What made you want to join the New Zealand police?
The variety and each shift is different. I applied at the same time when I was applying for a range of other jobs. The ride along was interesting and eye-opening, so [I] kept going through the recruitment process.
What does a typical day in your life look like?
In my current role I’m generally office based, so it’s being involved in lots of meetings. I oversee a few different teams (youth engagement, Youth Aid, community, beat, co-response mental health and alcohol harm), so touching base with them to see what’s happening in their spaces. I also plan for any events that are happening in Dunedin, so ensure we have enough staff on for the likes of Orientation Week, St Patrick’s Day, international cricket and rugby games, etc. That involves assessing how many staff are needed, what hours they work, and preparing an operation order for the event, and then overseeing the event to ensure it runs smoothly.
When did you join the police and how much has it changed since then?
I joined in 2003, and it’s changed heaps. Back when I first started we didn’t have any vests (body armour) to protect us, Tasers weren’t a thing. Everything was paper based, so every offence had to be recorded and submitted, which meant your early shift was driving around to different suburbs taking reports manually. We weren’t issued phones, the computer system wasn’t user-friendly (compared to what we have now). Nowadays, reporting can be done online, or via 105, and a lot of our reporting is done through special apps on our phones (which are work issued) which are specifically designed to capture information and share it with other agencies to assist the people we deal with.
What is the most unusual callout you have ever responded to?
A couple of years ago I had a "hearse" that failed to stop, and chased it around South Dunedin. It was a gang member’s funeral and the casket was in the back of a station wagon, and they didn’t stop as they had just done a burnout. We got them in the end and arrested the driver, but looking back it was a funny commentary to comms describing what was happening.
What are your top three favourite police movies/TV shows and why? And how accurate are they?
Die Hard, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Wellington Paranormal. They are good to watch for a laugh. None of them are accurate, and very far from the reality of policing.
What is the most meaningful moment you have had on the job?
I’ve helped a lot of people over the years and it’s always good when they come up and talk to me about how I dealt with them years later and they remembered what’s happened and they tell me about what they are up to and how their life has changed. It's great to have these conversations as it shows the impact it's had on their lives.
If you weren't a police officer, what job would you be doing instead?
I did train as a chef, and also hospitality management, so likely it would be in that area.
What is your favourite part about being a police officer?
I like the variety, and the comradeship. I’ve travelled around New Zealand for multiple different events and investigations and even been to America, as I was assisting with a deportation. There are always opportunities to track to different areas or switch to other roles. I enjoy mountainbiking, so have arranged trips to do events like the Motatapu with other officers, and also tracks like the Old Ghost Road, so turn it into a break away and have a laugh.
What are the main misconceptions about being a police officer?
Most people think that the money from fines goes back to police. It doesn’t, as it goes into the Government Consolidated Fund. Many also think that we enjoy giving out tickets (e.g. for speeding). We don’t, but we see what happens when crashes happen, and have been to too many unnecessary serious injury or fatal crashes. Police staff have to investigate on behalf of the coroner and inform family/relatives, so we would rather people abided by the rules, as this would decrease the number of serious/fatal crashes.
