Canterbury District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill says the decision has been made that Canterbury Police will not proceed with its proposed district review after considering staff and community feedback.

Hill said that throughout the process “it has been important to challenge ourselves to think outside the square, and to innovate how we service the needs of our communities”.  

“The proposal was a genuine attempt to offer what I believed would be a better service to the district, including a 24-7 response in rural areas.”

He suggested “much of the feedback from staff and the community has been supportive”.

“The reality is that the proposal was not acceptable to many of the communities affected, and in my view their buy-in was a critical element in the proposal’s success.

“We could not proceed without that support.

“In reaching this decision, I listened carefully to the concerns and considered feedback from the community and other interested parties, as well as those of Police staff.”

Hill said the Commissioner of Police, Richard Chambers , and supported the decision.

“Our staff are exceptional and I am confident Canterbury police will continue to offer an outstanding service across the district.

“While the review proposals had merit, including the proposed 24-7 response model, I have long believed in the value of visible and engaged police who know their communities and the people in them,” Chambers said.

Hill said that some of what police aimed to do in the review can be achieved without the wider restructure and “we will now work carefully through the options to decide what is possible”.

“Every district has its own priorities and demands and those can often be met through deployment decisions.”

Canterbury District’s Gang Disruption Unit, Beat Teams and a Retail Crime Team in Christchurch were not contingent on the restructure and will still go ahead he said.

“They are priorities for Police in all districts.

“Road policing will also remain a priority. It is one of the areas of highest demand in the district.”

He said the review has been a long process.

“I want to say it has been heartening to see the strong backing our staff working in the rural communities have from the public they serve.

“Our staff are very dedicated and I can assure you we are committed to serving the people and businesses of Canterbury.”