There were 73 warm welcomes and a couple of welcome backs at the graduation of Wing 381.
The welcomes were for the 73 new constables; the welcome backs for Wing Patron former Deputy Commissioner Glenn Dunbier and for graduate Constable Brent Edwards (Tasman), who previously served as a constable and is now back in blue.
Wing 381 graduated at Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua, on Friday 7 February in front of an enthusiastic audience of supporters and dignitaries including Commissioner Richard Chambers, Police Minister Mark Mitchell, Associate Police Minister Casey Costello and Patron Glenn.
Brent (Ngāti Awa) made his return to the blue whānau - 26 years after his first graduation - in style, receiving the Minister’s Award for First in Wing.
“I missed the job and the sense of satisfaction you get from helping people and holding offenders to account,” he says.
“There is no other job like it. But the main reason I’ve returned is the people. The organisation is full of good people who are doing things for the right reasons. It’s great to be part of it again.”
Brent joined Police in 1999 and served seven years in Counties Manukau before leaving and pursuing adventure racing opportunities overseas. Most recently he has been with Environmental Inspections in Nelson, managing a number of functions for the city council.
Among the speakers were, from left: double award-winner Constable Aleksandar Banjac; Patron Glenn Dunbier ONZM; and Commissioner Richard Chambers.
In his speech, Glenn addressed the supporters in the audience, sharing some of the advice he had given wing members. This ranged from getting enough sleep to remaining decent and positive and protecting their reputation.
“All of these important things… are things that you can help your newly minted police officer with,” he said. “Their colleagues can help them with tradecraft and policing, but these really important personal attributes come from them individually and from you as their personal support.
“Thank you for coming today, and for the support you will provide for your police officer from here on out.”
Turning to the wing members, he said it was an honour and privilege to be their patron.
“I’m so proud of your efforts to get here. You have my admiration for getting to this point and support for the career ahead of you.
“Kaua e mate wheke, mate ururoa – strive for your goals by being strong and resilient.”
Constable Aleksandar Banjac (Auckland), a former London Metropolitan Police officer, had his hands full by the end of the ceremony. He won both the Commissioner’s Award for Leadership and the Patron’s Award for Second in Wing, achievements he put down to the efforts of the entire wing.
Making the customary Leadership Award-winner’s speech, Aleksandar spoke of the responsibility and opportunity they now had to make a difference in their communities.
“As we step into our career, we recall that this is not just a job, it’s a calling. We will be the first line of defence against harm, the source of comfort in times of crisis and a symbol of justice in society.
“We will face challenges, some that we will anticipate, some that will surprise us. But we must always remember that we are not alone - we are a part of a family now that leans on each other through thick and thin.
“We must lean on each other for support and guidance because together we are stronger.”
The new constables have the customary diversity of backgrounds and life experience, covering sporting achievements, language skills from around the globe, academic and trade qualifications, and voluntary work or armed forces experience.
Constables Jeremy Irvine and Louisa Moore.
Among those with existing links with Police are Constable Jeremy Irvine, formerly a station support officer at Hastings Police Station.
He had wanted to join Police since high school and while at university decided the time was right. “I studied social work to give me some relevant experience for policing, but after a year of study I couldn’t wait any longer, so I applied.”
Jeremy, who is posted to Napier, is a keen basketball player and won MVP in the Duncan Taylor Memorial Basketball Tournament, played annually in memory of slain Manawatū officer Duncan.
Also Napier-bound is Constable Louisa Moore, who has moved from working in sales in the construction industry to follow family footsteps: her father is Detective Sergeant Daryl Moore and her brother Thomas joined with Wing 371 last year.
“I loved seeing the work Dad does and the positive impact he’s had in so many people's lives,” she says.
“I wanted to follow in his footsteps and try make a positive impact on the lives of the people of my generation.”
Constables Leigh Cross, centre, and Jacob Quinn, right, with wingmates Constables Ethan Wright, Monique Waenga and Aquila-Maree Ratahi.
