Building relationships and "working together with the community" will be a focus for new Eastern District Maori Responsiveness Manager Inspector Damin Ormsby along with seven new staff to the district.
Inspector Ormsby and the seven other new staff were officially welcomed to the district this morning with a pöwhiri at Matahiwi Marae, Clive.
The role is something of a homecoming for Inspector Ormsby who grew up in the Eastern District when his father, also a Police Officer, was stationed in both Gisborne and Wairoa.
"In this position I will be focused on building partnerships with local iwi and the community so that together we can reduce the number of Maori who become victims of crime or are committing crime."
During his time with New Zealand Police he has been based in Waikato as a frontline officer and most recently has been based in Wellington as National Field Prevention Manager with Maori Pacific Ethnic Services.