Police Help Recognise "Kiwi Battlers"

Police are working with the Morgan Foundation to help recognise and reward the "kiwi battlers" in our communities. Commissioner of Police, Howard Broad says the competition, organised by the foundation, provides an opportunity to identify and acknowledge the "grafters" and "battlers" in our communities.

"It enables us to say thanks to those who, like Police, are striving to make a difference at a local and national level," Mr Broad says. "While much of our work - responding to incidents, interacting with offenders and working with victims - plays out in our daily media, another major aspect of our role goes largely unnoticed by the public. That is the work we do with others in the community to identify and address safety and crime issues, preventing and reducing crime, and making communities safer. This work is one of the cornerstones of our "community policing" approach.

Mr Broad says being involved with the Kiwi Battler competition provides Police with an opportunity to recognise and reward others whose efforts to make a difference in our communities largely go unnoticed. Police district commanders will be part of the judging panel for the 13 regional awards and the national award, and will present the awards at functions organised by the foundation.

The judging panel will also include representatives of the Morgan Foundation and the local community.

The requirements for Kiwi Battler nominees are:
• they must do some kind of community focussed activity,
• they must have shown "stick-at-it-ness" to overcome obstacles,
• their contribution must have achieved tangible benefits for their community.

Thirteen regional winners will personally receive $1,000, and a $10,000 donation to their nominated charity. Regional winners will then go forward to a national final.

The national winner will receive a further $2,000 for themselves and a further $20,000 will be donated to their nominated charity. For more information on the awards, and to nominate a "kiwi battler" go to www.kiwibattler.com.