Naila Hassan

When Naila Hassan was a teenager, she knew being a Police Officer was what she wanted to do for her career. However when she left school she wasn’t old enough to join, so she spent the summer working as a lifeguard and a postie.

When Naila first joined the New Zealand Police she tried hard not to stand out as being ‘different’, especially as she was the only woman in her section. Diversity within the organisation back then was not as promoted as it is now, so she also kept to herself that she was a Muslim. However attitudes have come a long way since then and Naila is proud to be Muslim and working for an organisation that values diversity within its ranks.

Naila has spent the majority of her career with Police in Auckland. She spent six years in the Criminal Investigations Unit, and has also been a Prosecutor, a District Prosecutions Manager, an Area Prevention Manager, a Policing Development Manager, and a Youth and Communities Manager.

During her time with the Police Naila has also completed three degrees – a Bachelor of Policing (Investigations) from Charles Sturt University in Sydney, a Law Degree from Auckland University and a Masters in Strategic Studies from Victoria University.

Currently Naila is the Counties Manukau West Area Commander, based in Huntly. Being the Area Commander can be challenging but Naila finds it extremely rewarding and she tries to get out on the frontline with her staff as often as she can.

Outside of her career with Police, Naila is a lifeguard at Piha during the summer. Along with her partner Pete, she is an active road cyclist and they both enjoy spear fishing and free diving. They also help Naila’s twin sister raise her two teenage boys.