Mike Bush: Showcasing NZ police's work

Mike Bush

Police services around the world are operating in an environment that's constantly throwing up new challenges.

That makes it more important than ever that we work together to keep all of our communities safe.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) plays an important role in these efforts.

It exists to promote cooperation and improve policing services around the world, and boasts 16,000 members in 94 countries.

Last week, I attended the IACP Conference in Chicago, where I was part of a panel discussion with Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Bob Paulson, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin and the director-general of Britain's National Crime Agency, Keith Bristow.

Our topic was the future challenges of policing, with a focus on technology. I gave a presentation on New Zealand Police's world-leading mobility project, which has brought enormous benefits to the way we work.

This was a great opportunity to showcase what we're doing in this important area of policing to 600 police staff from around the globe.

Following the conference, I visited New York where I met New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton.

Bill is leading a major reinvention of policing in America's biggest city, with a focus on how police, the community and the public and private sectors can all work together to prevent crime.

There are similarities with the approach we're taking in New Zealand and I was interested to hear about the "Five Ts" strategy that underpins the NYPD's work - Tackling Crime, Trust, Training, Technology and Terrorism Prevention.

I also met NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counter-terrorism John Miller, a former journalist who famously interviewed Osama bin Laden in 1998.

Sadly, about a week before my arrival in New York, NYPD officer Randolph Holder was shot dead by a suspect he was chasing.

He was the fourth NYPD officer to be slain on duty in 11 months and the 30th American officer to be killed this year. It was an honour to represent New Zealand Police at Randolph's funeral and to see the thousands of officers, family, friends and members of the public who lined the streets in a moving display of solidarity.

While I was in Chicago, AFP Commissioner Andrew Colvin suggested that, with the Rugby World Cup final looming, we should agree that the police service of the losing side flies the national police flag of the victors. After a bit of a laugh at the idea - and confident the All Blacks would get over the line - I accepted his challenge.

Andrew's suggestion is a decision he was no doubt ruing the morning he ran the New Zealand Police ensign up the flagpole at AFP headquarters in Canberra, donning an All Black jersey to mark the occasion!

-Mike Bush is the National Police Commissioner. This is an edited version of his latest Commissioner's Blog.

-Views expressed here are the writer's opinion and not the newspaper's. Email: editor@hbtoday.co.nz