If the cap fits…

Constable Phil Pithyou may have been left holding the baby at a recent community event, but he had no objections.

Phil, Wellington District Ethnic Liaison Coordinator, was representing Police at Multi-Fest 2015, a multi-cultural celebration at Sacred Heart College Performing Arts Centre, Lower Hutt.

He was in charge of a police stall, answering festival-goers’ questions and talking about a police career. As he chatted with one group, he ended up holding 16-month-old Oyella-Varina Okee Young, and she ended up trying his headhear.

“It was a bit of a Kodak moment, I suppose,” says Phil, who has an Assyrian background and has honed his child management skills through babysitting duties for young cousins and nephews.

He also had a chance to introduce himself to the audience when he was asked to say a few words from the stage.

Multi-Fest is an annual celebration of Lower Hutt’s ethnic communities, formerly known as Race Unity Day. The keynote speaker this year was Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy.

Inspector Tracey Thompson, Wellington District Māori Responsiveness Manager, says it is always a pleasure to see police staff positively engaging with communities at such events and taking the opportunity to promote a career in Police.

“It demonstrates Wellington District’s commitment to work with our ethnic communities, to model our core values and promote an increased sense of trust and confidence in Police,” she says.