A woman is alone on a busy city street, dressed in a nightgown and in distress.
You’ve seen her approach a number of people but no one has stopped to talk to her.
Something isn’t right.
Would you keep walking? Or would you stop to check if she is okay?
In the latest video released by New Zealand Police, you can see how the public reacted and witness our latest hero in action. The video is available here (link is external).
In the footage released today, a woman is seen distressed on a bustling street.
After a period of time, another woman crosses the street to come to her aid.
On average, Police answer more than 500 mental health-related calls a week.
“Distressed people need someone who’s going to be calm and understanding of their needs, even under the most stressful conditions,” says Inspector Sue Douglas, New Zealand Police Mental Health team.
“While Police is not the lead agency on mental health, they are often the first responders to these situations. The calm, professional and empathetic way our staff respond to these challenging situations clearly makes a big difference to vulnerable people who are often stressed and frightened.”
The number of calls involving someone who is mentally distressed is increasing every year and mental health training is now an integral part of the training for all new recruits.
“It’s not about making our staff mental health experts. Instead it focusses on staff recognising when a person is experiencing mental distress, how we respond to the needs of that person and ensuring they get the help they need from the appropriate people, such as mental health services.”
James Whitaker, National Manager Brand & Engagement for New Zealand Police, hopes the video, along with others released this year, will raise awareness of the issues future Police officers may have to encounter.
“Hopefully raising awareness of just some of the scenarios a Police officer may encounter will attract the right people to Police. We want people who care enough to go out of their way to make a difference.”
The other videos from the Do You Care Enough to be a Cop? series went viral online within hours, reaching millions of people worldwide.
“We don’t want to highlight those who didn’t come to the woman’s aid, as there can be many good reasons why someone didn’t see her or didn’t stop.”
“The video should promote discussion about what the right thing to do is though. Hopefully, it’ll also make some people consider a future with Police if their values align with what we stand for.”
“The recruitment campaign is aimed at 18 - 29 year olds, and in particular Maori, Pasifika, Chinese, Indian, Latin American, African and Middle Eastern people so we better represent the diverse communities we serve. We also want to encourage more women to consider a career with us.”
New Zealand Police want to recruit 400 new officers this year.
ENDS
Issued by NZ Police Media Centre
For media enquiries, please contact Josie Cochrane, josie.cochrane@police.govt.nz