Ko Rangitumau te maunga
Ko Ruamahanga te awa
Ko Ngāti Kaiparuparu, Ngāti Moe, Ngāti Hamua ngā hapū
Ko Ngāti Kahungunu, Ko Ngāti Rangitane ngā iwi
This week Wellington District welcomed Inspector Rob Rutene (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rangitane) as District Māori Responsiveness Manager (MRM).
A mihi whakatau conducted in accordance to Te Ātiawa protocols was held on Tuesday morning to welcome Rob back to the Wellington Police whānau.
Staff from the Royal New Zealand Police College (RNZPC), where Rob has been Practice Leader for Māori Responsiveness for the past two years, were present to show support.
District Commander Superintendent Corrie Parnell welcomed Rob to the home team and encouraged him to stay true to Te Ao Māori principles as he steps into a guardianship role for our diverse communities.
“The commissioned officer role is more than just a title. It is the mana that's underneath which matters the most," Corrie said.
Rob’s Senior Sergeant epaulettes were exchanged for the three silver stars which mark his promotion to Inspector in taking up this role.
Born and raised in the Wairarapa, Rob says stepping into the new position is a homecoming for him; a returning to where his journey in Police began.
Back in 1996, Rob was a keen rugby player and remembers being impressed by the Māori officers who shared his love for the sport. They thought he would make a good cop and encouraged him to attend an information seminar in Masterton at the time.
After passing the recruitment assessment and graduating from the RNZPC he was soon walking the beat in Masterton.
“It was a different era of frontline policing back then," says Rob. "There were several young staff and everything was new and very exciting. From the early days of my policing career, I was drawn into and soon realised that I would be working alongside of our Māori communities."
From 2001 until now, Rob has spent most of his career working on his passion to achieve better outcomes for Māori communities.
It began with delivering a drug education programme into kura kaupapa Māori across Wellington District, which greatly improved his skillset, knowledge and insights within Te Ao Māori. The programme was created in partnership with iwi and the wider community and this is a blueprint Rob still follows.
Over the next seven years Rob served as a Pouwhakataki: Iwi Liaison Coordinator starting first in the Wairarapa and then six years in Hawke's Bay.
In 2014, on being prompted to the Tairawhiti, Rob was involved in setting up one of the first Te Pae Oranga pilots, based at Te Runanga o Ngāti Porou in Gisborne.
“This was a major step away from the traditional court system and provides an opportunity for the community to work in partnership to address lower end criminal offending and victimisation."
Presently, there are 16 Te Pae Orange panels across the country. Wellington District has two based in Te Awa Kairangi Hutt Valley and Wairarapa.
“Encouraging and influencing our staff to engage in the kaupapa around Supported Resolutions and maintaining quality referrals has been and remains a continual challenge for MPES staff."
Twenty-four years later, Rob is coming back to grassroots on promotion to his new role.
“Throughout my career, I’ve always seen myself heavily involved in Māori communities especially those aligned to the East Coast. I have always gone where my whakapapa has allowed me to go, from Wellington to Tairāwhiti.
"Having the support of my whānau and the mandate of kaumatua and influential Māori leaders - many who have since passed on - has enabled me to confidently step into each role, including coming back to Wellington.”
As MRM, Rob leads a team of staff who are dedicated to working in partnership with local Māori, Pasifika and ethnic communities to ensure Police is delivering the service and outcomes they expect of us.
“I am privileged be leading an MPES team with extensive skills and knowledge of their local community. Partnerships formed through relationships are a real strength of the team and I look forward to building on this foundation.”