From life at Police College to personal experiences, an array of questions was asked by those interested in becoming a police officer during a recruitment session in Palmerston North.
At the event on Friday 16 May at Palmerston North Police Station, approximately 60 attendees got the opportunity to hear from several speakers and partner organisations, including Community Patrols New Zealand (CPNZ) and the Pathway to Police programme.
Central District Pacific Liaison Coordinator Jodie Haitana-Sturm organised the session, which had a focus on Pasifika and ethnic recruitment, and says it was fantastic to see so many people interested in a rewarding and interesting career.
“The evening opened with a warm welcome and a short presentation on the New Zealand Police recruitment process, followed by a kōrero from Toni Ferris of CPNZ,” says Jodie.
“Toni shared insights into the Pathway to Police programme and encouraged attendees to consider joining community patrols as a valuable stepping stone into policing.
“Following this, we held a panel session where eight of our local Police staff from various workgroups fielded questions from the attendees and this was a major highlight of the evening – the officers responded to a wide range of thoughtful and enthusiastic questions.”
Topics covered in the Q&A-style session included the length and structure of the recruitment process, life at Police College, the variety of roles within Police and panel members' personal experiences.
“The depth of engagement and curiosity shown by attendees demonstrated genuine interest in a future career with Police,” says Jodie.
After the panel, attendees enjoyed light refreshments and had the opportunity to mingle with staff, collect recruitment resources and ask further one-on-one questions.
“There was definitely a positive energy and sense of connection that was felt throughout the evening,” says Jodie.
“Ngā mihi nui to all who supported and attended this kaupapa.
“Events like these are a valuable part of our ongoing commitment to building a diverse and representative Police service that reflects the communities we serve."
Great teams need great people. If you’re interested in becoming a police officer and want to find out more, visit the New Cops website or email ManawatuRecruitment@police.govt.nz.