Greetings to you all.

 

The Rugby World Cup is now over bar the shouting, and after the All Blacks' parade through Wellington today even the shouting will be starting to subside.

 

Congratulations to the All Blacks and well done to New Zealand generally. We can now look back on a tremendous six weeks in which the best of the country was showcased, culminating in that dramatic final at Eden Park. And, of course, the right result.

 

The All Blacks' victory mirrored a great win for New Zealand Police and our highly successful operation to ensure public safety throughout the tournament.

 

The Police role didn't end with the final whistle - and the celebrations on Sunday night and the parades which brought such huge crowds to city streets this week again passed off without major trouble.

 

This success didn't happen by accident - it's the result of three years of meticulous planning and the hard work of our staff throughout New Zealand.

 

Credit must also go to the fans, with behaviour at venues and fanzones generally very good despite the large numbers involved. This is a tribute to their positive attitude and the approach Police took toward interacting with them.

 

I've received numerous messages of thanks and support from members of the public for the way officers dealt with fans and provided a safe environment for visitors and locals alike.

 

The world was watching - and it saw personable Kiwi-style policing at its best: friendly and engaging, but always ready to deal with isolated incidents of trouble when they happened.

 

I particularly congratulate Superintendent Grant O'Fee and his team at Police National Headquarters for their superb achievements in the exemplary planning and execution of the RWC2011 operation.

 

I also acknowledge the achievements of Superintendent Brett England and his team in Auckland, which hosted the most games and the biggest crowds; and commanders and officers nationwide, whose meticulous planning alongside our partner agencies helped deliver a trouble-free event nationwide.

 

Deploying a Police liaison officer with each team - thought to be a first at a major sporting event - helped ensure the players also had as trouble-free an experience as possible, even if the results didn't go their way.

 

I also recognise the part played by officers' families, who put up with their long hours. Without the support of those families it would have been very difficult for us to achieve our objectives.

 

Some commentators say New Zealand has set a benchmark for future Rugby World Cups. I believe New Zealand Police has set a benchmark for policing major sporting events. I'm very proud of our staff's achievements in helping ensure this historic event was memorable for so many people for all the right reasons.

 

After all the New Zealand-based drama of recent weeks, I'm in for a dramatic change of scenery. At the end of the week I leave for the 80th Interpol General Assembly, in Hanoi, Vietnam, with approximately 176 countries in attendance. I'll be back the following weekend and I'm sure I'll have some interesting comments to make.

 

In the meantime, stay safe and look after each other.