February 16, 2004
Steady climb through ranks for stood-down policeman
By Steve Hopkins
Police investigating pack rape allegations have suspended
The 42-year-old, who was stood down from his position as
Being a police officer was the former Rotorua Boys' High School 1st XV
halfback's second choice.
"I wasn't much of a scholar but I'd play any sport that was going,"
Powell told the Waikato Times in 2001.
Mr Powell grew up in Mosgiel, a small town 17km west
of Dunedin, where his father Laurie cut down trees and his mother, Heather,
looked after him and his four brothers and sister.
They moved to Rotorua in the early 1970s.
The 1.8m tall superintendent started his police career in Rotorua in January
1981 after graduating second in his wing from the police college in December
1980.
He was 18 and too young to make an arrest –- –- but loved the job straight
away.
"Right from the time I started I looked forward to going to work every
day...and later when I was able to arrest people it got even better. It's a
great feeling arresting offenders."
Mr Powell stayed in Rotorua for six years and worked alongside assistant police
commissioner Clint Rickards, who graduated from police
college a year before him and has also been stood down while police
investigate sex allegations.
During that time Powell also did some relieving work in Murupara.
In 1987 Mr Powell was promoted to sergeant and moved to
In 1990 he was promoted to senior sergeant and was boss of the Taihape station until 1992 when he transferred to Hawera and ran that station.
In 1995 Mr Powell moved to
The next year he was complaints manager for the North Shore-Waitakere district.
Mr Powell moved to the
Mr Powell looked after stations from Meremere to Awakino and was well liked by staff and the community. He
speaks Maori fluently and was popular with Maori elders.
Mr Powell was promoted to district commander in November 2001 shortly after Mr
Rickards became assistant police commissioner in
He revealed a five-year vision for the
Mr Powell, who is married with two teenage daughters and a son and lives in Te Awamutu, told the Times in 2001 that he had no "quick
fire" plans to follow Mr Rickards to head office.