Police in Tāmaki Makaurau and Waikato had the pleasure of hosting a tour party of youth leaders from Hong Kong.
Police in New Zealand and Hong Kong have shared a close relationship for many years and this was further enhanced through a visit of youth leaders from the Leadership Institute on Narcotics (LION), a group founded by the Narcotics Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force.
The 2023 LION cohort chose New Zealand as their 2024 destination, to share ideas on how other jurisdictions experience and address youth drug issues with a focus on social prevention and harm reduction.
The 16-person youth leaders group was led by Superintendent Hamish McCardle, New Zealand Police Consul to Hong Kong, along with Chief Superintendent Wing Ng-sze of the Hong Kong Police Force.
"The LION visit to New Zealand was a great opportunity for young people to share ideas about drug harm and drug abuse prevention," says Hamish.
Among the group are the winners of a 12-month LION programme that has around 100 15- to 20-year-old participants each year.
LION, a Hong Kong Police-led programme that develops young people’s anti-drug awareness and social leadership, has been described in New Zealand terms as the Duke of Edinburgh Award Programme meets Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) meets Blue Light. Simply, we have similar programmes in New Zealand but not one that is all three at once.
Hong Kong LION youth leaders have landed!
Auckland City District - College Hill Police Hub
The first stop was a day at Auckland City District Headquarters at College Hill.
Superintendent Scott Gemmell led the whakatau and was supported by Tāmaki Makaurau Ethnic Response Manager Jessica Phuang and members of the Māori, Pacific and Ethnic team.
The day consisted of a number of presentations from Police and ESR on drugs, anti-drug messaging and the wastewater testing programme.
A day in the Waikato
The group boarded rental vans and headed south into the picturesque Waikato.
First stop was the Ngā Hau e Whā Marae at Cambridge, where an inspiring pōwhiri was performed by representatives of Ngāti Maniapoto and Waikato District staff.
Waikato West Area Commander Inspector Will Loughrin, Sergeant Ben Joll and the Youth and Communities team shared a typical Kiwi barbecue lunch with the guests at Cambridge.
The tour group were then treated to a visit to Waitomo Glowworm Caves before a restful journey back to Auckland for fish and chips at Mission Bay on the Auckland waterfront.
Scenes from the trip: Superintendent Scott Gemmell and fan/s; the magnificent Aranui Cave at Waitomo; and fun, Blue Light style.
Blue Light
The final day of the tour offered a dynamic experience at Papakura-based Blue Light.
A fun and insightful day was enjoyed by all as they completed activities and presentations at the camp.
In conclusion...
Reflecting on their New Zealand experience, the Hong Kong group noted the differences and similarities in the jurisdictions' anti-drug approaches. They were particularly interested in the New Zealand debate on decriminalisation of personal use drugs and the overall focus on health and rehabilitation.
These prevention aspects became the major discussion points across the five-day tour and they concluded the benefits of youth leadership development with a focus on healthy choices was the agreed sweet spot.
"Although New Zealand and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region are different in their drugs of abuse, young people of every culture are curious, so the visit to New Zealand provides a chance to learn from each other about ways to educate youth in a cross-cultural setting," says Chief Superintendent Wing.