Awards recognise inspiring heroics

Thirteen police officers are recipients of New Zealand Bravery Awards, the country’s highest awards for bravery.

They were named alongside 18 members of the public earlier this month.

Ten of the officers were involved in the Napier siege of May 2009 in which Senior Constable Len Snee was fatally shot and colleagues Senior Constables Grant Diver and Bruce Miller seriously wounded when searching a house for drugs.

Another Napier-based officer, Inspector Mike O’Leary, was honoured alongside his son Conor for rescuing two children from a burning crashed vehicle near Taupō in April 2009.

Tauranga police dog handler, Constable James Muir, was honoured for facing an armed and dangerous youth when called to help a colleague who had previously been fired at during a pursuit in June 2007.

Auckland’s Constable Nicholas Corley was honoured for his bravery when, in August 2008, he came across a crash and pulled free the driver trapped in the burning wreck.

The awards are bittersweet for the families, friends and colleagues of everyone affected by some of New Zealand’s most tragic events, says Deputy Commissioner Viv Rickard, who was Acting Commissioner when they were announced.

“Each of the recipients acted without hesitation in situations of extreme danger,” he says.

“Their motivation in helping those whose lives were endangered, many of whom were strangers, is awe inspiring and they richly deserve our gratitude and the country’s highest praise.

“I know the police officers see themselves as part of a wider team who were simply doing their job and doing what was right. They and other recipients acted intuitively, calmly and without any thought of future recognition.”

Recipients of awards

The New Zealand Bravery Awards are approved by Her Majesty the Queen. They are a way of recognising the actions of people who save or attempt to save the lives of others, in the course of which they place their own safety or life at risk.

The four levels of awards are the New Zealand Cross, the New Zealand Bravery Star, the New Zealand Bravery Decoration and the New Zealand Bravery Medal. Police staff are recipients of the latter three awards.

New Zealand Bravery Star

Constable Mike Burne, Taradale	Senior Constable Dennis Hurworth, Napier	Detective Sergeant Tim Smith, Napier	Senior Constable Paul Symonds, Napier

New Zealand Bravery Decoration

Sergeant Heath Jones, Napier (now Detective Sergeant)	Senior Sergeant Tony Miller, Waitematā DHQ	Constable James Muir, Whakatāne	Inspector Mike O’Leary, Eastern DHQ	Constable Kevin Rooney, Napier

New Zealand Bravery Medal

Detective Paul Buckley	Senior Constable Bradley Clark, Hastings	Detective Sergeant Nicholas Clere, Napier	Constable Nick Corley, Newmarket

Photos: Penny Clevely, RNZPC (Tony Miller), Bay of Plenty Times (James Muir), Jason Oxenham/Suburban Newspapers (Nick Corley)