04 March 2013
The “Everyday Heroes” event at Barry Curtis Park last month turned out to be the perfect opportunity to showcase a united front from four agencies operating at Auckland Airport.
Hosted by the Police, the event attracted thousands of people keen to learn about and celebrate the successes of the people who keep their community safe. As part of that Airport Police, Customs, Aviation Security (AvSec) and Airport Emergency Services (AES) were on site to man a joint “Auckland Airport” booth showcasing how they protect communities through their efforts at the border.
Earl Cole, a police sergeant at Auckland International Airport, says that when he was approached to represent Airport Police at the event it made sense to have the other airport enforcement and emergency services there as well.
“We all work very closely together and joining forces for a multi-agency approach was the obvious way forward.”
Peter Lewis, Customs airport operations manager, says his organisation is responsible for enforcing a number of legal requirements and obligations at the border.
“Whether it’s checking passports, dealing with high-risk passengers, intercepting prohibited goods or prosecuting offenders, we count on the support of our partners. The day was a good way to celebrate these relationships.”
Fraces Ezekiela and Philip Ennor represented AvSec on the stand and they were both impressed by how interested members of the public were in what the service does on a day-to-day basis. Prohibited items including weapons such as daggers, knuckle dusters, stun guns as well as (fake) drugs, that had been confiscated from the travelling public were also a popular part of the stand.
Tony Beattie, Deputy Crew Chief – Red Watch of AES, was there on the day, ready to put on a show with his fire tender.
“It’s always great to get involved in the community and closer to people in Manukau, our city.”