New Year Royal Honours for three New Zealand Police

Three New Zealand Police officers are among recipients of the New Year Royal Honours list announced today.

They are:

• Inspector Anna Jackson, Bay of Plenty Police District, who becomes an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM)

• Superintendent Dave Trappitt, Police National Headquarters, who also becomes an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM)

• Sergeant Bill Nicholson, Central Police District, who becomes a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM).

Commissioner Mike Bush congratulated the trio, and all the other people who have been honoured today for their outstanding contribution to communities throughout New Zealand.

Citations for the three police officers highlight some of their achievements.

Inspector Anna Jackson, ONZM: for services to NZ Police and the community. Currently the Acting National Manager, Police Professional Conduct, Inspector Jackson joined police in January 1984 and was the first woman officer to be promoted to the rank of Sergeant, Senior Sergeant and Inspector in Rotorua.

She’s a former head of Rotorua’s Road Policing Unit, has represented Police on community safety committees, and has been involved with equal opportunities issues and professional standards since 2005. Inspector Jackson is a long term member of the Bay of Plenty District Equity and Diversity Committee, represents her district on women’s issues and has been in charge of the district’s Professional Conduct team since 2009 and is a national advocate in ethics training. Inspector Jackson has been praised for her work on a United States funded deployment to Baguio City in the Philippines to train officers in community policing, ethics and human rights.

Outside police, Inspector Jackson has been actively involved in voluntary community service for a local early childhood centre, primary and secondary school, Kaharoa Community Association and Hall Committee, church and youth work.

Superintendent Dave Trappitt, ONZM: for services to NZ Police and the community. Currently Acting Assistant Commissioner: Prevention, Superintendent Trappitt joined police in 1975 and has an extensive background in the development and management of national strategic projects and operations.

Superintendent Trappitt initiated modern departmental forecast reporting in 1997, some years ahead of many other agencies. His leadership in planning and coordination have been the key to the successful development and training of the Maori Wardens Project, the first Police Statement of Intent, monitoring frameworks around the Police Strategic Plan and governance arrangements for evaluating police projects, improvements of the Communications Service Centre through restructuring of the ICT business unit and technology required for the Policing Excellence Programme.

He’s been a NZ Police liaison officer in Canberra where he enhanced coordination with the Australian Federal Police; has been involved with the management of police related legislation and policy development; was second in charge of the police operational response to the 2014 visit of Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and is the national manager of the Communications Service Centre.

Sergeant Bill Nicholson, MNZM: for services to NZ Police and Search and Rescue. Sergeant Nicholson joined police in 1978 and from 1980 served more than five years with the Palmerston North Armed Offenders Squad. He’s worked in Marton and then Taupo where he first became involved with Search and Rescue.

His SAR skills took him to Palmerston North where he’s now the Central Police District Search and Rescue coordinator. Among his SAR achievements have been securing funding for better communication equipment for remote locations across the district; his training of volunteer SAR groups, improving relationships with partner agencies and contributing to standard operating procedures for helicopter service.

Sergeant Nicholson has been involved with numerous SAR operations over the years including the 2008 Mangatepopo Gorge, Tongariro National Park, tragedy where six students drowned when the river flooded. He was part of the police response team to the Pike River mining tragedy and the Disaster Victim Identification team following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

He’s been the chair of the Palmerston North LandSAR committee for nine years.

Ends

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