After nearly 34 years, Assistant Commissioner Allan Boreham has left Police – but still has his sights firmly set on preventing harm.
Allan has moved to Oranga Tamariki as Deputy Chief Executive Youth Justice, the role he has held during a three-year secondment to the agency.
Commissioner Mike Bush hosted a farewell at Police National Headquarters where guests included Allan’s wife Eilidh, his father Bruce – a police officer in Auckland, also for 33-plus years – and his new boss Grainne Moss, Oranga Tamariki Chief Executive.
Allan says policing has been “the job that keeps giving”, not only providing an awesome career, but also giving him leadership skills which are in demand across the public sector.
“That‘s the final gift from Police, after 33 years and 10 months where I was constantly doing things I would have done as a volunteer,” he says.
“Some of the calls were so interesting and exciting and it was always satisfying to be able to help people. Even those times when you didn’t solve the case, you might get a letter of thanks from the victim for taking them seriously and working hard for them.”
After joining Police in Auckland in 1985 with Recruit Wing 97, Allan quickly developed an interest in CIB work and applied for CIB trial months before his permanent appointment.
He was described as “obvious CIB material” and rose from detective to detective senior sergeant in seven years.
He led the inquiry into the 1997 kidnap and murder of Graham Kirkwood, a lengthy investigation that hinged on a registration number written on the back of a Warehouse receipt by a member of the public.
Young AB, the new
recruit.
Three men were convicted of murder and two of kidnapping, and the case remains a highlight of Allan’s career. “When the jury came back in, his mother was in court. It was so important to her that they had all been held to account for her son’s death.”
Allan held roles including North Comms manager, Road Policing National Manager and District Commander Waikato before being appointed Assistant Commissioner Auckland in July 2010.
In this position he oversaw policing of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in Auckland - another highlight. “I was so proud of New Zealand and how well we policed it. People from overseas couldn’t believe how friendly and approachable we were.”
He was a champion of prevention, enthusiastically leading the SNAP anti-burglary initiative. On another level, he was the Commissioner’s representative when German Chancellor Angela Merkel and then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited the city.
Allan’s strategic experience and operational knowledge were sought-after in the wider public service: in 2015 he was seconded to the State Services Commission, then in 2017 he was among the leaders who brought Oranga Tamariki into being.
He says he sees his work now as an extension of Prevention First, with significant reductions achieved in keeping young people out of the justice pipeline.
“We’re trying to take a preventive, restorative approach. In a way it feels like the police work just continues, but now I’m working alongside Police rather than as a part of Police. I just think ‘How blessed am I?’”
Commissioner Bush thanked Allan for his dedication and leadership and presented him with his Certificate of Service and a gift of pounamu. He also gave Bruce a Commissioner’s coin in acknowledgement of his own years of service.
“AB has been an outstanding leader in many areas of New Zealand Police,” he says. “We wish him well for the future.”