Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming was struck and killed by a motor vehicle in the early hours of New Year's Day 2025. Photo / Supplied

Fallen officer Lyn Fleming to be remembered by police colleagues

Author: Jazlyn Whales,
Publish Date: Wed, 24 Sept 2025, 1:09pm

This year will mark the first year without Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming at the New Zealand Police’s annual Remembrance Day on September 29.

Fleming will be the 34th name read from the Roll of Honour, read out on the day, which recognises police officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving on duty.

Fleming died after a vehicle driven by a member of the public struck a police vehicle at a gathering in Nelson on January 1, 2025.

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers and the Minister of Police Mark Mitchell will also attend a private service at Fleming’s home station at Nelson Central Police Station.

Tributes at the Nelson Police Station for slain police officer Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming in January. Photo / Katrina Bennett

A national service will be held at the Royal New Zealand Police College in Porirua, where rolls of names will be read to honour staff who have been slain or died as a result of their duties, as well as serving, retired and former Police staff who have passed away in the past 12 months.

Police will pay tribute to colleagues in Australia and the Pacific who have been killed by criminal acts while performing duties.

New Zealand Police will also be recognising the service of Constable Matthew Hunt, who was gunned down on a West Auckland street in June 2020.

Constable Matthew Hunt was killed in a June 2020 shooting.

Hunt’s plaque now includes his New Zealand Bravery Decoration, which was awarded posthumously to him in December 2024.

Contable Matthew Hunt's plaque on the Memorial Wall during the Police Remembrance Day ceremony at the Royal NZ Police College in Porirua in 2020. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The national service will also pay tribute to police in Australia and the Pacific who have been killed by criminal acts while performing their official duties or died as a result of their duties.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers will attend the national service, with Associate Minister of Police Casey Costello.

Wreaths will be laid at the New Zealand Police Memorial Wall and recruits will perform a haka to honour those being remembered.

Recruits performing their haka before the Memorial Wall during the Police Remembrance Day ceremony at the Royal NZ Police College in Porirua. 29 September, 2020. NZ Herald photograph by Mark Mitchell

The national Remembrance Day service will be livestreamed on the Police website, the New Zealand Police Facebook page and the New Zealand Police Museum Facebook page from 11am on September 29.

The livestream will be recorded and will remain available on the Facebook pages and website for viewing after the service.

On Police Remembrance Day, Police staff throughout New Zealand wear the huia pin, which was developed by the Police Association and the New Zealand Police.

The tail plumage of the huia bird, now lost to us, is something rare and special and to wear it is considered by Māori to be a great honour.

By incorporating the Police chevron into the huia tail feather, the design of the pin symbolises the honouring of someone special, now lost to police.

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