Our region’s crime rates may be as low as they’ve been for a few years, but newly-appointed Area Commander, Detective Inspector Paul Borrell, warns the boys in blue are not about to relax.
“Complacency is our worst enemy, we always need to be looking for ways to improve,” says Paul.
Taking over the top cop role from Mat Arnold-Kelly at the beginning of this month, Paul has been a member of the force since leaving the cheese-making industry to embark on police training in 1986.
“It was the idea of making a difference. I’ve always liked what the police stood for.”
His investigative skills were soon revealed, and after being a part of Porirua’s investigation unit in 1991 he joined the CIB in Wellington, also spending four years offering investigative training to new recruits at the police college.
With a police focus on a 25% reduction in Maori reoffending by 2025, Paul says he’s looking forward to working closely with local iwi toward achieving this goal, set nationally by police, and has taken a proactive approach by enrolling in Te Reo during his own time.
“It’s been fantastic learning Te Reo. I want to be able to understand the issues and I don’t think I can do that until I know more about the culture and the language.”
Citing the current disproportionate representation by Maori as both offenders and victims, Paul believes it’ll take a community effort to reduce these figures.
“We need others to assist and advise so we can work together to solve issues.”
But it’s not only Maori that has his focus, with Paul saying it’s imperative for police to build relationships with new immigrants, as often many have come from countries where corruption is rife among their own police force.