On Friday February 6 a well-managed event was organised by the committee Te Korowai Aroha to celebratee the national New Zealand holiday ‘Waitangi Day’ held at the Kingston Butter Factory, Logan.
The event has been running for 12 years and incorporates numerous cultural stalls, entertainment and food in an alcohol free, family orientated day. The Queensland Police Service has been a supporter of the event which celebrates and supports cultural diversity.
Police have attended and taken a positive and proactive role by promoting crime prevention and recruiting stalls staffed by Police Officers, Police Liaison Officers and Volunteers in Policing.
Since the commencement of the event, Police recruits have volunteered to attend and this has promoted a synergy between police and the Maori Community. In 2014 over 80 Police Recruits attended and were inspected on parade by a Member of Parliament. An impressive and positive display that was well received by the Maori community. The recruits interacted with the families gaining insight and respect towards Maori culture and improved their cultural diversity.
This year it was noted that a small interest group attended the event, however there were no incidents or negative behaviour involving this small group or any other group at this event despite rumours on social media.
This is an opportune time to remind you that pages not affiliated with Queensland Police Service do not always verify information before reporting it.
It is one of our objectives to build relationships across the community that result in crime reduction and a safer city for all and by engaging positive stakeholders who work for the community such as Te Korowai Aroha.