It's a case of returning to his roots for New Zealand Police's new Eastern Waikato Area Commander.

Having grown up in Thames, Greg Nicholls was pleased to be given the chance to work back in the area following the Police's Waikato Rural Service Delivery Review in June.

The new Eastern Waikato Area Commander Greg Nicholls is looking forward to be back in his old stomping grounds. Photo: Cameron Massey/stuff.co.nz

"I'm born and bred in Thames and my parents still live here in Thames, my in-laws live in Thames," Nicholls said.

"I went to Thames South School and Thames High School, the whole nine yards, so it's quite good to come home."

Nicholls joined the force and graduated from the Royal New Zealand Police College in 1986 and has spent all of his career in the Waikato.

"I have spent all of my police service based out of Hamilton, that's coming up to 30 years of policing," he said.

Nicholls' background has predominantly been in the CIB, moving through the ranks from Detective to Detective Sergeant, Detective Senior Sergeant, and Detective Inspector.

"I've been involved in a lot of serious crime investigations across the wider Waikato, including Thames, and across other parts of New Zealand and internationally."

Taking up his new role, Nicholls leaves his old job as Area Commander of Hamilton City, for which he was appointed in 2012.

"In June of this year the District Commander asked me to come across and work here for a year," Nicholls said.

"With the rural service delivery review, we needed some consistency in terms of leadership out here and I was more than happy to come out here and work here for a year."

Nicholls has also been in charge of New Zealand Police's involvement in the 100th anniversary Anzac commemorations in Gallipoli.

"I've been involved in the planning and the running and a whole lot of different elements of it but I've never seen it from start to finish, but that is okay." he said before he left for Chunuk Bair commemorations to be held on August 8.

However, the gravity of the events and what they mean aren't lost on him.

"The most moving part is when you're there [Gallipoli] and no one else is there," he said.

"It's been a really satisfying journey so far, it's a privilege."

- Stuff