Senior constable John Thomas Tangaere is the iwi liaison officer for Hastings police and previously fronted a national campaign in Hawke's Bay to recruit more Maori people into the force.
Mr Tangaere said police were aiming to have "more staff that are Maori and able to assist our people, by providing an understanding of the culture and assisting people in our community to transform the state of crime to a state of wellbeing".
He had also been involved in the development of the Violence Free Strategy for Ngati Kahungunu.
Mr Tangaere was an old boy of Te Aute College in central Hawke's Bay and was also a former chairperson of the school's board of trustees.
He is now the deputy chairperson of the St Joseph's Maori Girls' College Board.