Wing 315, which has a total of 80 new recruits, begin training at the Royal New Zealand Police College today.
Seven of these recruits will be on the beat in Northland in a few months helping to keep our communities safe.
“It is great to see the diversity in the group that will be joining us in Northland. The seven recruits come from Māori, British, Indian, South African and Pākehā backgrounds; there are four women and three men,” says Russell Le Prou, Northland District Commander.
Police want to attract more women, Māori, Pacific Islanders, and people from all other ethnicities and backgrounds to better reflect the communities we serve.
“We have made significant progress in recent years towards increasing the diversity of our recruits, but we still have a way to go.
“Wing 315, which is over 50% female, demonstrates we are making significant progress towards achieving this target,” says Kaye Ryan, Deputy Chief Executive: People.
“Police are looking to recruit people who are compassionate and empathetic, and who want to make a positive difference in their community. Gender and ethnic diversity are an important priority for NZ Police, and we are committed to improving our numbers of women so we can better represent the communities we serve.”
Fittingly, Dame Jenny Shipley is the Wing Patron and she will be supporting these recruits through their training. Dame Jenny was the first female Prime Minister of New Zealand.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre