Source: New Zealand Police (National News)
In a special ceremony next week, Fata Willi Fanene will be officially welcomed into the newly created role of National Partnerships Manager for Pacific Peoples for New Zealand Police.
Fata Willi has been serving in the New Zealand Police for almost 44 years. He started in the role in May at Police National Headquarters.
Within the Police Māori Pacific and Ethnic Services, his position sits alongside Superintendent Anaru Pewhairangi, managing Māori, and Superintendent Rakesh Naidoo overseeing Ethnic partnerships.
Superintendent Fanene spent his early years of Policing in Auckland City District. Some of the more notable parts of his career have been in the Police Prosecution Service, before taking up the role of the National Pacific Responsiveness Advisor where he was based in Wellington for several years. He returned to Auckland and continued his work with the Pacific Community as the Youth and Community Services Manager for Waitemata. He is also well known to be a change champion for youth justice.
His passion and drive continues to be for the Pacific Communities, including his recent role as Tāmaki Makaurau Pacific Responsiveness Manager. He and his team led the Police’s community reassurance response to the COVID-19 pandemic. That operation drew on partnerships with government and non-government agencies, contacts in Pacific media, and with internal Police partners to make sure COVID-19 safety messaging was directed to the right people in the right language.
Superintendent Fanene is the only Pasifika officer still in Police that witnessed major events in the Pacific community’s early history in New Zealand that shaped the Pacific community today. As a child growing up in Ponsonby and Grey Lynn, he witnessed the formation of the first Pacific gang, the King Cobras. He later saw the formation of the first Polynesian political group, the Polynesian Panthers. As a young boy he experienced the impact of the immigration crackdown known as the ‘dawn raids’ when he and his school friends were often stopped by Police and asked for proof of identity.
After joining Police, he was involved in the infamous 1981 Springbok tour of New Zealand. Superintendent Fanene says that this experience and the relationships he has with the Pasifika community will be invaluable when undertaking his new role.
Superintendent Fanene will be officially welcomed in a Samoan traditional ava ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Police College next week.
Media are invited to attend Superintendent Fanene’s Ava next week.
Where: Royal New Zealand Police College, Porirua Wellington
When: Tuesday 6th July 2021 at 10am: Media to be in place by 9.30am. Report to reception on arrival
Please RSVP to media@police.govt.nz as soon as possible
Issued by Police Media Centre
