Tuesday, 29 March 2022 - 9:29am

He kaiwhiwhi karahipi ka uru ki ngā pirihimana / Scholarship winner joins Police

5 min read

News article photos (2 items)

Constable Jonty Boyd in front of the wall of remembrance at the Royal New Zealand Training College
Derek Wootton's plaque at the Royal New Zealand Police College.

Ko Jonty Boyd te kaiwhiwhi tuatahi o te Karahipi Derek Wootton Memorial Trust kia tū hei Pirihimana. Nō te Pēpuere i tēnei tau i whakapōtaetia i te Rāngai 350 o Te Kāreti o Te Karauna mō Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa.

I aituātia a Tāriana Derek Wootton e tētahi waka i pāhuatia e tētahi mema kēnge nōna e whakatakoto ana i ngā punga koi huarahi i Tītahi Bay, tata ana ki Porirua i te ata māhina o te 11 Hūrae 2008. Ko tēnei karahipi, i waihangatia i muri i tana matenga, ka tukuna hei utu i ētahi nama o whare wānanga o te kaiwhiwhi.

Ko Jonty, i tana tau whakamutunga ki Te Kāreti o Tawa, he manukura tāne tuarua, kaihautū o te 1st XV o tana kura, ā i haere ki Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha. I reira ako ai ia, ā, ka whakapōtaetia me tana Tohu Paetahi Kaiwhakaako Hākinakina  me tētahi whakamanatanga Kaiārahi. I utua ētahi nama ki te karahipi Derek Wootton.

Hei tāna “I te tau 2014 i hōnore ahau i te kōpoua ōku e te tumuaki o taku kura, me taku ohorere ki taku maringanui ki te toa - e whakawhetai nui ana au.

"I taua wā kāore au i pīrangi kia uru atu ki Ngā Pirihimana, engari kei ōku whakaaro tērā, hei rapunga mahi māku, heoi anō, i mātua rā taku pīrangi ki te whai i te ao hākinakina.” Ka mutu, i waeahia ia, ā, kua whai wāhi i te Rāngai 350.

"I pīrangi au ki te uru atu ki te tautoko i taku hapori ki te mahi tahi ki ngā tāngata o ngā hau e whā. E rikarika ana ahau ki te mahi tahi ki ngā tamariki. He rawe i te mea kāore he rā e ōrite ana ki rā kē, ā, he pai te whakapātaritaritia ōku; he pai te āhua o taku tīma, me te hoatu tāpaetanga ki te whāinga kotahi.

I tino nui te whakaaweawetia ōku e tōku whānau, otirā ko ō rātou uara, tirohanga hoki mō te oranga e hāngai ana ki tō Ngā Pirihimana.” ko te whakaaro nui, te whakaute, te ngākau aroha ngā mātāpono i tipu mai ai au. 

"I pau te rā tuatahi mō Ngā Pirihimana o Te Whanganui-a-Tara i a au i te porotēhi i te Whare Pāremata, i tētahi wāhi ārai, ā, ahakoa kei wāhi kē atu au i ngā kaiporotēhi, i tino rerekē tēnā hei tīmatanga mō taku mahi, he rawe hoki kia whai wāhi atu ki tētahi kaupapa i pēnei rawa te nui."

Ināianei kei te mahi a Jonty ki te Whare Herehere Ā-Rohe i te teihana i te pokapū o Te Whanganui-a-Tara. 

Hei tā Jonty “I taku marama tuatahi he nui aku akoranga e pā ana ki ngā hātepe, engari ko te pēheatanga hoki ki te tangata me te kōrerorero, whai hononga hoki ki te hapori. Kāore i kō atu, kāore i kō mai.” 

I te paunga o te wā ki a ia ki te whare herehere i te teihana o te pokapū o Te Whanganui-a-Tara, mahi ārai waka anō hoki, ka tīmata tā Jonty mahi ki Te Awakairangi.

He mema whakahīhī a Tāriana Derek Wootton o te hapori o Porirua i whakapaua ōna kaha ki te mahi ki ngā taiohi, pērā anō i ā Jonty e pīrangi ana.

Mai i te tau 2010 kua ora ā Derek i mahi ai i roto i te Memorial Trust, i kohia te hia mano tāra hei karāti, hei karahipi hoki 


Scholarship winner joins Police

Constable Jonty Boyd.
Constable Jonty Boyd.

Jonty Boyd is the first recipient of the Derek Wootton Memorial Trust Scholarship to become a police officer. In February this year, he graduated in the 350 Wing at the Royal New Zealand Police College.

Sergeant Derek Wootton was fatally wounded by a stolen car driven by a gang member as he laid road spikes in Titahi Bay, near Porirua, in the early hours of 11 July 2008. The scholarship, which was created after his death, goes towards the recipient’s tertiary education.

Jonty was deputy head boy and captain of the school 1st XV in his last year at Tawa College and went on to attend the University of Canterbury. There, he studied and graduated with a Bachelor of Sport Coaching with an endorsement in Leadership. The Derek Wootton Scholarship helped pay for that.

“In 2014, I was honoured to be nominated by my school principal and, to my surprise, I was lucky enough to win. I am very grateful,” he says.

“At the time my intention was not to join Police, but it was always in the back of my head as a career option. However, I wanted to pursue the sporting environment first.”

Then in 2021 he got the call up – he had been recruited into Wing 350.

“I wanted to join to give back to my community and work with people from all parts of life. I am keen to work with youth especially. It’s great that no two days are the same and I like to be challenged; I enjoy the team environment and contributing towards a common goal.

"My family had a huge influence on my life and their values and approach to life matched those of Police. I was brought up to always think of others and show respect and compassion.

“I spent my first day on the job with Wellington Police at Parliament during the protest, on a cordon point, and although I was nowhere near protestors, it was a very interesting start to my career and good to be part of such a big operation."

Jonty is now working in the District Custody Unit at Wellington Central station.

“In the first month I have learnt so much already about processes but also how to interact with people, and communicate and form relationships with the community," he says.  "It’s been outstanding."

After completing time in the custody suite at Wellington Central and finishing a stint on traffic duties, Jonty will be working in the Hutt Valley.

Sergeant Derek Wootton was a proud member of the Porirua community who dedicated himself to working particularly with its young people, much like Jonty plans to do.

Derek’s work lives on in the form of the Memorial Trust, which has raised thousands in grants and scholarships since 2010.