75 constables graduate from Police training

Seventy-five recruits are graduating as probationary constables from Wing 214 at The Royal New Zealand Police College on Thursday 27 November 2003, 2:00pm.

Minister of Police, the Hon. George Hawkins, will be attending the graduation.

Members of Wing 214 have come to Police from a variety of backgrounds and occupations. Among them is a former member of the Queensland Police, a lifeguard, dairy farmer, physiotherapist, nurse and two teachers.

Wing 214 is unique in that it includes the first members recruited after completing a pilot Police Trainee Programme that included a six month preparatory course at the Manukau Institute of Technology. The Police Trainee Programme was developed as an initiative to encourage young people into a Police career, says National Manager Training and Professional Development Superintendent Alistair (Olly) Beckett.

"By encouraging people to enter policing at a younger age, New Zealand Police is less likely to lose good candidates to other professions," says Superintendent Beckett.

Those members of Wing 214 who were recruited via the Trainee Programme range in age from 18-21 years. They are being posted to one of the three police districts in Auckland where they will undertake general policing duties alongside their mainstream colleagues, with on-job support and coaching from Field Training Officers.

"The trainee members had to meet the same recruiting standards as all other Police applicants with the exception that due to their younger age profile they were not required to hold a full driver licence. However, as with mainstream recruits, all have undergone extensive driver training and only seven will not hold a full driver¡¦s licence at graduation. Of these seven, five are due to have their full licence by the end of February 2003, with the remaining two to gain theirs by the end of June 2003.

"New Zealand Police does not make any exceptions to allow these graduates to fast-track their licence and those members on restricted licences or with limited driving experience are not authorised to undertake urgent duty or pursuit driving," says Superintendent Beckett. "We are introducing a managed approach to the on-job deployment of these members and a programme to reassess their driving is in place."

„X 75 recruits will graduate -- 58 males and 17 females.
44 will go to the„X Auckland districts, 13 will work in the Wellington region, 5 will go to Northland, 6 will go to central North Island stations, and 7 will go to the South Island.

A number of Wing 214 members are happy to talk to the media and will„X be available after the graduation for interviews.
A number of senior„X members of Police will also be available to speak to the media after graduation.

Please see Communications Adviser, Toni Barlow, if you would like to speak to these people.

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