For 44 years, Superintendent Fata Willi Fanene has been a police officer despite his boyhood experiences of being asked to prove he was a citizen by those in the uniform he's now proudly worn for so long.
In those years of service, he's worked to improve police connections with the Pasifika community, as well as improve the organisation from within following on from the dawn raids.
His work is continuing, though, as last week he was officially welcomed into the newly created role of national partnerships manager for Pacific people.
But the police force was never intended to be a long term plan.
"My generation, when we left school wanted to go to university but we also wanted to support our parents who were struggling at the time," Fanene this morning told Breakfast.
"So when I looked about what job was paying well the police were paying well at the time, so I applied and I joined."
But over the years as Fanene was called to events involving the Pacific community and those for those whom English was their second language, he started to see value in his role with police.
"I guess it became my calling and I stayed on."
Heading into his next role, where he will form strong relationships with other Government agencies, Fanene said he'll again be putting his community at the front of mind.
"The role is great but if I could just say, this is cliche, but it's not about me, it's about the community. That's the reality, right at the moment it is about our community and improving their wellbeing."
While he admits he hasn't loved every moment of his four decades with the force, the best moments have been helping Pacific communities following the Christchurch earthquakes and during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"It's not an easy job, clearly it's a dangerous job but someone has to do it and I would encourage those in my Pacific community to seriously consider it," Fanene said.
"If we don't become part of these institutions then how are we going to engage with our communities? If we don't have Pasifika staff, Pasifika people joining the police then we're not going to build our capacity and capability to be able to engage with community."
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