Puhikura is a candid documentary series championing the power of wāhine Māori through the gift of their stories as taonga.
With a shared compassion for people, the whenua, and the sustenance of communities, five wāhine reflect on what calls them forward and holds them back as they consider a career with the NZ Police.
Watch Puhikura
Questions?
If these videos have raised questions for you, please refer to our answers relating to each video below. If we didn’t answer your question, please see our general FAQs here or start a kōrero with us by emailing newcops@police.govt.nz.
Does past incidents, trauma or experiences affect working for Police? Such as Ario’s experience with family harm?
We encourage you to bring your whole self when you work for Police because a workforce of people with diverse life experiences helps us reflect our communities and keep them safe. Everyone has different life experiences that shape them, and often these experiences influence people becoming exceptional Police officers as they can better relate to people going through something similar and have huge empathy for others. Many police staff have experienced past trauma, including family harm. You can read about some of their experiences here.
What is being undertaken to improve the relationship Police have with Māori? What work is underway to improve outcomes for Māori?
As a Crown Agency we are required and committed to supporting Māori and the Treaty. We are also committed to acknowledging and learning from past injustices and mistakes, so that today and into the future, we can provide the best possible service for Māori, and for all New Zealanders.
In the past six years we have established 12 dedicated Māori Responsiveness Managers to guide internal Police practice and build and sustain effective partnerships with iwi/Māori leaders, elders, influencers and service providers (eg local runanga, Whanau Ora), Māori Wardens and members of the Police Māori Advisory Boards within each District. The Māori Responsiveness Managers strengthen the work of the Iwi Liaison Officers who work with Māori communities to share ownership of problems and develop effective and sustainable solutions together as well as providing professional support and development to Police staff.
We have a dedicated Deputy Chief Executive Māori position, to ensure a Māori viewpoint is present and heard as part of every Police Executive discussion and decision. We have a long-term organisational focus on increasing the bicultural compentency of our staff.
We are in the process of extending Te Pae Oranga – Community Justice Panels by 40% from their current levels. These panels are open to all New Zealanders, but because they are founded on Māori restorative justice approaches have been shown to be particularly effective at reducing reoffending amongst young Māori.
We have also established dedicated recruitment targets for Māori and so we can ensure our Police officers reflect the communities they serve, which helps to build trust and understanding and leads to better outcomes for Māori.
Our focus is on working with our partners, community leaders and iwi so we can better understand what Māori are experiencing when they engage with Police, to make sure that every community receives the fair and equitable policing they deserve.
How do we support our staff mental and spiritual wellbeing? What should Police do to look after their hauora?
Our focus is on ensuring our people feel empowered, supported and recognised for making safety and wellness an intrinsic part of what they do for themselves and others, and providing support for staff through internal networks, assistance programmes and advisors.
Te Whare Tapa Whā, a tikanga Māori framework that describes wellbeing as a wharenui with four walls and a foundation, all interlinked. It helps us identify where we need extra support. It is important to have support from whānau and friends, and remember that wellness is an intrinsic part of what we do for ourselves and others.
Why do we need Police that can relate to the community, or are local to the area?
Police wants recruits from all parts of the New Zealand community and we value the diversity they create in our organisation, including their experiences, cultures, languages, skillsets and community relationships. A diverse workforce helps us to better understand and connect with our communities and deliver on our mission – to prevent crime and harm through exceptional policing. We welcome people from different cultures, different backgrounds and experiences. For Māori, you may be able to go back and Police in your local community.
By living and working in your own community you will understand and relate to the people you serve. Applying a Te Ao Māori view, through the alignment of uara Māori with Our Values, help to ensure we can be culturally responsive and work to restore and strengthen the wellbeing of individuals, whānau, and communities.
How can I help my community as a Police officer?
As a Police officer you’ll make a positive difference to the lives of people around you. You’ll help keep New Zealanders safe in their homes, on the streets, and on the roads. You’ll enforce the law with courage and compassion, and work with potential victims, whānau, community organisations, iwi, businesses, and other government agencies. You’ll prevent harm and help make New Zealand even safer for us all.
How important is it to have the support of whanau and friends when applying, and as an officer?
The selection process is long and robust but worth it! During the process and throughout your career it will be important to surround yourself with the support of whānau and friends. We know not everyone will always be supportive, but having a few people you can depend on is important. Being able to maintain interests and hobbies outside a career in Policing is also great for your for your hauora. Things can get tough, but we’re here to help and support you too.
What kind of skills and life experience do you need to join Police? How does this affect my application?
Our organisation wants people with different backgrounds, experiences and interests to ensure we best understand and connect with our communities. What unites us is that we’re all working toward the same vision - we want to make New Zealand the safest country in the world. We encourage applications from anyone who’s got what it takes. We want you to bring your background, experiences and values to the job - so if this includes an understanding of different languages and cultures, we'd love to hear about this.
Working in your community, hobbies and other interest all adds to your application, and while it’s not a specific requirement, we encourage you to think about this when preparing your application. Contribution to your iwi, church or involvement in local groups are also things we want to hear about, as this often demonstrates personal attributes that would make you a great Police officer.
Ensuring we get the right people to keep our communities safe is of absolute importance to us, so our constabulary recruitment staff will look to see if you have these meaningful qualities:
- Outstanding communication skills
- Empathy for others
- Commitment
- Integrity
- Problem-solving abilities
- A sense of humour is also pretty important.
There are also literacy and physical requirements you'll need to meet as part of the recruitment process. Learn more about this here.
