In a gym full of proud family and friends, the proudest of all might just have been Sir David Carruthers.
Sixty new constables celebrated the end of their studies as members of Recruit Wing 317 at The Royal New Zealand Police College (RNZPC) on Thursday, 23 August.
Patron Sir David Carruthers KNZM visited the Wing regularly - and their mutual respect and shared admiration was obvious throughout the graduation ceremony.
Sir David, a former Chief District Court Judge, was appointed as Chair of the Independent Police Conduct Authority in April 2012, a role he retired from in August 2017.
Among the 23 women and 37 men who graduated, the youngest is 19 and the oldest is 45.
A large number of the Wing have family connections to Police, carrying on the legacy from uncles, fathers, cousins, partners and even a twin brother.
There are diverse backgrounds among those in the group. Some originally hailing from India, Tonga, Fiji, China and the Netherlands. Many of them speak their native tongue, which may come in handy when serving New Zealand’s diverse communities.
Constable Jade Buitendag was born in Zimbabwe. She and her family moved to New Zealand where she says they have been shown great kindness and generosity.
“I will be forever grateful to New Zealand and its people for helping my family in our time of need," she says. "I wanted a job where I could give back to others and Police is an amazing opportunity to do just that."
This is not the first time many of the constables have represented New Zealand in uniform before. Eight have served in the New Zealand Defence Force, another two worked for Aviation Security Services, and another was previously a Corrections officer.
Awards
Minister's Award for First in Wing – Constable Emma McVey (Eastern District)
Patron's Award for Second in Wing - Constable James Fifield (Bay of Plenty)
Commissioner's Award for Leadership - Constable Jessica Lynch (Canterbury)
Firearms Award and Physical Training and Defensive Tactics Award (two awards) - Constable William Sams (Canterbury)
Driver Training and Road Policing Practice Award - Constable Rory Brickland (Bay of Plenty).
District postings
The new Constables were posted as follows: Northland 4; Waitemata 2; Auckland 2; Counties Manukau 3; Waikato 4; Bay of Plenty 7; Eastern 4; Central 8; Wellington 8; Canterbury 12; Southern 6.