9 December 2004

20 new police for North Island districts

Twenty of the 75 police recruits graduating from the Police College today will be posted to Police Stations in North Island districts, from Kerikeri to Palmerston North.

Police Minister George Hawkins said the new recruits would make an immediate contribution to policing efforts over the Christmas/New Year holiday period.

"This training wing means the Government has now added 345 new probationary constables to the sworn Police strength during the last twelve months.

"In pursuit of efforts to ensure Police officers are brought into the force with the maturity to handle the job the average age of the recruits is 30 – the oldest recruit being 48 years old.

"Members of the Brigadier Tim Brewer Wing come from a wide range of previous employment backgrounds including accountancy, teaching, building, hairdressing, the military, full-time parenting and non-sworn Police service. 20 percent of the new recruits are women.

The graduates now begin a two-year period of on the job training before becoming fully-fledged Constables with the opportunity to work in range of specialist police careers.

Constable William Dawson, who is to be posted to Kerikeri, won the Meltzer Prize for Weapon Training.

Constable Maxine Walshe, who is to be posted to Dannevirke, was awarded a Police Association Prize for Section Achievement.

The patron of the wing was Brigadier Tim Brewer who was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in 2003 for his services to the NZ Army Territorial Forces. In his private life Brigadier Brewer is a litigation lawyer in New Plymouth. He has also been a Law Commissioner (1997-2001).

ENDS

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