As our lead story in this edition of Police News illustrates, the tragic death of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming in the early hours of New Year’s Day has reverberated through our entire police service and communities, large and small, up and down the motu.

We pay tribute to an officer who was so much more than her QID and was loved immensely by her family, her colleagues and her community, who are left dealing with an irreplaceable loss.

This shocking beginning to the new year led me to reflect on so much of what officers do every day and every night, irrespective of rank or district. When you consider the sheer mundanity of officers’ work out on foot patrol on one of the calendar’s biggest nights of celebration, it is a monumental leap to conceive of the level of danger that took Lyn’s life and critically injured a colleague.

It is the cruellest reminder of the reality that, no matter what prevention measures are in place, what equipment is supplied and training undertaken, policing is inherently risky and the lives of officers are endangered every single day.

I have heard it argued in recent times that policing is no riskier than other occupations.

Yes, many roles in many industries carry risk, but not those of policing, particularly when you factor in the intentional actions of other humans who wish to harm. Every year, we see thousands of increasingly serious assaults on officers. All manner of weapons, including firearms, are used and often result in significant injury and life-changing consequences.

The cold, hard fact is our officers go to work every day knowing that risk is in front of them, and that, on occasion, no matter what precautions they take, the risk will become reality.

The value of officers to their colleagues and their communities has been very much to the fore during this distressing time. It may well be a cliché that people step up in such times, but it’s a cliché for a reason: that’s what they do.

From the very moment this incident unfolded, Lyn’s colleagues, members of the public and St John Hato Hone staff leapt to action. As the gravity of the situation was realised, Police staff stepped up, even while dealing with their own grief.

They performed as the true professionals they are.

I acknowledge both district and national leadership in Police, who demonstrated what leadership means. I especially acknowledge Senior Constable Kyle Brunning who is liaising with Lyn’s family – an incredibly difficult role and one the family acknowledged as making all the difference for them.

I believe it is also really important to recognise the people of Aotearoa, and especially of Nelson. They reminded us that they do value and support police. Turning out to salute an officer who was very much part of their civil community, and who fulfilled her duty to protect them, was humbling.

In their tributes, they confirmed that Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming left an indelible mark on so many lives.