Officer tasked with reducing family harm

• By Chris Harrowell, Eastern Times

The officer responsible for overseeing the police’s crime-prevention work in East Auckland is set to take up a new role working to reduce family harm.

Counties Manukau East Police area prevention manager, Inspector Rakana Cook, is starting in a new position with Whāngaia Ngā Pā Harakeke on September 17.

The national initiative focuses on reducing and preventing family harm and the impact it has on the families who are experiencing it or are at risk.

“For me, it’s that partnership and working in a multi-agency approach and having that ability to link in with others,” Cook says.

“That’s going to be the key to creating social awareness through a multi-agency approach.”

The Whāngaia Ngā Pā Harakeke model requires police to create collaborative approaches that are designed at a local level with iwi, community, and partner agencies.

The initiative is the first point of call after a reported family violence incident. It receives referrals following incidents involving families and is designed to implement long-term reductions in family harm and provide navigation support between other services for families.

It has a family-driven approach, as the presence of a community or iwi member with police on-site at a call-out is believed to reduce the tension during a crisis.

Its emphasis is on acknowledging the challenges families face when navigating the system and cultivating a tikanga Māori and whakapapa approach to the response.

Cook’s new job title will be director of Whāngaia Ngā Pā Harakeke for youth with Counties Manukau Police.

He says he wants to acknowledge the local community for all the work it’s done in partnership with the police while he’s served as area prevention manager.

“I’ve had the privilege of working across different work groups and with different community partners.

“More importantly, the community in East Auckland and Counties Manukau especially, I’ll take what I’ve learned here with me to my next role, so thank you to everyone.”

He’s keen to get stuck into his new position and says it will be important for him to learn about the families he’ll be working with.

“It’s to understand the dynamics through what we’re seeing and what’s being reported on.

“We know it’s [family harm] well under-reported, so to encourage people to know we are there, along with the various agencies, to help reduce or prevent harm in the home.

“At the end of the day, everyone should feel safe in their own home.”