Ninety-six UK police officers finished the 11-week conversion course at The Royal New Zealand Police College yesterday.
They will now take up positions as operational police officers throughout the country from Kerikeri to Queenstown. Following on from the College course the officers will complete workplace assessments and will be posted to areas of need. Forty officers will take up positions in CIB and Traffic operations.
Between them, they have close to 1000 years of experience and will enrich the New Zealand Police with their knowledge and skill.
"The training programme was distinctly different to the programme used in 2003 to train UK officers. This time, host districts provided their best staff to mentor and coach these policing professionals through typical policing issues, helping them to quickly master local laws and procedures," says Police College Training Commander Superintendent Alistair (Olly) Beckett.
The course members formally 'passed into' New Zealand Police during a formal dinner ceremony at The Royal New Zealand Police College on Wednesday evening. The Minister of Police, the Honourable Annette King, Deputy British High Commissioner Martin Williamson, and Deputy Commissioner Rob Pope witnessed this special event.
Officers will start work at their various stations in the next week. Sixty-one will work in the Auckland area; 14 will work in the central North Island (Hamilton, Gisborne, Tauranga and Wairoa); 4 will work in Kerikeri; 5 will work in Wellington and 12 will work in the South Island (Greymouth, Oamaru and Queenstown).
A smaller intake of 20 UK police officers is expected to arrive in mid-July.
UK Officer Conversion Course Profile
Gender
• 96 officers - 83 male and 13 female
Previous Rank
• 53 Constables; 21 Detective Constables; 6 Detective Sergeants; 14 Sergeants; 2 Ex Constables
Area
• 25 members to CIB positions
• 15 members to Traffic positions
• 56 members to General Duties positions
Posting
• Kerikeri 4
• North Shore/Waitakere Traffic Safety Branch 15
• Auckland City 2
• Auckland City CIB 18
• Counties/Manukau 23
• Counties/Manukau CIB 3
• Hamilton 4
• Tauranga 4
• Gisbourne 2
• Wairoa 4
• Wellington 2
• Wellington CIB 3
• Greymouth 3
• Greymouth CIB 1
• Oamaru 4
• Queenstown 4
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For more information please contact:
Amanda Herrick, Communications Adviser - 04 238 3413 / 0274 419 216