Senior sergeant Maui Aben has been appointed the new area response manager for Wairoa. Photo / Supplied
Senior sergeant Maui Aben has been appointed the new area response manager for Wairoa. Photo / Supplied
After nearly 35 years in the force, Wairoa's new police leader is hoping to change the town's "undeserved reputation".
Senior sergeant Maui Aben has been appointed the new area response manager for Wairoa, officer in charge of Wairoa police station and the sole-charge rural stations of Mahia, Kotemaori and Tuai.
Despite having spent the bulk of his career working as a prevention manager, tactical co-ordinator, custody manager and rural manager in Gisborne, Aben spent 12 years living and working in Napier.
The veteran policeman said he is ready to lead a "fired up" team in Wairoa and looks forward to working with the local community in the "beautiful little town".
But, Aben admitted Wairoa has major challenges and an ongoing gang issue.
"The reputation is driven by gangs and their overt presence in the town," he said. "There are only a small number of them, but they have a significant impact on Wairoa's reputation."
Aben said while his team are highly skilled at responding to gang-related incidents, a new long-term strategy will aim to help achieve greater outcomes.
Last week, local police met with Wairoa mayor Craig Little, local iwi and other community leaders in the wake of recent shootings to discuss gang tensions.
Aben's family whakapapa traces back to Wairoa, with his mother born at Wairoa Hospital.
Members of the Aben family also still live in Nuhaka.
"When I meet with local community leaders and do my mihi they often say, 'oh we know your nanny' or 'that's your cousin over there'," he said.
Senior sergeant Maui Aben will replace retired Tony Bates (pictured) after 30 years in the role. Photo / File
The cop is no stranger to his new job, having filled in for the retired Senior Sergeant Tony Bates since the middle of last year.
Bates retired after more than 30 years in the role.
After his time in Napier, Aben also spent time in Otahuhu in South Auckland.
Among the recent gang-related incidents in Wairoa, a 19-year-old man was charged with possession of an offensive weapon after reportedly firing shots at a vehicle on Lucknow St on January 25.
Two other men, aged 19 and 23, were charged with unlawful assembly and assault in relation to another matter, while police are also investigating how a man received a gunshot wound to a leg before he arrived at Wairoa Hospital on January 25.
