Superintendent Steve Fitzgerald, has been appointed to the position of Communications Centre National Manager.
Announcing the appointment today, Deputy Commissioner Steve Long said Mr Fitzgerald’s achievements in road policing over the past five years helped earn him the position.
"Superintendent Fitzgerald, currently the National Road Policing Manager, can be commended for his leadership in the vital area of road policing, where significant gains have been made over recent years," says Deputy Commissioner Long.
Of his appointment, Superintendent Fitzgerald says he is looking forward to working with staff in the three Communications Centres and with District staff and stakeholders to implement the recommendations outlined in the Independent Review Panel (IRP) report, released last month.
"The IRP report signalled areas for service improvement in terms of how Communications Centres operate and in the interaction between Centre and District staff and the public. It will be my role to ensure these recommendations are prioritised and implemented to ensure police provide the best possible service to each other and to the public."
Mr Fitzgerald says the challenges ahead of him are of a similar scale to those he faced when he began as the National Road Safety Manager in 2000.
"Even as recently as five years ago, there was still a real need to focus police activity and public attention on the road toll – to reduce drink driving, bring speed down and encourage people to wear safety belts," he says.
"Today, those priorities remain but we have the benefit of a reduced road toll as a measure of police success and changed public attitudes.
"The work that needs to now be done around Communications Centres will require the same level of attention and commitment that led to improvements in road policing."
Superintendent Fitzgerald will take over as Communications Centre National Manager from Monday 20 June, replacing Superintendent Mike Wilson who has been the Interim Manager since the IRP was released in May this year.
His road policing role will be filled by Inspector John Kelly, National Operations Manager Road Policing, in an acting capacity until a permanent appointment is made.
Biography:
Superintendent Fitzgerald’s police career began 38 years ago in the United Kingdom in 1967, when he became a cadet with the Leicester and Rutland Police Authority.
He came to New Zealand in 1974 and, in the same year, joined New Zealand Police as a recruit. On graduation, he was posted to the uniform branch in Wanganui where he remained until 1978.
Between 1978 and 1983 he worked at Auckland Airport before being appointed Sergeant and moving to Wellington. There he undertook uniform branch roles until 1986, including a year in team policing.
In late 1986 he moved to Lower Hutt Police Station as the station Senior Sergeant until 1992 when he came to Police National Headquarters (now the Office of the Commissioner).
At the Office of the Commissioner he undertook a range of roles including management review and strategic policy advice.
In 2000, he was appointed National Road Safety Manager responsible for overseeing all road policing operations carried out by New Zealand Police.
He has a BA in Social Science and in 1999 gained an MBA with distinction from Leicester University.