One of the first memories I have of interacting with police was as a young primary schoolboy when I lined up with my classmates in a guard of honour at the funeral of Constable Peter Murphy who had been shot and killed in the main street of Invercargill.
Little did I know then that the risks of similar incidents to that which cost Peter Murphy his life would be something I would be heavily involved with many years later.
When I joined Police in Invercargill, the memory of Peter was still strong, not just within Police but throughout the community. It was clear to me then, as it is now, that the loss of a police officer affects not just police but New Zealand as a whole.
Since those early years, I have attended five funerals for officers killed on duty, three I knew personally, and one was a close colleague. I was not expecting that my attendance at the funeral of Matthew Hunt last month would have the biggest impact on me.
The sight of hundreds of uniformed police officers lining up to pay their respects, as a guard of honour and performing an extraordinary and passionate haka, was a confronting and poignant reminder of the duty and honour I have in my current role representing these amazing men and woman.
As I looked around the throng of officers there for Matthew and his family, I was struck by the diversity of ethnicity and gender and, perhaps most starkly, their youth.
In many ways, it was daunting to look at that sea of blue knowing they were a percentage of the officers our association looks after. Our job is to do everything we can to keep them safe, now and in the future. Our volunteer network, elected officials and association staff all play a role in advocating on behalf of you, our members, and responding to your welfare needs, and those of your families.
At Eden Park we witnessed comfort, mourning, love and support and celebration of a wonderful young man tragically taken too soon.
Matthew’s funeral was a tangible display of what we so often, and perhaps without giving it too much thought, refer to as our police family – a family that is something to hold close and be proud of.
Policing is a tough job and recent events are more than enough reminder of that. I am reassured by a willingness from PNHQ to take a fresh look at frontline safety, including evaluation of training, equipment and capability. It is a substantial piece of work with an overriding imperative that we do everything we can to make sure we never again have to form another guard of honour.
Kia kaha, Chris Cahill
