Welcome to the family!

New Zealand Police has welcomed 60 new constables with the graduation of Wing 291 from the Royal New Zealand Police College (RNZPC).

It was a family affair, with a number of the graduates having relations serving in Police already. Three Police dog handlers and one Corrections Officer also graduated, from a nine-week narcotic detection course, at the same ceremony.

The wing patron is Paula Rebstock CNZM, Chair of the Accident Compensation Corporation, Deputy Chair of KiwiRail and a member of  the Governance Board of the Police Women’s Advisory Network. She has been closely involved with wing members during their time in college, joining them in class work, firearms and Taser training.

The wing is a particularly diverse one, with 45 percent of members from Maori, Pacific or Asian backgrounds. Members were born in countries as far afield China, South Africa, Korea, Samoa, the United Kingdom, Germany and Afghanistan. 

Family ties:

• Senior Constable Andrew Phillips graduated with drug detection dog, Dixie, and his son Ngatiki Phillips graduated from Wing 291.
• Constable Michael Lamb graduated from Wing 291, in the presence of his dog handler father Senior Constable Bruce Lamb.
• Senior Constable Ross Clarke, a dog handler in Auckland since 1980, graduated with detector dog Kadee. Ross's daughter Jessica is a Detective Constable in  Counties Manukau and his son Andrew is also a dog handler in Auckland.
• New Constable Glen Allan’s wife is a police officer and his father recently retired after 39 years policing in Wellington.
• New Constable Xin (Michael) Zhou’s brother is based at Auckland Central; his wingmate Kyung Sam Son’s brother is a serving police officer in Counties Manukau. 
• Other graduating constables with family ties to the police include Constable Clare-Marie Collins, who is married to a police officer; Constable Phillip Walker, whose grandfather was a Detective Superintendent; Constable Richard Bradley, whose father and brother are police officers in the UK, and Constable Christopher Guild, whose sister is a police officer in Queensland.
• New Constable Xin (Michael) Zhou’s brother Constable Nian (Alfred) Zhou is based at Auckland Central; his wingmate Constable Kyung Sam Son’s brother Constable Kevin Son is based in Counties Manukau.

Previous occupations of the recruits range from pilots, to tennis coaches and builders. Other former occupations include barman, teacher, anaesthetic technician, air hostess, taxi driver, builder, gym instructor, army chef, swim coach and joiner.

Photos: Martin Kay, NZ Police