Positive Pacific opportunity for police

Police was a key organisation at this year’s sPACIFICally Pacific Wellington event, working with partner agencies to encourage and mentor tomorrow’s leaders.



INSPECTOR API Fiso, Strategic Advisor with the Mäori Pacific Ethnic Services, OoC, says the three-day event in late August/early September involved career stalls, keynote speakers, cultural performances and a secondary schools Polynesian dance festival. It is also held in Christchurch and the Hawke’s Bay.

The Wellington event was attended by between 5000-6000 Pacific youth and their families. School pupils heard Senior Constable Nick Tuitasi speak on youth achievement and Api speak on ‘stepping up’ to the challenge of a career in Police. Police was one of five organisations involved in the event, alongside The Ministry of Education, Work and Income, New Zealand Institute of Sport and the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs.

The event provided an opportunity for agencies, communities, schools and other organisations to come together around specific initiatives targeting Pacific communities in the lower North Island.

One of the initiatives following from sPACIFICally Pacific is a leaders’ programme starting in November in partnership with the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs and other support networks, where 24 Pacific youth from around the country will begin a mentoring system with police. Over the next year, the students will set goals and take steps to achieve them.

“ It provides the opportunity for community agencies and police to support and structure their achieving of key goals,” says Api. Ultimately these youth ambassadors will assist police responsiveness and crime prevention programmes focused on Pacific communities.