In the first graduation of new police officers for 2007, 73 officers will graduate from The Royal New Zealand Police College tomorrow with many of the top prizes going to female graduates.
A third (24 recruits) of this intake are women and they have taken out major prizes including first and second in their recruit wing, the academic prize and a tactical skills prize for defensive tactics, firearms and driving.
The New Zealand Police wants to attract more women to the profession and this crop of female graduates doesn't hesitate to encourage others to join.
Constable Lucy Field, who was previously working in recruitment, will be posted to Orewa. She was awarded first in wing and is excited about the job ahead.
"Police College has been everything I hoped for and more. The defensive tactics training in particular was completely new to me. I was concerned that I had never done any self-defence training before, but I've been taught that size doesn't matter. More than anything, communication skills are our most important tool."
Currently 1,294 or 16.4% (at 31 December 2006) of New Zealand police officers are female. This has increased from 14.7% in mid 2003.
The number of women joining the Police is steadily growing, but it would be good to have even more, says National Manager: Training and Professional Development Superintendent Alistair (Olly) Beckett.
The graduation will take place at The Royal New Zealand Police College on Thursday 8 February at 2:00pm.
* 73 recruits will graduate - 49 males and 24 females
* The average age of wing members is 28 (the youngest is 18 and the oldest is 45)
To find out more about joining the Police phone 0800 NEW COPS (639 2677) or visit www.betterworkstories.co.nz.
District postings:
Northland - Dargaville (1), Kawakawa (1), Whangarei (1)
Waitemata (formerly North Shore/Waitakere/Rodney) - Henderson (7), North Shore Policing Centre (4), Orewa (2)
Auckland City - Downtown Auckland (1), Auckland Central (4), Avondale (5), Mt Wellington (4)
Counties Manukau - Howick (3), Manurewa (4), Otahuhu (6), Papakura (2)
Waikato - Hamilton (4), Te Awamutu (1)
Bay of Plenty - Rotorua (2), Tauranga (2)
Central - Hawera (1), Levin (1), New Plymouth (1), Wanganui (1)
Wellington - Lower Hutt (2), Masterton (1), Porirua (1), Traffic Alcohol Group (2), Upper Hutt (2), Wellington (2)
Tasman - Blenheim (1), Nelson (2)
Canterbury - Christchurch (2)
Wing 237 prize winners:
* Minister's Prize for First in Wing was awarded to Constable Lucy FIELD posted to Orewa.
* Commissioner's Prize for Second in Wing was awarded to Constable Georgina GILMAN posted to Levin.
* Patron's Prize for Third in Wing was awarded to Constable Luke FOLEY posted to Henderson.
* The International Police Association Academic Prize (for overall academic achievement) was awarded to Constable Clare McRAE posted to Mt Wellington.
* The Ericsson Practical Prize (overall winner for practical assessments, file preparation and fingerprinting) was awarded to Constable Carwyn BLACKMORE posted to Nelson.
Constable BLACKMORE was also awarded the Meltzer Prize for Weapon Training.
* The Holden Tactical Skills and Safety Prize (overall winner in defensive tactics, firearms and driving) was jointly awarded to Constable Sarah LORD posted to Henderson and Constable Dylan GRADWELL posted to Papakura.
* The Physical Training and Defensive Tactics Award was awarded to Constable Liam OXFORD posted to Christchurch
* The Driver Training Award was awarded to Constable Andrew WONG TOO posted to New Plymouth.
Constable WONG TOO was also awarded a section prize (see below).
Police Association prizes for section achievement:
This prize is awarded to an individual from each section who, in the collective view of the members of the section and the wing instructors, made the greatest contribution to the overall success of the team.
Section One, Constable Robyn CONNAL posted to Manurewa
Section Two, Constable Gavin GILES posted to Papakura
Section Three, Constable Gilbert PERCY posted to Nelson
Section Four, Constable Andrew WONG TOO posted to New Plymouth
Wing Patron: Trish McKelvey CNZM, MBE
Trish McKelvey captained the New Zealand Women's Cricket Team for 16 years becoming the first New Zealand woman to score an international century and raising the profile of women in sport by achieving other significant milestones. In recent years she has devoted time towards improving the governance of New Zealand sporting organisations and assisting elite sportspeople.
Outside sport she has equally used her leadership skills in education. She was Principal of Wellington High School for seven years and has sat on a number of educational boards including currently being chair of the Correspondence School Board of Trustees.
In 1981 she was awarded an MBE for services to women's cricket and in 2005 she became a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education.
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For more information or to attend graduation please contact:
Toni Barlow, Communications Adviser - 04 238 3413 / 0274 419 216