December 1, 2005
Wood meets King, mayor and minister talk policing
North Shore City Mayor George Wood will meet new Police Minister Annette King in Takapuna this afternoon.
The third-term mayor is a former detective who served in the NZ Police for 32 years and retains a strong interest in
policing.
An experienced cabinet minister but new to the Police portfolio, Mrs King will visit North Shore City and Mr Wood at a
meeting organised by Labour MP, Ann Hartley - a former mayor of Birkenhead and North Shore City. The Minister and Mrs
Hartley will be accompanied by Labour list MPs Maryan Street and Darien Fenton.
Mr Wood says he enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Mrs King when she was Health Minister in the last
Government.
"I'm looking forward to meeting Annette again and to working together on a range of policing issues," he says.
"I was delighted to hear the Government announce the extra resourcing for police, something for which our city has been
lobbying for many years.
"The new state-of-the-art policing centre next to our Constellation Busway station is another welcome addition for North
Shore City which not only brings increased service for the community but also sets a new benchmark for Police staff. As
an ex-cop myself, I know how important this is for the troops."
In 2004, North Shore City Council and North Shore Police signed a Memorandum of Understanding - a formal commitment to
work with each other.
George Wood has been impressed by the local force's focus on community and reassurance policing.
"Area Commander Inspector Mike Hill and the team at North Shore Police have worked closely with the North Shore City
Council and we've really appreciated their support.
"It's been great to see the results of Housing New Zealand, Police and staff from throughout our council working with
the local community on a joint initiative in Northcote Central," Mr Wood says. "A Community Open Day is planned for
Saturday, December 10 when we'd love to see residents come along to find out more about this important project."
Mr Wood is also meeting new Housing Minister Chris Carter this afternoon.
ENDS