The attraction of Police motorcycles

Riding motorcycles all day was a big draw card for women, a new exhibition at the New Zealand Police Museum reveals.

The Museum exhibition, Our Days in Black and White: Women Officers of the Ministry of Transport 1977-1992, features some familiar faces and their stories; why they joined the Ministry of Transport and how they felt about integration with the New Zealand Police. 

The lure of riding a motorbike all day seems to have been a major attraction for some of the women.

The exhibition starts from the appointment of the first two female police recruits in 1977, Pam Sheppard and Jan Dunn, up until the Ministry of Transport merger with New Zealand Police, and includes some of Police’s most recognisable staff, including former National Manager: Road Policing, Superintendent Paula Rose.

According to Pam Sheppard, during the training, "they came out with these handbags and proceeded to show us how to beat off offenders with them.  We had to point out that we wouldn't be carrying handbags on our motorbikes."

The New Zealand Police Museum is located at the Royal New Zealand Police College in Porirua and is open Wednesday to Saturday 10am - 5pm. Entry is free.