Rhodes Scholar Among Graduating Constables
New Zealand Police National News Release
10:19am 22 June 2006
http://www.police.govt.nz/news/release.html?id=2473

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A Rhodes scholar is among 88 new police officers to graduate from The Royal New Zealand Police College this week.

Nicholas Pirihi gained a Rhodes scholarship to study Law at Oxford while he was finishing his masters in Mathematics and Science at Waikato University.

After returning to New Zealand, he worked in the financial markets, before deciding to realise his lifelong dream of joining the New Zealand Police.

"It is something that I have always wanted to do - I realised if I don't do it now then I will never do it. I'd like to give the CIB a crack. But there are so many different things you can do I just want to keep my options open at this stage", says Nicholas.

Several graduation prizes were scooped up by the 34-year-old who will be stationed in Wellington along with 17 other recruits. He was awarded Second in Wing and the International Police Association Academic Prize.

• 89 recruits will graduate - 62 males and 26 females

• The average age of wing members is 28 (the youngest is 18 and the oldest is 46)

The graduation will take place on Thursday 22 June at 2:00pm.

Postings:

Northland - Whangarei (4), Kaikohe (1), Dargaville (1)

North Shore/Waitakere/Rodney - Henderson (6), Orewa (1), Takapuna (4)

Auckland City - Avondale (3), Downtown Auckland (1), Mount Wellington (3), Glen Innes (2)

Counties Manukau - Howick (2), Manurewa (5), Otahuhu (6), Papakura (1)

Waikato - Hamilton (5), Te Awamutu (1), Huntly (1)

Bay of Plenty - Taupo (1), Tauranga (2), Tokoroa (1)

Central - Feilding (2), New Plymouth (2)

Eastern - Napier (1)

Wellington - Wellington (17)

Tasman - Greymouth (1), Nelson (1)

Canterbury - Christchurch (8), Timaru (1)

Southern - Dunedin (2), Invercargill (2)

Wing 231 prize winners:

• Minister's Prize for First in Wing was awarded to Constable Alan TILYARD posted to Wellington.

TILYARD was also awarded the Ericsson Practical Prize (overall winner for practical assessments, file preparation and fingerprinting)

• Commissioner's Prize for Second in Wing was awarded to Constable Nicholas PIRIHI posted to Wellington.

Constable PIRIHI was also awarded the International Police Association Academic Prize.

• Patron's Prize for Third in Wing was awarded to Constable Amy WATSON posted to Feilding.

• The HOLDEN Tactical Skills and Safety Prize (overall winner in defensive tactics, firearms and driving) was awarded to Constable Anna SNEYD posted to Wellington and Constable Russell OWEN posted to Manurewa.

• The Physical Training and Defensive Tactics Award was awarded to Constable Hamish McPHILLIPS posted to Christchurch.

Constable McPHILLIPS was also awarded a section prize (see below).

• The Driver Training Award was awarded to Constable Natasha WATERHOUSE, posted to Whangarei.

• The Meltzer Prize for Weapon Training was awarded to Constable Lania DAY posted to Hamilton.

Police Association prizes for section achievement:

This prize is awarded to an individual from each section who, in the collective view of the members of the section and the wing instructors, made the greatest contribution to the overall success of the team.

Section One Constable Donna BENNETT posted to Mount Wellington

Section Two Constable Roslyn CURWOOD posted to Christchurch

Section Three Constable Hamish McPHILLIPS posted to Christchurch

Section Four Constable Malcolm PATTERSON posted to Invercargill

Section Five Constable Tyron WALL posted to Christchurch

Wing Patron: Susan Couch

Susan Couch is the sole survivor of the RSA killings - the murders committed by William Bell at the Mt Wellington-Panmure Returned Services Association on 8 December 2001, during which Susan barely survived and three of her colleagues died. Although she was badly beaten, she managed to testify against Bell and his accomplice Darnell Tupe. Her testimony in court sealed the case.

ENDS

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