Playing leading role in positive policing

through the ranks: Tairawhiti area police commander Inspector Sam Aberahama, pictured with wife Cathy, says policing is far better now than it was when he first joined the force. Picture supplied

TAIRAWHITI police commander Inspector Sam Aberahama has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the New Zealand police and community.

New Zealand-born of Cook Islands descent, Tamuera Aitama (Sam) Aberahama joined the New Zealand Police in 1988 in Auckland and has been Area Commander in Gisborne for 11 years.

He started his career as a beat cop in Otara and Manurewa, then moved into the detective ranks at Papakura where he rose to Detective Sergeant before moving to Hawke's Bay for 10 years.

“My wife Cathy and our children — Jade, Brittany and Ethan — and myself moved to be near my mother who, at age 86, still lives in Camberley in Hastings,” said Inspector Aberahama.

“I am honoured to receive this award and am quite overwhelmed by it.

“I'm not sure who put me forward for it but I can hazard a guess that I was nominated by people I work with in this community, so that makes it even more special.”

Insp Aberahama helped establish the Cook Islands internal support network in 2016 and chaired the Safe Tairawhiti Community Trust to 2017, when Manaaki Tairawhiti amalgamated with Safe Tairawhiti, Violence Free Tairawhiti and the Prisoner Reintegration Network.

He remains a member of the governance group of Manaaki Tairawhiti.

In 2013, he helped establish the Nga Ara Pai mentoring programme in Gisborne to help at-risk youth get their driver licences. It has an 80 percent pass rate to date.

In 2016, he was instrumental in the establishment of Te Hahi — a partnership between police and a collective of local churches with a focus on family harm. It has since been expanded to Wellington, Rotorua and Hawke's Bay.

Insp Aberahama was also a member of the national board of Safe Communities Foundation NZ for several years.

He has been instrumental in a number of successful community projects, including providing a safe network for families, suicide prevention and elderly home safety.

“Policing has changed over the last 33 years with different commissioners of police and a different focus,” he said.

“A big shift came with Commissioner Mike Bush around prevention first, which really shifted the organisation in a positive direction.

“Our current Commissioner (Andrew Coster) is taking us to another level again, which is awesome.

“We are attracting police in Gisborne and Wairoa who are home-grown, and that builds sustainability. They are positive role models in whanau.

“Policing is far better now than it was when I joined. In those days you were acknowledged for how many people you arrested. We have come a long way since then.”

Insp Aberahama's highlight over the years relates to the way Tairawhiti has opened his mind . . . “understanding the region, listening to the people and not judging, trusting my staff and trusting our communities.

“They actually know what to do. We just have to believe in them, support and guide them.

“There are examples of people, groups and rangatahi I have absolutely applied this philosophy to, and it has worked.

“Our region is growing. We are becoming more connected.”