Fifty-six new constables will be attested and graduate from their initial training course on Thursday, 15 December.
Attending the ceremony will be the Prime Minister, Right Hon. Jacinda Ardern; Minister of Police, Hon. Chris Hipkins; Commissioner Andrew Coster; and the Wing Patron Dr Hinemoa Elder (Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kurī, Te Rarawa and Ngāpuhi).
First in Wing 361 is recruit Steven Young from Whangārei. He also received the Driver Training and Road Policing Practice Award.
With a background in trade-related roles and administration, Steven says he wanted a career that would challenge him as a person and allow him to grow and improve.
“Self-improvement, is something we should always work on,” he says. “I wanted to enter into a career and journey I could be proud of, and one where I could make a positive difference in our communities.”
Wellington-based recruit Angus Brown is the Wing 361 leadership award winner. Before joining Police he spent 10 years working in the security industry and has worked as a skydiving instructor and coach in New Zealand and Denmark.
“Over the years I have discovered a passion for helping others and for teaching/developing others,” says Angus. “I thrive in an engaging and challenging environment and I’m looking forward to the road ahead in my career with New Zealand Police.”
Wing Patron: Dr Hinemoa Elder, MNZM, (Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kurī, Te Rarawa and Ngāpuhi) is a staunch advocate for fostering efforts that bring Te Reo Māori me ōna tikanga - the Māori language and cultural lore - to bear in understanding the links between climate emergency, mental distress and ill health and to effective change.
Hinemoa has a PhD (2012) and NZ Health Research Council Eru Pomare Post-Doctoral Fellowship (2014-18) researching traumatic brain injury. She has developed Māori-specific approaches and rehabilitation resources for the whole whānau affected by brain injuries. She received the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and Psychiatry in 2019.
A mother to two adult children, she is a Fellow of the Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist. She currently works at Starship Children’s Hospital, in the Mother and Baby/Child and Family Units.
She travelled to Antarctica in late 2019 as part of Homeward Bound, a global, women in science leadership programme. She is a deputy psychiatrist member of the NZ Mental Health Review Tribunal and contributed to the recently published NZ Defence Force wellbeing strategy.
Before training as a doctor, Hinemoa worked in theatre and as a choreographer and in children’s television. She provides mentoring for young female creatives via the Te Taumata Creative Leadership programme.
Her best-selling book “Aroha. Māori wisdom for a contented life lived in harmony with our planet” was published in 2020 and is included in the Oprah Winfrey Book Club. She has a new book “Wawata: Moon Dreaming - Daily wisdom guided by Hina, the Māori moon”, published in October, 2022.
Awards:
Minister’s Award for First in Wing, recognising top student – Constable Steven Young, Northland District.
Patron’s Award for Second in Wing, recognising second top student – Constable Joshua Dent, Southern District.
Commissioner’s Award for Leadership – Constable Angus Brown, Wellington District.
Physical Training and Defensive Tactics Award – Constable Lucinda Needham, Bay of Plenty District.
Driver Training and Road Policing Practice Award – Constable Steven Young, Northland District.
Firearms Award – Constable Jeremy Crawford, Northland District.
Deployment:
The wing will disperse to the following districts on Monday 26 December:
Northland – 2, Waitematā – 5, Auckland City – 3, Counties Manukau – 8, Waikato – 5, Bay of Plenty – 6, Eastern – 4, Central – 6, Wellington – 6, Tasman – 2, Canterbury – 5 Southern – 4.
Demographics:
33.9 percent are female, and 66.1 percent are male.
New Zealand European make up 66.1 percent of the wing, with Māori 14.3 percent, Pacific 12.5 percent, Asian 7.1 percent.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Media are welcome to attend the graduation parade which takes place at Te Rauparaha Arena, Main Arena, 17 Parumoana Street, Porirua. The ceremony starts at 10.00am on Thursday, 15 December. Any media wishing to attend the graduation should contact the Police Media Centre ASAP at media@police.govt.nz
Also look out for a Ten One Magazine story that will be published, with photos, on the Police website.
