Central District Police will formally welcome their new District Commander, Superintendent Dion Bennett, with a pōwhiri on Monday 26 August at Taiporohenui Marae in Hāwera.

Dion (Ngāti Paoa and Ngāti Hako) has been a member of the New Zealand Police for 27 years. He is Hauraki born and bred and him and his wife are proud parents to their three children. Their support is a strong motivator for Dion.

After graduating with Recruit Wing 175 in 1997, Dion spent 15 years in Hamilton before moving to Wellington. He has worked in various local and national roles including CIB, Special Tactics Group, and the Armed Offenders Squad.

In 2018, Dion was appointed to the role of Māori Responsiveness Manager for Wellington District – a role which is vital to engagement between Police and our diverse communities.

In late 2020, Dion took up the role of Te Awa Kairangi Hutt Valley Area Commander. Two key pieces of work that he is proud of during his time in this position were leading a review of critical incident procedures, and collaborating with Te Āti Awa on Te Taupā Ruru – a coordinated and planned approach to supporting Mana Whenua and all iwi who reside within the area during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following this role, Dion relieved as the Northland District Commander for nine months, and one of his many highlights was overseeing the Police support for Waitangi celebrations.

After his Northland stint, Dion was appointed as Director of the Major Operations Group and the New Zealand Police Contingent Commander for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) being hosted in Apia, Samoa in October this year

Last month, Dion began his role as Central District Commander – one of the largest Police Districts, Central has over 800 Police staff working from some 44 locations and covers a vast geographical area that stretches from the North Taranaki Bight, across to Ruapehu, south to Ōtaki, and across to the Tararua ranges. The district is split into three areas – Manawatū, Whanganui-Ruapehu, and Taranaki.

An enduring priority for Dion throughout all his roles is ensuring Police interactions with everyone they engage with are mana-enhancing. He believes a happy, healthy, and robust culture is key to preventing crime and harm. Dion has a strong commitment to strengthening relationships and partnerships that ultimately reduce the input into the Justice Sector pipeline, making New Zealand the safest country.

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