INL Digital Edition August 1, 2020

04
AUGUST 1, 2020
Homelink
Andy Coster sets three key priorities for New Zealand Police
Venkat Raman
Enhancing human capital, high
quality service delivery and prevention
of crime through partnerships
are three key priorities
that the new Police Commissioner Andy
Coster has set for the New Zealand
Police during his five-year term.
Speaking at a special Powhiri held
in his honour on his appointment as
Police Commissioner at the Pipitea
Marae in Wellington on Friday, July 31,
2020, he said that inclusion, constant
consultation with all communities and
closer working relationship with other
public services will also form a part of
his regime.
About 500 men and women,
representing the Police, government
departments, the judiciary, officials of
public and private sector organisations
and community leaders.
Among them were Deputy Commissioners,
Assistant Commissioners,
Deputy Chief Executives, District
Commanders, Inspectors and other
sworn and non-sworn officers of the
New Zealand Police, members of the
Police Commissioner’s Maori, Pacific
and Ethnic Focus Forum, Director
General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield,
Commissioner Coster’s parents Dr
Gregor and Heather Coster, his wife Jo
and their sons Daniel, Joshua and Sam.
Service Delivery
Mr Coster mentioned ‘Be First, then
do,’ as his primary objective as Police
Commissioner.
“This is to ensure that New Zealand
Police is delivering from a position of
internal strength; that we embody the
kind of organisation that we need to be
to achieve our outcomes in communities.
We need to be an organisation that
brings humanity to all our interactions,
Police Commissioner Andy Coster speaking at
the Powhiri
if we are to achieve the most positive
impact we can in people’s lives,” he
said.
Emphasising the human aspect of
policing, he said it was imperative
to understand what happens at the
human level in order to select the most
appropriate response to a situation.
“Given the increasing complexity
of what we need to navigate, we also
need our people to be able to bring
the best of themselves to their work.
This will happen when we create an
environment in which diverse thought
is welcome, and leaders see it as their
role to enable our people to be their
best,” Mr Coster said.
He said that a proper understanding
of public expectations is essential to
deliver the quality and level of service
required.
“There are some core expectations
that the public have of us as an
organisation, and we must make sure
we meet them. We have a range of
different demands to balance and we
need to be well attuned to changing
expectations, as well as looking after
the core responsibilities that are always
with us,” Mr Coster said.
Police Commissioner Andy Coster with his wife Jo and parents Gregor and Heather
Prevention through Partnerships
Describing the Police as a ‘genuine
blue line,’ he said that New Zealand can
become the safest country in the world
only through community partnerships.
“I am greatly heartened by the level
of collaboration that I am seeing in
communities and across the public
service. We need to keep building on
this, seeking genuine partnership to
strengthen communities. There are a
range of practical things that fall out of
these priorities and we have already
started,” Mr Coster said and reiterated
his commitment to make ‘New Zealand
Police an organisation for its people
and for New Zealanders it serves.’
He spoke of the challenges that
confront the New Zealand Police and
cited family harm and organised crime
as examples. He said that as an organisation,
New Zealand Police has shown
the ability to rise to the challenges.
Mr Coster said that he was keen to
promote the policing as calm, compassionate
and confident service –qualities
that were underscored by the service
during Covid-19 lockdown.
“Our model is underpinned by
idea of maintaining the community’s
consent for what we do. Walking this
line is no mean feat – the community
does not always speak with one voice.
However, I believe we have demonstrated
what can be achieved when we
go about it the right way,” he said.
About Andy Coster
Graduating from the Royal New
Zealand Police Academy in April 1997,
Andy Coster worked for the next six
years in various frontline and investigative
roles at Counties Manukau Police
and Auckland Metro Crime.
He was admitted to the High Court of
New Zealand as a Barrister and Solicitor
and worked as Solicitor at Meredith
Connell in the Auckland Office of the
Crown Solicitor in 2004. The following
two years were spent as Response Manager
and Section Supervisor at Counties
Manukau West and in 2006 became the
District Deployment Manager of the
District.
Mr Coster took charge as the Area
Commander of Auckland City Central
in 2009 and over the next five years
countered the challenges posed by the
Central Business District of the busiest
city in the country. During this period,
he also served as the Armed Offenders
Master of Ceremonies Deputy Commissioner
Wallace Haumaha
Squad Commander for Auckland.
He was appointed District Commander,
Southern Police District in 2015 and
a year later, became the Deputy Chief
Executive at the Ministry of Justice and
moved to the Police Headquarters in
Wellington in March 2018 as Acting
Deputy Commissioner, Strategy and
Partnership. Shortly thereafter, he took
charge of Strategy and Partnerships
in the same capacity, until his appointment
by the Prime Minister as the
Police Commissioner.
Mr Coster is a Member of the
Institute of Directors New Zealand and
former Trustee of the Mangere Genesis
Youth Trust.
Other Speakers
Among the speakers at the Powhiri
were Justice Sector Reform Advocate
Sir Kim Workman, Chief Executive
Te Arawhiti Office of Maori Crown
Relations Lil Anderson, Children’s
Commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft,
Professor Gregor Coster and Police
Commissioner’s Focus Forum Member
Tino Pereira. Deputy Commissioner
(Maori, Pacific and Maori Services)
Wallace Haumaha was the Master of
Ceremonies.
Smart money choices made simple.
We’ll help you find the sweetest mortgage deal whether it’s your first home or
investment property, and arrange the best insurance to suit your needs.
Mortgage services
Home loans
Construction loans
Refinances and restructures
Top ups & debt consolidation
Commercial & Business loans
Insurance
Life, Trauma
Medical/Health
General
Business
Income Protection
Call us today
0800 21 22 23
Level 1, 3/53 Cavendish Drive
Manukau