Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
The police commissioner being on the beat in Nelson this New Year a year on from the death of one of its local officers will be a reassurance and comfort, the mayor says.
Richard Chambers says it's only right he is in the city where Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming died on duty almost a year ago.
Fleming was the 34th name added to the police roll of honour, which recognises officers killed while working.
In September, a plaque was dedicated to her nestled in a garden outside Nelson Central Police Station.
"Tragically killed on duty... never forgotten," it reads.
Chambers will be working alongside frontline staff.
"Being in Nelson this New Year's Eve is the right place for me to be," he said.
Calling Fleming a much-loved colleague, he said he wanted to be in Nelson to back up staff who had worked with her, and to remember her.
Nelson Mayor Nick Smith welcomed the commissioner's decision.
Wreaths placed by Police Commissioner Richard Chambers and Police Minister Mark Mitchell outside the Nelson Central Police Station to remember officers who've lost their lives in the line of duty. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
"The Nelson community is apprehensive about New Year's Eve given the tragedy that occurred with Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming," he said.
Smith said the commissioner choosing to be in Nelson, and at New Year, was "an absolute sign of class".
"Nelson has never had a police officer killed during service, and so what occurred a year ago was just felt right through the community but particularly by our close-knit police community, I think the commissioner coming down is going to be a tremendous support but also a reassurance for the Nelson community."
Smith described the officer's death as a tremendous shock that locals could not believe.
"Let alone a woman police officer that had served us for nearly 40 years would be killed by a motor vehicle," he said.
"So it caused tremendous shock, a huge blow to our small Police community, but a real coming together after the tragedy to say 'this is not us', we want to support our police, we want a safe city, and we're all just hoping and praying that New Year's Eve this year will be safe - fun, but safe."
Smith said the commissioner's visit would be reassuring for local officers as well as the wider community.
Chambers will also be policing Rhythm and Vines in Gisborne, joined by Eastern District Commander Jeanette Park before she takes up a new and more senior role.
Police union concerned about office staff deployments
The union for police officers meanwhile was worried about another announcement from the Commissioner.
He was requiring all senior sworn staff to help with duties like road policing, working at concerts and sports events and being out on the beat regardless of rank or location.
It would mean about 600 Level 2 responders deployed for a total of at least 40 hours each over the next 12 months, the Commissioner said.
The directive applied to staff mainly working in office-based roles.
Police Association president Steve Watt. Photo: RNZ/ Phil Pennington
But Police Association president Steve Watt feared it would mean extra pressure for senior sworn staff, and many officers did not have the right training for the frontline.
"Many of the upper managers… are really looking forward to getting out there and re-engaging with their communities, but there is that added pressure that they are being taken away from their core roles, so we just have to be mindful of that and the pressure that that may put on some members who have to catch up on their workload because they're out doing other duties."
Chambers said the initiative would contribute more than 25,000 extra hours of support to frontline officers and was a substantial investment in community safety and operational resilience.
Refresher training courses were compulsory, he said, with more specialised training offered if a particular deployment needed it.
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