team, their ideas and how they saw it. "I may be sitting in this position steering the ship, but they are doing all the work."
SUE SCHWALGER
Joined the police in Hawke's Bay in 1983
Left to have two children and returned to the force in Waikato in 1993
In 1999 went to work in Counties Manukau
Was the first woman of an ethnic background to be promoted to detective inspector in 2008
Also in 2008 appointed Central Districts crime manager
February 2011 stood in as Acting Central District Area Commander when superintendent Russell Gibson was sent to Christchurch following the earthquake
Other facts: She enjoys riding her motorcycle and has a traditional Samoan tattoo around her wrist and lower arm.