07/10/2025
EXCITING NEWS
"Update on proposed Canterbury District review"
Statement from Canterbury District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill
After considering staff and community feedback, it has been decided that Canterbury Police will not proceed with our proposed district review.
Throughout this 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.
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.
There were those who did support the changes and I acknowledge some may be disappointed.
I have discussed this with the Commissioner of Police, and he has assured me I have his support for this decision today.
Some of what we aimed to do 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.
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.
This has been a long process and I want to thank all those who took time to consider the proposal and discuss it with me.
I also wanted to thank those who have put a considerable amount of work into the process, which is very much appreciated.
Lastly, 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.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said he supported the District Commander’s decision.
“I want to acknowledge the hard work that was put into the review by District Commander Tony Hill and his leadership team.
“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.
That is effective both for prevention and law enforcement, in both cities and rural areas.”
