It’s been many months in the making but 20 April 2021 was the day to open the new Mount Roskill Police Base.
Commissioner Andrew Coster, Police Minister Poto Williams, Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming, Assistant Commissioner Richard Chambers, District Commander Superintendent Karyn Malthus, DCE Corporate Operations Ruth Currie and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei representatives were among those gathered for the opening.
The new base at 150 Stoddard Road - 3km from the old station on Dominion Road - is in the heart of the Mount Roskill community, just off the motorway and across the road from the local mosque, a position which will enhance Police’s work toward its goal of providing safer homes, roads and communities.
Commissioner Coster says the new base highlights Police’s commitment to ensuring staff throughout Tāmaki Makaurau are able to carry out their duties in more fit-for-purpose workplaces.
With the addition of a front counter attended between 8am and 4pm on weekdays, the new station will also mean better access for members of the community who need to report crime or speak directly to a staff member.
“This is a great base for Police to operate from and for our community and partner agencies to access us,” says Inspector Grant Tetzlaff, Area Commander Auckland West.
Community policing teams, district road policing staff, members of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Team, CIB and the Area Leadership Team will be based there. As it is generous in size, there is potential for other staff members to base themselves there too.
A reminder of the old station.
The base features a training room which will be used by the Police College to deliver training for staff across Tāmaki Makaurau (TM).
“The collection of policing teams from area, district, TM and wider is great,” says Grant. “We are all learning more about each other’s business and how we all contribute toward preventing crime and harm through exceptional policing.”
A dawn blessing was held ahead of the opening, with members of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Police’s Māori Pacific and Ethnic Services and local staff walked the corridors and blessed the new base.