Q & A with next Commissioner

Peter Marshall wants to see more staff in frontline, visible policing.

Peter Marshall starts a three-year tenure as Police Commissioner on 4 April. He returns to New Zealand Police after four years in the Solomon Islands, where he was Deputy Commissioner, then Commissioner, of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force.

The two nations have extremely different issues. What are his priorities here?

Howard Broad prioritised a push towards crime prevention. What’s your take on that?

Crime prevention has to be a good investment. We can save an enormous amount of time and effort by preventing crime happening in the first place.

I’m also aware of New Zealand’s financial situation. There’s not going to be the opportunity to throw more money at Police. We have to be more inventive and make better use of what resources we have.

What about the Policing Excellence programme?

I think the initiatives are imminently sensible and practical. There is a very clear vision of what’s got to occur, work is in progress and I’d like to carry on the recent developments. There is a lot more to do in that regard.

Which aspect in particular?

I certainly want to see how we can put more police into frontline, visible policing – of course with adequate administrative support.

New Zealanders want to see police officers who are approachable, personable and give the reassurance they are looking for. Being able to do that is one reason people join Police in the first place. We have extremely skilful specialist groups but we have to strike a balance.

How do you want to play the Commissioner role?

I want to be out and about, around the districts and very obvious during my tenure. I want to be a very active commentator.

If police have done something wrong I’ll put my hand up but if we are being unnecessarily maligned I’ll speak up about that too.

Is this the job you’ve always wanted?

I never necessarily aspired to be Commissioner. I did apply in 2006 but it didn’t happen and that was fine, but when the position was advertised last year my appetite was again whetted.

There was no plan: you could say the stars came into alignment. I believe if you do what you’re doing now as well as you can, career prospects take care of themselves.

I’m really looking forward to the role and will certainly give New Zealand Police 100 percent of my energy.