Former boss heads honours list

Six police officers were named in the New Year Honours List 2006, in recognition for their services to police.

To be a companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM)

Former NZ Police Commissioner Robert Robinson who retired in December 2005 after 30 years service. Rob was appointed Commissioner in 2000 with executive responsibility for 10,000 personnel and for national security preparedness operations throughout New Zealand and overseas.

He has supported community policing and expanded New Zealand’s contribution to police operations overseas.

To be members of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM)

Superintendent Roger Carson (currently Acting Deputy Commissioner Operations) District Commander North Shore/Waitemata District, headed the Auckland Metropolitan road policing function and led a number of investigations resulting in the convictions of high profile offenders.

As District Commander Roger developed a range of highly effective partnerships with local communities, such as iwi and Asian groups and has established Memoranda of Understanding with the Mayors of the three local bodies represented in his district.

He chaired the Pan-Auckland Board of Police Management and provided support to the Police National Headquarters in addressing the issues raised by the local Mayoral Forum.

Roger introduced a number of measures relating to criminal activity associated with e-crime and he project managed the Police Professional Driver Programme in 2004.

Inspector Robert Veale is manager of violence reduction at Office of the Commissioner and has also managed the National Family Violence Campaign.
Rob has worked extensively in the Pacific. He has helped Pacific nations develop responses to violent offending and was seconded to NZAID to design and deliver a training programme for the Pacific including domestic violence training in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Niue and Samoa.
Rob was chief trainer during a recent Pacific Regional Initiative in Suva and has provided expert advice to the NZAID/NZ Police project team evaluating recommencing the New Zealand Family Violence Programme to the Pacific Region in 2005.

Special List for Asian Tsunami Relief Operations.

Detective Inspector Michael Bush is the New Zealand Police Liaison Officer attached to the New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok. Immediately after the disaster on 26 December 2004, he travelled to Phuket and was the first NZ Police officer at the scene.  Once there, he played a leading role in establishing a coordinated approach across representatives of nine nations, whilst also undertaking intensive work ro put in place a logistical arrangement for the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) teams that were on their way. Mike brokered various meetings between international DVI teams and acted as a point of contact between them and senior Thai officials. He visited devastated sites and assisted New Zealand victims. He also used his local knowledge and Thai Police contacts to facilitate the successful deployment of New Zealand resources.

Senior Sergeant Michael Wright has managed, or been involved with, many land and marine search and rescue operations over a long period, dating back 30 years. In 1989 he became involved with Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) work and was sent to Wanganui ro assist in the recovery of bodies after an aircraft crash.  In 2000 he was deployed to the Solomon Islands as a member of the International Peace monitoring team and in 2003 returned there as part of the Regional Assistance Mission. When difficulties arose with the planned exhumation of murder victims on an isolated jungle coastline, he was called upon to lead the New Zealand and Australian experts who had been brought in for the operation. After the tsunami which hit southern Asia in late December 2004, he and 14 other New Zealand police staff and forensic experts were sent to Phuket, where he undertook the major leadership role of mortuary manager. As the site expanded into the principal DVI location, with several thousand bodies in containers, his responsibilities grew, with multi-national teams and multiple mortuaries under his control.

The Queen’s Service Medal for Public Services (QSM):

Sergeant Peter Summerfield is the Search and Rescue Coordinator for the Canterbury Police District, based in Christchurch and is an expert in disaster Victim Identification (DVI). His experience includes victim identification at the aircraft crash near Christchurch that killed eight people in 2003.  He was the second in command of the New Zealand DVI contingent sent to Phuket in December 2004 after the Asian tsunami. In this role he not only had the confidence of his New Zealand colleagues, but also of the Australian Federal police victim identification staff. He was chosen as the mortuary administration manager by the Australian site manager. This site grew into the major victim identification location with several thousand bodies, multi-national teams and multiple mortuaries requiring coordination and support.

Photos: NZ Police