As I write this column, I am sitting in the High Court in New Plymouth, alongside our welfare manager Craig Tickelpenny and senior employment advisor Kerry Ansell, in support of the three officers on trial for manslaughter of a person in custody in May 2019.

This month marks the beginning of formal pay-round negotiations for the Police employee and constabulary collectives. We know from the outset that the long-term uncertainties of Covid-19 on our economy will make for a challenging process ahead.

The job description for police officers and Police staff in 2021 is more complex, more time consuming and vastly more scrutinised than ever before.

Last month’s announcement of Operation Tauwhiro – the Police crackdown on gangs – has raised the question: Why do we need a special operation to focus on gang firearm-related violence when that should be everyday police work?

When I was elected to this role just over four years ago, there was one outstanding priority that required urgent attention, and, despite what some may think, it was not firearms.