Three of the graduates had previous experience working in Police File Management Centres. Constable Leigh Cross worked in the Eastern District FMC, where she took part in a pilot with FMC supporting constabulary recruitment, and Constable Jacob Quinn was based in the Wellington FMC; and Constable Aymon Barber (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāpuhi), worked in the Central FMC in Palmerston North.
Constable Anna Ale has worked closely with Police – specifically Child Sex Offender Register and Family Harm teams - in an area of Corrections which assessed our highest-risk violent sexual offenders.
She has also been an Early Childhood teacher and, as well as raising four boys, she and her husband have also fostered children and teens through the Open Home Foundation.
“These young people taught me that their greatest need was to belong. They didn’t seem to mind where, but they just needed to belong and be loved by someone.”
She says she had to wait until her family were grown before fulfilling her long-held ambition to join Police.
“I would like to work closely with victims, not just offenders. I believe it’s a calling, not just a job. I have a heart to connect with our people, to shine light into their darkness and help effect change.”
Constables Anna Ale, Hannah O’Neill, Melody Barnett-Mullan and Aquila-Maree Ratahi.
Both Constable Hannah O’Neill (Wellington) and Constable Melody Barnett-Mullan (Ngāti Pukenga, Bay of Plenty) could be said to be fired up for their new career, having particularly enjoyed firearms training.
“It was something completely new for me and I loved all the scenarios we were put through,” says Hannah.
Melody says: “Firearms training was a whole new experience but it was really rewarding to see my progress and confidence gained in a short time.”
It was the driver training that Constable Aquila-Maree Ratahi (Taranaki Tūturu, Ngāti Toa) most enjoyed.
“Learning how to drive safely to jobs and with purpose was my most favourite part of training at the RNZPC,” she says. She will be putting her skills to use on the roads around Tauranga, Bay of Plenty.
More about Wing 381
Awards
- Minister’s Award for first in wing - Constable Brent Edwards (Tasman District)
- Commissioner’s Award for Leadership and Patron’s Award for Second in Wing - Constable Aleksandar Banjac (Auckland City)
- Driver Training and Road Policing Practice Award: Constable Lucas Lowe (Bay of Plenty)
- Physical Training and Defensive Tactics Award: Constable Eli Marsters Ngāti Whanaunga (Bay of Plenty)
- Firearms Award: Constable Michael Tooley (Wellington District)
Award winners, from left: Constables Aleksandar Banjac, Brent Edwards, Lucas Lowe, Eli Marsters and Michael Tooley.
Deployment
The new constables started their first day of duty in district on Monday 17 February. They are posted as follows:
Northland - 6; Auckland - 5; Waitematā - 5; Counties Manukau - 13; Waikato - 4; Bay of Plenty - 8; Eastern - 9; Central - 3; Wellington - 9; Tasman - 2; Canterbury - 4; Southern - 5.
Demographics
23.3% of Wing 381 members are female, 76.7% male. New Zealand European make up 58.9%; with Māori 16.4%; Pasifika 8.2%; Asian 11%; LAAM 1.4%; and Other 4.1%.
About the Patron
Glenn Dunbier ONZM joined Police in 1985 and worked across frontline, investigative and covert policing.
He held numerous leadership roles, including District Commander for Bay of Plenty from 2010, before being promoted to Deputy Commissioner in 2014.
He served as lead Police liaison officer in Turkey, coordinating the tri-lateral Australia/New Zealand/Turkey commemorations for the centenary of Gallipoli in 2015. After a three-year secondment to the Australian Department of Defence, he became Deputy Commissioner Operations in early 2020, with responsibility for more than 10,000 New Zealand Police staff.
Glenn led the Police response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which included the policing of lockdown restrictions, staffing and managing the managed isolation and quarantine facilities across the country and operating the alert level boundary checkpoints.
In 2022, he was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to New Zealand Police and the community.
Glenn retired from New Zealand Police in 2023. He now volunteers with two organisations – one dedicated to combating food poverty/food waste and the other caring for the aged – and participates on boards and committees.