In 1878 Ropata was awarded the Sword of Honour from Queen Victoria and appointed commander for the regional militia with a salary of £200 a year. Ropata commanded the militia until 1884, when his salary ceased due to cost cutting measures. In his later years, he received an annual pension of £100. On 10 May 1887 he was appointed a member of the Legislative Council. Two years later, he eventually got the chance to arrest Te Kooti, who had been pardoned in 1883. Since then Te Kooti had built up a large religious following. This was tolerated until 1889 when he decided to return to Poverty Bay, the scene of his earlier exploits. Ropata and Porter, still working together, were appointed by the then Prime Minister, Harry Atkinson, to make sure Te Kooti did not enter the East Cape or Urewera country. Ngāti Porou were mobilised and arrived on the scene just as Te Kooti was arrested by a police inspector, in time to prevent his followers from making a violent issue of it. Ropata missed the actual arrest because of ill health.