Superintendent Mike Rusbatch has been appointed as the new District Commander of the Northland Police District.
Mr Rusbatch is the former Area Commander for the Far North Area, a position he held between February 2003 and July last year. He has been on secondment to the Domestic and External Security Group of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, as an Executive Officer, since August 2006.
In announcing the appointment today, the Deputy Commissioner of Police Operations, Rob Pope, said Superintendent Rusbatch had been a top performing officer in the Northland district and had been relied upon by the previous District Commander to relieve in the command during Superintendent Viv Rickard's absences.
The District Commander vacancy had arisen with the appointment of Mr Rickard to the position of District Commander Waitemata late last year. In the meantime the District had been managed by Acting Superintendent Bruce Bird from Counties Manukau Police.
"I want to thank Bruce Bird for his sterling work over the last few months. Even though Northland is one of our smaller districts in terms of population its geographical size and diversity makes it a very busy one. Mike Rusbatch's local knowledge will come to the fore in taking over the reins and building on the good work of his predecessors," said Mr Pope.
Superintendent Rusbatch will assume command in about a month's time, once he is able to disengage from his current secondment.
Previous positions of note during Mike Rusbatch's police career have included:
Aug 2006 - Present Executive Officer, Domestic and External Security Group, DPMC
Feb 2003 - July 2006 Area Commander Far North Area
Aug 2001 - Feb 2003 Policing Development Manager, Northland
Feb 2000- Aug 2001 Shift Inspector, Northern Communications Centre
Feb 1999 - Feb 2000 Area Controller, Howick
Mar 1997 - Jun 1998 Area Controller, Mangere
Mr Rusbatch graduated from Police College in 1982 and held a number of diverse frontline, investigative and supervisory positions in Wellington and South Auckland, leading to his appointment as Senior Sergeant Station Supervisor at Otahuhu in February 1994.
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