Top West Coast job for Dunedin officer

Mel Aitken.
Mel Aitken.
The Dunedin policewoman who has front-footed the controversial West Coast police review looks likely to become the region's top cop.

Acting West Coast area commander, Inspector Mel Aitken (39) was today provisionally appointed to the permanent position. If the appointment is confirmed she will be the West Coast's first woman police commander.

Ms Aitken has been on the Coast since January for what was supposed to be a three-month stint. When she arrived she said she would not be applying for the top job because she had family commitments in Dunedin, where her husband is a police sergeant.

Today she said the West Coast people and community had changed her mind.

"It's such a great opportunity to build a team and looking at the opportunities that police can make in terms of having people be safe, feel safe, in the community, I think is really exciting."

Ms Aitken said that if her appointment was confirmed, her husband and their family of cats would be moving to the Coast. "We are not staying apart any longer."

In February she fronted some heated public meetings in Buller over the West Coast police review. It proposes cutting eight positions - including Karamea's sole charge policeman, Westport's community constable/youth aid officer and search and rescue co-ordinator - and creating eight new ones, mostly in Greymouth.

The outcome of the review has yet to be announced.

Despite the controversy over it, Ms Aitken said she was confident she could take the community and police staff with her if she was confirmed in the top job.

"I'm very genuine and authentic in what has been delivered to date - it's about building a team and taking them on a journey. I believe I have the ability to do that.

"It's been really good having the last three-and-a-half months to actually get to know people and what they do and understand how things work in the community we police."

Outside work her passion and escape from a high-pressure job is competitive running. She was first woman home in the Buller women's half marathon in February and in the Motatapu off-road marathon in Queenstown in March.

Living on the West Coast provided lots of running opportunities, but getting to races was more difficult than when she lived in Dunedin, she said. That was a consideration when she decided whether to seek the district commander's job.

"I have had to weigh that up because I do a lot of travel around the country with running, whereas if I'm in Dunedin I can drive or fly."

She was unaware that her appointment would make her the Coast's first female police commander, but said gender wasn't important.

"I work hard and if I'm successful it's because I've put the hard yards in and done a good job."

Ms Aitken has been a policewoman for 17 years. She was previously prevention manager for the Otago-Coastal police area and stood in as acting area commander there.

Tasman Police District commander Superintendent Karyn Malthus said Ms Aitken had proven her leadership skills while relieving on the West Coast.

"Inspector Aitken brings a wealth of experience to the role and is a highly motivated police officer. I have complete confidence in her ability to lead the West Coast area.

"I know that she has also earned the trust and confidence of many in the community who have met with her during the recent consultation process over the structure review."

Ms Malthus said the position would not be confirmed until the appointment process was completed. That was expected to take two weeks.

Police have been looking for a new area commander since Inspector John Canning retired in January following a drawn-out employment dispute. They re-advertised the position, apparently because only one person had applied. Applications closed on March 18.

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