Waikato Times
February 16, 2004

Steady climb through ranks for stood-down policeman

By Steve Hopkins

Police investigating pack rape allegations have suspended Waikato's top cop. Steve Hopkins traces the rise of Kelvin Powell.

Waikato police district commander Kelvin Powell never wanted to be a policeman.

The 42-year-old, who was stood down from his position as Waikato's top officer on Saturday, wanted to be an air force pilot but failed the entrance exam.

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 Hastings where he worked as a police prosecutor.

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 Auckland where he worked as a shift inspector.

The next year he was complaints manager for the North Shore-Waitakere district.

Mr Powell moved to the Waikato in 1997 when he became western area controller based in Te Awamutu. He worked below Mr Rickards, who was then Waikato police district commander.

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 Wellington.

He revealed a five-year vision for the Waikato district based around achieving sustainable crime reductions, enhanced community participation and reduction of crime in key areas such as Maori crime.

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.