Mel Aitken

Inspector Mel Aitken joined the New Zealand Police in 1999, after completing a degree at the University of Otago. She was part of Wing 183, which is the first wing where all 80 recruits were sent straight to Auckland.

Despite starting out in Auckland, Mel has spent the majority of her career in the Southern District in operational and frontline response roles. She is currently the West Coast Area Commander, a role which she says was a step outside her comfort zone and something she had never dreamed of doing.

Before taking on the Area Commander role, Mel didn’t know much about the West Coast but says the role has given her an opportunity to do things that most police officers in a similar role wouldn’t.  Because the area is so large geographically, there is a real reliance on community and inter-agency support to get things done. “Everybody just chips in, no complaints, no moans - just hard workers that want to do a great job every day. That’s what makes me the most proud.”

Outside of work Mel is a competitive distance runner, a hobby she took on later in life. Competing in half and full marathons has given her the opportunity to race around some beautiful parts of the country. Through racing she has also met some incredibly talented people who share her passion for running. Last year she took out both the New Zealand Cross Country Title and New Zealand Road Running Title for her age group.