28 October 2011
The two-year long planning and preparation for the Rugby World Cup has worked and so far we at Auckland Airport Police have not seen any major incidents.
The build-up to the event, in particular the team welcoming events, has been magnificent – who will forget the amazing impact that the Pacific Island nations had upon the place!
The opportunity to mix with people from so many diverse nations has been incredibly rewarding for police staff; the people we engaged with have remarked on the positive and upbeat nature of New Zealand, including our attitude to the recent disasters and of course to the game of rugby.
We were also fortunate to work with many of the organisers of this impressive tournament including a number of police staff from the United Kingdom who were here to look at our arrangements and learn from them in time for the Olympics in the UK next year.
We have seen a significant increase in both domestic and international rugby-related passenger movements and whilst this tested us, and our border agency and airport partners, we were all ready. Sadly one or two passengers still considered it appropriate to mention “bombs” while checking in and, as we all know, this is no longer amusing or appropriate.
The next phase for the Airport Police is to learn from the massive experience that the Rugby World Cup 2011 has brought and of course to look forward to the next incredibly busy period in our professional lives - Christmas!