Former Police Superintendent Paul Mears passed away at Mary Potter Hospice on 26 February, surrounded by his family. 

Paul’s funeral was held in Tawa on 4 March. 

Paul, who was 79, had a distinguished career with Police, joining as a 19-year-old cadet in 1958, retiring 40 years later with the rank of Superintendent. 

He started out working in Newtown and Taranaki Street Police Stations and was promoted to Sergeant in the Wellington Prosecutions Office. 

Paul obtained a law degree and was admitted as a barrister and solicitor. 

In the mid-1980s he became a Chief Inspector in the legal section in National Headquarters, and later became responsible for the management and coordination of the NZ Police training programme in the Pacific region. 

Other highlights of his career include: being a UN peacekeeper in Cyprus (for which he received the one of the first new operational medals – the NZOM); representing Police at many conferences in the Northern Hemisphere and Pacific Island countries; developing prosecution training and improving standards of Police prosecutions; managing the implementation of the Police Complaints Authority Act; and researching, drafting and presenting Police submissions at Royal Commissions and before numerous parliamentary committees. 

Following his retirement Paul was actively involved in coordinating open days for the public at the Police College, including the significant 25th anniversary of the RNZPC. 

A keen sportsman and administrator, he won representative rugby league honours with Wellington, the North Island and Police. After his playing days, he managed the NZ Police league team on their four-week tour of England in 1998. 

Interestingly, Paul played in the first rugby league game to be televised. He scored a try that day but was concussed during the match. 

Paul was actively involved in the Newlands Lions for 10 years, and then the Tawa Rotary Club where he held a range of roles on their Board. 

In 2009, on his 70th birthday, Governor-General, Sir Anand Satyanand, and Lady Susan Satyanand presented Paul with the prestigious Rotary Paul Harris fellowship award in recognition of his many contributions to community service. 

During his time with Rotary, he also coordinated a project with Police that sent 15,000 books to schools in Bougainville. 

Paul’s son Brendan is a former Wellington Detective Sergeant; his son-in-law is Wellington-based Sergeant John Lewis and his grandson is Wellington PST Constable Sam Lewis. 

Acknowledgements of Paul included the following comments: 

“Paul was a wonderful person to have as a boss, a work colleague and as a friend. I learned a lot from Paul that I used later in my career and life”. 

“One of my first Senior Sergeants when I began work in Wellington. I consider myself to have been very lucky to have had Paul as a mentor in those early days. A very caring, quiet and unassuming man who had great mana”.