Flora Nielsen

In 2003 the New Zealand Police introduced a flexible employment option (FEO). This policy removed time frames and allowed staff to remain in their current roles while they took the FEO option. This made it possible for Flora Nielsen, and many others, to combine motherhood with a career.

Flora, from the isolated Chatham Islands (800 km east of Christchurch, with a population of 630), joined the police in 1987, and was initially posted to Tauranga.  Six years later she moved to Wellington and was on section for a time before transferring to Lower Hutt and finding her niche as the Community Constable in Petone.

When her daughter Sam was born, Flora took nine months’ leave and then returned to work full-time for three months while her partner took time out from his career and looked after their daughter full-time. They then decided that they would both apply for FEO so that Sam always had a parent carer until she started school. Flora worked Monday to Thursday 8.00am-to 2.00pm and all day Friday while her partner covered the 3.00pm-11pm shift at Naenae, Monday to Thursday. Removing the timeframe for FEO meant that Flora could enjoy motherhood and continue her career.

After ten years’ service Flora took over from the resident police officer on the Chatham Islands to allow him to take leave on the mainland. This was followed by other periods of relieving, from six weeks to two and a half months duration. The Chatham’s sole charge constable position also has a number of other roles, including the Court Registrar (for the Ministry of Justice), Customs Officer (for NZ Customs) and Immigration Officer (for Immigration New Zealand).

Flora says that having several relatives in the island’s small population was not a problem, as they were generally more embarrassed than she was if they were caught doing something that came to her notice. The biggest challenge she had was convincing her own father that he should desist from driving without a licence.

Flora has always been drawn to community policing and for the last eight years has been Community Constable in Upper Hutt. With her daughter Sam now at college, Flora still loves her career and can hardly believe that it was the 28 year clasp to her long service medal that she received last year.