Police have welcomed back a qualified detective with an extensive track record of protecting children – and a CV displaying a lifetime of knowledge and experience.
Tracee Knowler (pictured right, signing back on with Police) served Police from 1996 until 2015 and has returned as a member of the Child Protection Team (CPT) in Waitematā District.
Trixie, as she prefers to be called, last wore the blue shirt as a sole-charge cop at the northernmost police station - Houhora, in the Far North.
Her career stints before and after Police include Red Cross disaster management in Micronesia, being an SPCA investigator in Northland, and her role as an investigator for the Abuse in State Care inquiry.
“We’re stoked to have Trixie on our team as a detective," says her supervisor, Detective Sergeant Simon Woodhams.
"Her arrival means we have another very competent operator and the vulnerable in our communities have another person who’s on their side. She’s the perfect fit for CPT."
When she was with Kaitaia CIB in 2014, Trixie received a Commissioner’s commendation for her work on mass child sexual abuse allegations – leading to a school teacher and a church elder pleading guilty to abuse committed on children.
Before that in 2008, Trixie was awarded a district commendation for investigating historical sexual offending. She was praised for her ‘perseverance and diligence’ in obtaining a conviction.
Also in Trixie’s impressive CV are two deployments to Bougainville, which involved the training and mentoring of the Auxiliary Police Service.
One highlight was planning, recruiting for and managing the first-ever all-female recruit course – which delivered 22 female volunteer police officers: "something quite unusual in the cultural and traditional context," says Trixie.
While in Bougainville, shockingly, she captured on film herself and Kiwi Haus colleagues being struck by lightning. The strike started several small electrical fires within the haus and the accompanying explosion was so loud that the Project Commander now wears a hearing aid as a result.
Unforgettable experiences in both Bougainville, left, and the Far North.
In another heart-stopping incident, her Houhora Police ute was involved in a crash when a septic tanker crossed the centre line, causing a head on crash. The engine block bore the brunt and Trixie escaped with just a few stitches.
Trixie was raised in Papua New Guinea, where her father worked in logging. Today, family connections are building in blue – her daughter Cailie is with New Zealand Police, currently working as a Dispatcher at the Northern Emergency Communications Centre. She plans to follow in her mum’s footsteps and join as a constabulary member.
Outside of work, Trixie is an avid swimmer, putting in many kilometres either in the ocean or the pool.
Simon says Trixie has always been an action woman and her other two children – both young men - have followed suit with their careers and lifestyle: one’s in the Army, the other’s a professional diver, instructor and equipment provider throughout New Zealand and the Pacific.
What a ride! Trixie's treasured 1965 Holden HD.
When she gets free time between her hard work, a full-on fitness regime, and parenting, Trixie has another passion which helps to take her mind off the job - her sensational 1965 Holden HD sedan, gleaming in splendid white.
Welcome back, Trixie.