9. JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki) Link to this
to the Minister of Police
What has been the response of the New Zealand police and their counterparts in other countries to the Christchurch earthquake?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Police) Link to this
I would like to commend the New Zealand police and police staff from a host of other countries for the extremely thorough and professional manner in which they have responded to this devastating event. Up to 1,200 police from throughout New Zealand and abroad have been working tirelessly in very difficult circumstances that have included extensively damaged buildings, distressed citizens, and frequent aftershocks. In addition, 75 staff from Police National Headquarters have been providing response coordination, intelligence, communications, and logistical support, and a further 32 staff in Palmerston North have been helping with data collation and missing person inquiries. I know that many people from the police and other agencies have gone well beyond the call of duty since 22 February. I would like to thank each and every one of those who have been helping Christchurch to recover from this terrible disaster.
Hon JUDITH COLLINS Link to this
I would like to pay special tribute to the 439 police and specialist personnel from outside New Zealand who have been working shoulder to shoulder with our officers. We have been extremely grateful for the provision of 323 police from Australia alone, as well as personnel from countries such as Singapore, China, Thailand, Japan, Israel, and the United Kingdom. These individuals have been carrying out a range of general policing functions, and providing specialist expertise for the highly demanding and complex task of disaster victim identification. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to them and to their Governments for providing this support to us in our time of need. It is deeply appreciated.