Life Membership
- Life Membership will only be conferred by Conference.
- Life Membership will be limited to no more than thirty (30) living individuals at any time.
- A record will be kept of those to whom Life Membership has been awarded. This will include an ‘honours board’ to be displayed in the National Office of the Association.
- Life Membership can only be awarded to members of the Police Association, past or present. Consideration will not be given to ‘honorary’ Life Membership for non-members.
- Life Membership can be conferred on serving members, recently retired members, or other former members of the Association.
- Persons nominated for Life Membership must have distinguished themselves in their service to the Association and it’s members.
- This service must have been such that it was of benefit to members throughout New Zealand. The nominee need not have held an executive position in the Association and need only satisfy the ‘national service’ criteria.
Procedure for Nomination:
(a) The nomination must be made by two financial members of the Police Association.
(b) The nomination is to be submitted to the relevant District or Area committee. That committee will then forward the nomination to the Board of Directors of the Association along with any recommendations in respect of the nomination.
(c) The Board of Directors will enquire into the nomination and decide whether to forward the nomination to delegates for consideration.
(d) If endorsed by the Board of Directors, the nomination will be circulated to all delegates to enable them to discuss the nomination with their district committee prior to voting by postal ballot.
(e) In the event the nomination is approved the award will be bestowed on the recipient at the upcoming annual conference
(f) A Life Member will receive:
- a framed certificate
- a Life Member plaque
- a Life Member lapel badge
(g) Each life member will be named on an “honours board” at National Office.
Bill Murray Award
- In terms of status, the Bill Murray Award will stand below the honour of Life Membership and above the honour of a Merit Award.
- The Bill Murray Award can only be awarded to members of the Police Association who have made an outstanding contribution to the Association over a prolonged period of not less than 10 years. The individual nominated must have provided distinguished service to the Association and the members in either a national or a local capacity.
- The Bill Murray Award will not be limited in the number which can be awarded.
- A record will be kept in the Association Register of Awards of to whom the Bill Murray Award has been awarded.
- A recipient of the Bill Murray Award will receive a framed certificate and an Association plaque.
Procedure for Nomination:
(a) The nomination must be made by two financial members of the Association
(b) The nomination is to be submitted to the relevant Area or District Committee. That committee will then forward the nomination to the Region Committee.
(c) The nomination will be considered by the Region Committee and forwarded to the Board of Directors, along with any recommendations, for consideration by the Board.
(d) The Board of Directors will enquire into the nomination and determine whether the service by the nominee is such to merit presentation of this award. Two thirds of the Directors present must give their endorsement for the Bill Murray Award to be conferred.
(e) The recipient will receive a framed certificate and an Association plaque. These will normally be presented by the President at an appropriate occasion in the member’s District or Region.
Merit Award
- Merit Awards will only be made to members of the Police Association, past or present.
- A Merit Award nominee shall be either a serving or recently retired member of the New Zealand Police.
- The individual nominated must have distinguished themselves in their service to the Association and its’ members although this service need not have been such that it was of benefit to members throughout New Zealand. Rather, the nominee need only have served the Association and its’ members in an exemplary manner.
- Merit Awards are not limited in the number which can be awarded.
- An individual can be considered for presentation of a Merit Award on more than one occasion. There is no limit to the number of times an individual can receive a Merit Award.
- A record shall be kept of those to whom Merit Awards have been presened.
- The recipient will receive a framed certificate.
Procedure for Nomination:
(a) The nomination must be made by two financial members of the Police Association
(b) The nomination is to be submitted to the relevant Area, District or Region committee.
(c) The nomination will then be considered by the Region Committee along with any recommendations and then forwarded to the Board of Directors of the Association for their consideration.
(d) The Board of Directors of the Police Association will then decide whether to endorse the nomination.
(e) Where the nomination is endorsed, the recipient will receive a framed certificate.
Certificate of Appreciation
- Certificates of Appreciation will only be awarded to non-members of the Police Association.
- A Certificate of Appreciation can only be awarded to either an individual or an organisation and there are no limits to the number of times such individuals or organisations can be considered for this certificate.
- The individual or organisation nominated shall have distinguished themselves through their assistance or support of the Police Association and its’ members. The individual or organisation need not have done this on a national level and service at all levels through to Area level can qualify.
- Certificates of Appreciation are not limited in the number which can be awarded,
- A record shall be kept of those to whom Certificates of Appreciation are awarded.
- The recipient will receive a framed certificate.
Procedure for Nomination:
(a) The nomination must be made by any Area, District or Region Committee or by the Board of Directors of the Association.
(b) The nomination shall be forwarded directly to the President of the Police Association.
(c) The President will enquire into the nomination and decide whether to endorse the nomination.
(d) The recipient will receive a framed certificate.
The President's Award for Outstanding Service
- The President’s Award for Outstanding Service will only be made to Association employees.
- To be eligible for consideration for this award the employee must have made a significant contribution to the Association over a prolonged period of not less than 10 years.
- For purposes of clarification, it is stressed this award is not a “long service” award, but a more selective honour in recognition of a tangible and lasting contribution by the employee and to the benefit of the membership.
- This award will not be limited in terms of the numbers awarded.
- A record will be kept in the Association Register of Award of who has been a recipient of the President’s Award for Outstanding Service.
- The recipient will receive a framed certificate.
Procedure for Nomination:
(a) Nomination will be made by the Association National Secretary
(b) The nomination will be made to the President who will enquire into the nomination and decide whether he/she is of the view the nominee is worthy of this award.
(c) Where the President supports presenting this award the nomination will be submitted to the Association Board of Directors for their consideration.
(d) The Board of Directors will enquire into the nomination and determine whether the service by the nominee is such to merit presentation of this award. Two thirds of the Directors present must give their endorsement for the President’s Award for Outstanding Service to be conferred.
(e) The recipient will receive a framed certificate, presented by the President.
NZ Police Association, Te Aka Hāpai Bravery Award
The New Zealand Police Association, Te Aka Hāpai Bravery Award was established to honour outstanding acts of bravery of police, on or off duty. The award represents peer recognition of outstanding bravery.
The design of the award is based on the sternpost of a Maori waka, traditionally carved to provide guardianship of a journey. The cast bronze sternpost incorporates a police chevron, and represents the strength, resolve and community guardianship of police. The sternpost is topped by a flame of pounamu, representing valour and the high value in which the recipient is held.
The recipients of the awards are chosen by a panel made up of prominent people in police and public service, along with the Police Association President.
To maintain the prestige of the award, reserving it for only the bravest acts, it was envisaged that in some years no nominations would meet the threshold.
Nomination Criteria:
- A Nominee must have undertaken a specific act of extraordinary bravery in carrying out an action above and beyond the reasonable expectations of a police officer performing their duty.
- Reasonable expectations may be higher of members of specialist squads, who are trained and equipped to confront a greater level of danger.
- The act must exemplify the traditions and highest ideals of policing.
- Both constabulary and non-constabulary Police employees who are members of the Police Association may be considered for a Bravery Award.
- Nominations may be made for acts whether performed while formally on duty or off duty.
- Only acts performed within the year 1 July to 30 June of the year of nomination will normally be considered for a Bravery Award.