Veteran Police Assistant Commissioner Wally Haumaha of Te Arawa has been appointed to Deputy Commissioner of Police.
Haumaha first joined New Zealand Police in 1984, was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal in 1998 and currently holds the role of Deputy Chief Executive Maori, leading the Māori, Pacific and Ethnic services communities group.
Police Minister, Stuart Nash says, “Wally Haumaha is a highly respected leader across our communities”.
“Wally Haumaha has the clear vision and leadership skills required to deliver on the government’s priorities for police. I expect him to play a key role to strengthen Maori leadership within police and enhance the relationship between police and Māori communities, in order to reduce both victimisation and offending”.
Haumaha has driven the development and implementation of the restoration of Te Pae Oranga- a justice initiative formerly known as Iwi Community Panels- which provide alternative resolutions for low-level offending.
Nash says, “He has been responsible for the Iwi Community Panels since they were established by the previous government as a pilot scheme in 2014. We have now made them a permanent part of the Prevention First operating model...This work is a crucial component of plans to reform the criminal justice system by reducing reoffending and victimisation and breaking the cycle that leads to imprisonment”.
The term of the current deputy commissioner, Vivian Rickard, ends on 2 June and Mr. Haumaha will start his new role on 3 June.
“I’m very pleased to appoint Mr. Haumaha to this role. I also wish to acknowledge and thank Viv Rickard for his commitment and service to Police, especially as a member of the Police Executive for most of the past decade,” says Mr. Nash.