The power of community Every day I look out my window I am reminded of the community I serve – which is also the community to which I belong. This is important because I believe this is where we draw our collective strength. Great policing happens when Police recognise they are part of a community and the community recognises Police as one of their own. One of the key principles we police by in NZ is that Police at all times should maintain a relationship with the public and this gives reality to the historical tradition that the Police are the public and the public are the Police. What I mean by this is that the Police are members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties that are incumbent on every person in the community in the interests of community wellbeing and safety. Having trust and confidence in each other supports us to achieve our goal to ensure everybody can be safe and feel safe. I also believe that having a sense of purpose and belonging to something greater than ourselves is important for our mental wellbeing. It is one of the reasons why I go to work every day. It is also why Neighbourhood Support is so important for our communities. Neighbours supporting each other as a group is such an honourable thing. When you check on your neighbours, when you report suspicious behaviour
and when you drive to the conditions, we are part of the same team. You are protecting our loved ones as we strive to protect yours. We are lucky in Canterbury that our Neighbourhood Support networks are strong. We know this because they have been tested. As a community we know how to care for each other and we pull together when needed to make positive things happen. The great philosopher Aristotle probably said this best: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” So, as we approach the summer months – as we prepare for the festive season and economic pressures continue – I encourage you all to keep checking on your neighbours, keep reporting suspicious behaviour and be careful on our roads, so we can all be safe and feel safe. Thank you to you all for your care to the community, as we are all in this together.
Ngā manaakitanga Superintendent
John Price
Canterbury Police District Commander Page 13
