\u201cIt\u2019s a different type of policing \u2013 one that\u2019s more about listening, identifying local trends, and preventing crime like burglaries, so people feel safe in their homes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Keno was promoted to sergeant a little more than two years ago, and after several years working frontline in Tauranga, the opportunity to lead the P\u0101p\u0101moa station came up.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really loved the frontline work, but the P\u0101p\u0101moa position offered something new \u2013 the chance to help shape the way policing looks in the area, and to align it more closely with the needs and values of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond the uniform, police Sergeant Tanerahi “TK” Keno is an avid ultramarathon runner. Photo \/ Brydie Thompson.<\/p>\n
The P\u0101p\u0101moa police team includes a non-sworn support officer, a youth aid officer, and a public safety team that reports to a senior sergeant based in Tauranga. But with Keno stationed locally, he\u2019s the one directing the day-to-day focus.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there\u2019s offending happening, I make sure the public safety team knows where to concentrate their efforts between jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also based at the station is longtime P\u0101p\u0101moa Community Constable Adrian Oldham<\/a>, who Keno said is \u201ca bit of a legend\u201d in the area.<\/p>\n \u201cAdrian knows everyone. I love his style \u2013 he\u2019s personable, full of energy, and genuinely connects with people. I don\u2019t like to go in there rough and hard; it\u2019s about getting people on board, not telling them what to do.\u201d <\/p>\n Keno has already been out meeting with local schools and the P\u0101p\u0101moa Community Patrol<\/a> \u2013 a group he describes as one of the best in the country.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir communication and passion are outstanding. This is a community that really supports its police, and I want to make sure they feel valued in return.\u201d<\/p>\n As summer approaches, Keno is working to familiarise himself with the fast-growing suburb \u2013 a 20km stretch that\u2019s constantly expanding.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are streets here that aren\u2019t even on GPS yet,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t live in P\u0101p\u0101moa, so I\u2019m still learning the streets.\u201d<\/p>\n He remains on call as a police negotiator \u2013 a responsibility he\u2019s held for eight years, using his calm, empathetic approach to defuse high-pressure situations.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe in making a positive impact in the lives of others by holding space for them to be seen and heard.\u201d<\/p>\n He said his broad police background gives him a strong foundation for the leadership and coordination required in P\u0101p\u0101moa.<\/p>\n \u201cIf something serious were to happen here, I know I can lean on my CIB and Intel networks to help identify trends and target repeat offending. Those connections are valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n Keno sees this new role as both a professional and personal step forward.<\/p>\n \u201cIt gives me the responsibility of managing a station and building partnerships, as well as growing in areas I hadn\u2019t yet experienced.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m loving it so far.\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019s also working to improve collaboration between nearby stations to ensure regional crime trends are addressed cohesively.<\/p>\n Beyond the uniform, Keno is an avid ultramarathon runner \u2013 a passion that started with a 20km Whakapapa to T\u016broa Ski Field run with police friends, and has since expanded to include events like the Taup\u014d Ultramarathon<\/a> and the 55km Tarawera Ultramarathon<\/a>. <\/p>\n It\u2019s also an opportunity to have an Air BnB getaway with his police colleagues, run the event, \u201cand then enjoy a big bowl of ice cream afterwards\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI hate running, but I\u2019ve fallen in love with the feeling it gives you. Knowing you can throw on shoes and go run 20kms without really thinking about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Recent events include Rotorua\u2019s 21km Run the Forest, the upcoming 34km Cape Kidnappers Trail Run, and another ultramarathon in October.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all about finishing. You\u2019re pushing your body and your mind to see what it can do.\u201d<\/p>\n At home, Keno enjoys downtime with his wife, two daughters, and their \u201clittle staffie\u201d Rosie.<\/p>\n \u201cOn weekends, there\u2019s nothing better than mowing the lawns, going for a run, and relaxing with my family watching some trashy TV.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking ahead, Keno is clear: he\u2019s in the police for the long haul.<\/p>\n \u201cNow that I\u2019m older it\u2019s not about arrests. I get more satisfaction from the interaction and knowing you can make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cIt\u2019s a different type of policing \u2013 one that\u2019s more about listening, identifying local trends, and preventing crime…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":47672,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1259,41465,22189,38020,71,19994,41464,296,41462,19136,117,111,43,139,69,90,675,41466,41459,5034,205,6302,36821,41463,5258,17294,41460,37865,41461],"class_list":["post-47671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-community","tag-communityfocused","tag-embracing","tag-focuses","tag-from","tag-frontline","tag-helm","tag-into","tag-keno","tag-largest","tag-new","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-on","tag-police","tag-policing","tag-ppmoas","tag-response","tag-role","tag-safety","tag-sergeant","tag-settling","tag-shift","tag-suburb","tag-tanerahi","tag-taurangas","tag-tk"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47671"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47671\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}P\u0101p\u0101moa Community Constable Adrian Oldham. Photo \/ Brydie Thompson<\/p>\n
P\u0101p\u0101moa Police Station. Photo \/ Rosalie Liddle Crawford<\/p>\n
Police Sergeant Tanerahi “TK” Keno at P\u0101p\u0101moa beach. Photo \/ Brydie Thompson.<\/p>\n