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Praise
for pleasant and positive liason
It took 11 days, involved 40,000 people and covered the length of
the North Island. And there were no arrests. In late April and early
May, police accompanied thousands of people down the country as they
marched in a Hïkoi
to protest against proposed foreshore and seabed legislation.
Acting Inspector Wally Haumaha (Strategic Cultural Adviser, OoC)
was in charge of the police operation, which involved five officers travelling
with the Hïkoi, and additional regional support from staff in towns
and cities along the way. He has received strong accolades from
within and outside police on the success of the operation, including
thanks
from Hïkoi organiser Hone Harawira who said: “Yeah, I have
heaps of praise for [Acting] Inspector Wally Haumaha and his unit
for a positive, and unexpectedly pleasant, liaison between police and
the
Hïkoi. It took a day or two to get over the shock of working with
police, but in the end we were both looking for a common result – getting
the Hïkoi safely to Parliament with minimum disruption to the public,
and as few hassles for the marchers as possible.”
 This is Wally’s account of the event:
“
Much has been written and spoken of since the Hïkoi started in April – dubbed
Operation Hïkoi. Together with four Iwi Liaison Officers I accompanied
the march in an operational command position from start to finish. A
second Hïkoi travelled the coastline from Wairoa and was managed
on a daily basis through constant communication.
Our initial contact with the Hïkoi organisers was cool, with both
parties remaining rather aloof and strategically plotting the next moves,
forever mindful that any interaction may begin calmly but could also
escalate to the point of aggression. To act before thinking would have
been to isolate ourselves with every likelihood of being left out of
the loop for Intelligence purposes and forward planning.
Gaining confidence and trust was critical, and this was done through
positive command decisions and action, which made life for all parties
involved a lot easier. Briefings and debriefs were held with the organisers
each morning and evening.
As we traversed each city and town, I was proud of the way staff
on the operational front conducted themselves. With a little imagination
and ability they were able to persuade those on the Hïkoi of the
value of everyone working together. But for the innovative thinking of
these people, some of our major highways, cities and small towns would
have been grid-locked for a long time.
As a police officer, this was an event unlike any other I have
been involved in, and far beyond the expectations of those who were tasked
with the responsibility of planning for a gathering of this size. The
increasing numbers from every tribe throughout the country kept the team
on its toes, as although we had won the respect of the Hïkoi organisers,
the odd fringe lunatic and external influences had the potential to deteriorate
that relationship at any point. We were able to de-escalate hostility
through humour or successful persuasion to minimise the risks.
We travelled over 1000kms, interacted with 40,000 people and did
not have any incident of major significance. I am firmly of the belief
that good communication set the tone for good relationships, which also
allowed officers to defuse otherwise potentially tense situations.
Burning the midnight oil, time spent in negotiations, fierce but
constructive conversations and exercising greater responsiveness all
contributed to the success of a police operation that is already embedded
in police history. Leadership is about engaging the heart and mobilising
others to follow. It is about action rather than meaningless words. We
can all be proud that the pride, professionalism and integrity of the
NZ Police, and the fostering of goodwill, was supported by the nation
as a whole.”
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