The graduation of fifty-eight new police officers from The Royal New Zealand Police College this Thursday will bring the number of sworn police officers on the street to 8000. Wing 243 has had Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon as their patron.
Also hailing from Gisborne, but now posted to Lower Hutt, is Constable Megan Wilson. When Megan originally applied to join the NZ Police as a school leaver, she was advised to go to university and get some life experience. After completing a BComm in Industrial relations and a BMus in Rock music, Megan headed to Italy for further study before using her skills to teach English to Italian corporate clients. A two-year period as Industrial Officer with the NZ Police Association in Wellington rekindled Megan's original desire to join the NZ Police. Megan says the 19-week course required total focus and she worked harder than at any other time in her life, but felt well supported in the very positive environment of the College. Constable Wilson is posted to Lower Hutt.
A relatively new immigrant to New Zealand from East Anglia, England, Constable Martin Brown has also found the training a real challenge. After working in the UK as a postman with no formal qualification, Martin is complimentary about the Kiwi attitude that he says allows people to achieve on merit and accepts them for what they can do. A highlight has been the camaraderie that comes from sharing time and space with 57 other recruits and he will be sad to say goodbye. Constable Brown is posted to Auckland City.
The graduation will take place at The Royal New Zealand Police College on Thursday 11 October at 2:00pm and will be attended by Deputy Commissioner Provost.
• 58 recruits will graduate - 38 males and 20 females • The average age of wing members is 28 (the youngest is 18 and the oldest is 51)
To find out more about joining the Police phone 0800 NEW COPS (639 2677) or visit www.betterworkstories.co.nz.
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District postings:
Northland - Whangarei (4)
Waitemata -Henderson (7), North Shore Policing Centre (5)
Auckland City - Auckland Central (4)
Counties Manukau -Pukekohe (1), Harlech House MPS (5)
Waikato - Hamilton (3), Te Awamutu (1)
Bay of Plenty - Tauranga (3), Taupo (2), Whakatane (1)
Central - Palmerston North (3), Hawera (1), Wanganui (1), Taumaranui (1)
Wellington - Masterton (1), Lower Hutt (2), Wellington (1), Porirua (1), TAG (2)
Tasman - Greymouth (1)
Canterbury - Christchurch (3)
Southern - Dunedin (4), Invercargill (1)
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Wing 243 prize winners:
• The Minister's Prize for First in Wing will be awarded to Constable Carl McLAUGHLAN posted to Tauranga
• The Commissioner's Prize for Second in Wing will be awarded to Constable Trevor SCARROW posted to Wanganui.
• The Patron's Prize for Third in Wing will be awarded to Constable Joseph POLASCHEK posted to Te Awamutu.
• The International Police Association Academic Prize for overall academic achievement will be awarded to Constable Sara WALKER posted to Christchurch.
• The Ericsson Practical Prize for the overall winner for Practical Assessments, File Preparation and Fingerprinting will be awarded to Constable Aimee McKENNA posted to Hamilton.
• The Holden Tactical Skills and Safety Prize for the overall winner in Defensive Tactics, Firearms and Driving will be awarded to Constable Brendon EDE posted to Taupo.
• The Physical Training and Defensive Tactics Prize will be awarded to Constable Rau RANGIAHUA posted to Whakatane.
• The Meltzer Prize for Weapon Training will be awarded to Constable Matthew CALLAND, posted to Lower Hutt.
• The Driver Training Prize will be awarded to Constable Robert CAMPBELL, posted to Porirua.
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Police Association prizes for section achievement:
This prize is awarded to an individual from each section who, in the collective view of the members of the section and the wing instructors, made the greatest contribution to the overall success of the team.
Section One Constable Martin COUTTS posted to North Shore Policing Centre
Section Two Constable Scott ISZARD posted to Auckland Central
Section Three Constable Noel PATTEN posted to Harlech House Mobile Policing Centre (Counties-Manukau).
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Wing Patron: Meng Foon
Meng Foon has lived all of his life in Gisborne and is currently seeking his third term as Mayor of the city. He is known to be a direct, friendly and charismatic man with a great passion for his home town.
Meng speaks four languages: Si-Yip, his father's South China dialect, Cantonese, English and Maori. He also reads Japanese. His fluency in te reo Maori often comes as a surprise to people who see the Chinese face. As a child Meng became fluent in te reo and Maori culture while working with Ngati Porou and Turanganui a Kiwa workers on his parents' market garden.
He is an executive member of the NZ Chinese Association, President of the Gisborne branch of the NZ Chinese Association, member of the Gisborne Host Lions Club and Patron of the Riding Club for the Disabled.
Meng is a strong supporter of law and order locally and nationally, believing it to be paramount to a community's success. He participated in the Commissioner's Police Act Review Symposium late last year at Victoria University of Wellington.
In his submission, Meng said, "The most important part of local government and Police is to be relevant to our communities. The Police are an integral part of our communities; we need each other to be successful. It is all about people - all people, from all walks of life. We have a job to make our nation a great place to live safely in."
ENDS
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For more information or to attend the graduation please contact:
Katrina Graham, Acting Communications Adviser - 04 238 3572 or 0274 419 216