The Kāpiti police officer was delighted and feeling a mixture of emotions when he found out he would be made a member in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours.
Throughout Deehan’s 42-year career in the police, here and in the United Kingdom, there have been many achievements, but most notable for him was helping formalise the Family Liaison Officer (FLO) role, which was completed in 2021, within the New Zealand Police.
“I am a big advocate of family liaison, which is where police work with whānau of those who have lost loved ones in a situation where death hasn’t been caused naturally.
“I made a pain of myself pushing for New Zealand Police to adopt a structure and training to get Family Liaison Officers to operate to international standards. We initially have trained 55 officers nationwide, but I still intend to be a pain and expand this valuable role to encompass daily police duties and not just major incidents.”
“I really get fulfilment from helping people in their darkest hour and making that time as easy as it is possible to be.”
Detective Niall Deehan.
He was also involved with providing support to families who lost loved ones in the MH17 plane crash in Ukraine and provided them with ongoing support for nine years.
Before living in New Zealand, he was a police officer in the United Kingdom, where he served with New Scotland Yard’s Racial and Violent Crime Task Force for several years, investigating hate crimes and high-profile murders which were racially motivated.
Deehan wanted to thank his team for their ongoing support, and hoped they wouldn’t be too upset with him for not sharing news of his new honours with them sooner, hard as it was to keep to himself.
“When I’m away, they have to pick up my share of the work. I am so thankful to them, and I hope they forgive me for not sharing my secret.”
