About 120 people attended a Police Remembrance Day service at First Church yesterday.
Acting Superintendent Jason Guthrie, speaking before a moment of silence, said the service honoured police colleagues in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific who had been killed or died on duty.
Acting Supt Guthrie paid tribute to four Southern officers who were killed on duty.
Constable Donald Stokes was injured in the Dunedin Central Police Station cells and died in Dunedin Hospital on August 15, 1966, aged 23.
Constable Peter Murphy was shot while attending the burglary of a sports goods shop in Invercargill and died in Southland Hospital on September 25, 1976, aged 21.
Senior Constable Peter Umbers was fatally injured near Ranfurly after stopping a robbery suspect on May 27, 1990, aged 35.
Sergeant Stewart Guthrie was shot at Aramoana on November 13, 1990, aged 41, when attempting to arrest a multiple murderer.
''New Zealand Police has a great legacy of protecting communities and keeping individuals safe - we run towards trouble when others are running away and we often put ourselves at serious risk ... of this we should be very proud and we should remember with pride those who made the ultimate sacrifice.''
Acting Supt Guthrie said.
The day previously remembered only those killed by criminal acts but this year also remembered those who had died on duty, including Detective Travis Hughes, who died aged 37 when a Cessna 172 crashed in the Gibbston Valley during a routine cannabis reconnaissance mission.
Also remembered was Constable Henry Porter who drowned on June 21, 1887, aged 41, while doing night rounds in Port Chalmers.
