Memorial unveiled for shot police officer

Almost five decades after he was shot dead by a deranged man in the Waitakere Ranges, a memorial has been unveiled in honour of Detective Inspector Wallace Chalmers.

He was one of four police officers shot dead in two separate incidents in less than a month in early 1963. Their deaths led to the formation of the police specialist armed offender squads the following year.

Mr Chalmers and Detective Sergeant Neville Power were killed by Victor George Wasmuth after responding to a call-out in Bethells Rd on January 6, 1963.

Wasmuth had already shot dead his neighbour and wounded another man before the police officers arrived at the scene. He was later declared insane.

The Western Leader reported today that Neville Power Memorial Park in Te Atatu was named after Mr Power and a plaque and a totara tree were dedicated in tribute to the west Aucklander in the 1980s.

But no memorial was put in place for Mr Chalmers until last month.

Voluntary park ranger Christine Julian decided to do some research on the officers' deaths and the tributes to them.

She found there was no similar memorial to Mr Chalmers because he wasn't from west Auckland.

Mrs Julian approached the former Henderson Community Board last year about the matter and last month a plaque was unveiled at Te Atatu South Park.

Mr Chalmers' widow, now May Mackey, told the newspaper her late husband, who was 46 years old at the time of his death, was dedicated to his job and had been in the police force for 26 years when he was killed.

They had been married just three years when he died and had two children aged 18 months and six months.

She described her shock when police officers arrived at their Glendowie home to tell her of the tragedy.

But she said she always knew there was a chance something terrible could happen to her husband while he was carrying out his police duties.

Mrs Mackey said the new memorial was a wonderful tribute and she was greatly moved by the unveiling ceremony.

Detective inspector Bruce Scott, from Waitemata CIB, attended the unveiling and said it was nice to recognise the service of a fallen officer.

"It's important for the police to have somewhere to remember these people," he said.

Less than a month after the deaths of Mr Chalmers and Mr Power, constables James Richardson and Brian Schultz were both shot dead while sitting in their police car after responding to a domestic dispute in Lower Hutt on February 3.

- NZPA