Senior Sergeant Mark Worner. Photo supplied.He might be new to the helm of Ashburton Police, but when it comes to getting to know the community, Mark Worner has already done plenty of groundwork.

Worner is two weeks into an eight-week spell as Ashburton’s Detective Senior Sergeant while a permanent replacement is selected.

Having grown up here for nineteen years, he already has a pretty thorough grasp of local faces and names.

“I get on well with people,” he said.

“I think that’s one of the things I’m bringing to this role.

“I moved to Ashburton when I was one year old, I went to school locally, at Ashburton College, and I was here right up until I became a policeman, so I already know a lot of people.”

Worner also comes equipped with impressive prior police experience.

He has spent 33 years in the police force in total – from his first five-year posting in Timaru to a role in the Christchurch CIB, then in the Christchurch crime squad, where he managed 52 police staff.

Before Worner, Ashburton’s top cop position was held by Scott Banfield for nearly four years.

Banfield has shifted into a new role within the command centre of Christchurch’s new justice precinct, and the Police are currently accepting and reviewing expressions of interest in Ashburton’s Senior Sergeant Position.

Should a suitable candidate be found, Worner said they will be selected at the end of his six week placement.

By Katie Todd © The Ashburton Guardian - 24 February 2018