Staff step up to recruiting challenge

Counties/Manukau District staff are stepping up to the mark in a special recruiting operation launched in June.



Operation leader Detective Inspector Steve Rutherford says the aim of Operation Step-Up is to identify 100 potential police recruits from within the Counties/Manukau area.

“This is the first time we have approached recruiting for the district in such a locally-focussed way. We took this approach because we need more sworn staff in Counties/Manukau and people recruited locally will work locally once they have finished their training,” says Steve.

Steve says current staff, both sworn and nonsworn, are key to the success of the operation. “One of the first things we did was write to each staff member in the Counties/Manukau District to enlist their help,” says Steve.

“We asked them to cast their minds back and think about how they arrived at their current position as either a sworn or nonsworn member of police. In all probability they knew or were assisted by someone already associated with the organisation.

“The majority of our staff probably know someone who may be interested in a career in the police. With that being the case, I’m asking such persons to get in contact with either myself or one of the team working on this operation,” says Steve.

“For the purpose of recruiting we have no preconceived ideas about gender or race. All we want are the names of possible recruits that staff believe could make good police officers.

“Of course the standards of those we are looking to recruit would remain exactly the same as the current recruiting policy,” says Steve.

Publicly launched on 7 June at a recruiting seminar at Manukau City Council, Operation Step-Up will run for three months and includes recruiting seminars, advertising, letters, and fliers.

Steve says candidates will be mentored throughout the recruiting process by one of the Operation Step-Up team.

“We will be there to provide support and encouragement although the actual recruiting process will be carried Auckland Metro Recruiting section in Greenlane.”

More information a career in NZ Police is available on the ‘NEWCOPS’ section on the NZ Police website or phone 0800 NEW COPS (0800 639-2677).