Do my personal values need to align with Police values?
Your attitude, keenness, willingness to learn, and alignment with our values are key. We can equip you with skills you need to successfully carry out your role, but we can’t teach you to have the right attitude. Read more about our values here.
Can I choose to work in my own community or hometown?
When you apply you’ll be able to nominate which district you wish to be posted to, should you be successful in the recruitment process. Once you have completed your two year probationary period you will be able to apply for nationally advertised vacancies.
Do I need to be an athlete to join Police?
No, you don’t need to be a high-performance athlete. Fitness, and being able to pass the Physical Appraisal Test (PAT) is an important part of the recruitment process. We do encourage some preparation before application and can provide information about support available near you by contacting us at newcops@police.govt.nz. Have a look here for more information about the PAT.
Can I work for Police and be a high-performance athlete?
High performance sport and policing teamwork both require mental resilience for high-pressure situations and physical resilience to push through performance boundaries. Police may enable semi-professional sports players to work flexible hours to suit a training schedule and juggle full-time work and full-time training. Some staff are granted flexible employment opportunities to further support sporting commitments at semi-professional level.
To find out more about what life might be like, read about Constable Eseta's experience with Netball and Policing here.
How would skills I’ve developed playing sport help me as a Police officer?
Sports develop transferable skills that are vital to becoming a Police Officer, such as teamwork, mental and physical resilience, fitness and good communication skills. These skills may put you in a good place for completing parts of the recruitment process, such as the PAT.
How will my medical history, injury or condition affect my application?
If you’re receiving medical treatment for an injury or illness or are awaiting specialist review or surgery, you are ineligible to apply until you have fully recovered, have been discharged from health care services and are back to full fitness. Right through your recruitment process, you’ll need to maintain good health so that you continue to meet our medical and health standards. Each applicant is considered on a case by casecase-by-case basis taking into consideration the unique circumstances of the individual’s health history. Find out more here.
How many career pathways are there within Police?
NZ Police offers exciting career progression and promotional opportunities in more than 30 different career paths. You’ll constantly grow and learn because professional development continues throughout your career. Learn about what path you could take here
How many people 18-22 years old have graduated from RNZPC in the last 5 years?
The average age at graduating from RNZPC is 28, but there are successful recruits from their teens, though to their late 50's. In the last five years more than 550 recruits have graduated from RNZPC prior to their 23rd birthday, this is 17% of all recruits that have graduated in this time.
How are Police officers kept physically safe while working?
You’ll find yourself in all kinds of situations and, yes, some will be challenging. But you’ll be working with experienced professional team-mates who look out for each other.
As part of your training, you’ll learn how to stay safe on the job, and to defuse potentially dangerous situations. The most important tool is communication and being able to deescalate situations using our words and an understanding of the unique needs of our communities and how best to engage and work alongside them. You’ll be trained in the appropriate use of approved defensive tactics including approved tactical options. In short, you’ll be well-prepared for all situations. There’s also support available to look after your overall wellness, which helps support your physical safety. Te Whare Tapa Wha, a tikanga Māori framework for well-being, underpins our approach to supporting the wellness and safety of our people. You’ll have a range of resources and expertise available to help keep you fit for work and fit for life.
How do we support Rainbow communities within Police?
A diverse workforce helps Police to connect with our communities and deliver on our mission – to prevent crime and harm through exceptional policing. This means we welcome applications from all New Zealanders who meet our criteria, including people who identify as members of Rainbow community. We offer a wide variety of wellness support to all our people and have an ongoing focus on increasing staff inclusion, including to regularly survey staff to understand their experiences and identify what more can be done. There is a Diversity Liaison Officer network, which supports Rainbow staff internally as well as connecting with Rainbow communities outside of the organisation.
Why do wāhine make great Police officers? What attributes to they bring?
Women are integral to NZ Police as we are committed to having a workforce that reflects New Zealand society. A diverse workforce helps us to better understand and connect with our communities and deliver on our mission – to prevent crime and harm through exceptional policing. The proportion of female police officers across the Police workforce has reached 25 percent, but we need more wāhine to continue to transform our organisation, and best keep our communities safe.
How do we support our staff mental and spiritual wellbeing? What should Police do to look after their hauora?
Our focus is on ensuring our people feel empowered, supported and recognised for making safety and wellness an intrinsic part of what they do for themselves and others, and providing support for staff through internal networks, assistance programmes and advisors.
Te Whare Tapa Whā, a tikanga Māori framework that describes wellbeing as a wharenui with four walls and a foundation, all interlinked. It helps us identify where we need extra support. It is important to have support from whānau and friends, and remember that wellness is an intrinsic part of what we do for ourselves and others.
Why do we need Police that can relate to the community, or are local to the area?
Police wants recruits from all parts of the New Zealand community and we value the diversity they create in our organisation, including their experiences, cultures, languages, skillsets and community relationships. A diverse workforce helps us to better understand and connect with our communities and deliver on our mission – to prevent crime and harm through exceptional policing. We welcome people from different cultures, different backgrounds and experiences. For Māori, you may be able to go back and Police in your local community.
By living and working in your own community you will understand and relate to the people you serve. Applying a Te Ao Māori view, through the alignment of uara Māori with Our Values, help to ensure we can be culturally responsive and work to restore and strengthen the wellbeing of individuals, whānau, and communities.
How can I help my community as a Police officer?
As a Police officer you’ll make a positive difference to the lives of people around you. You’ll help keep New Zealanders safe in their homes, on the streets, and on the roads. You’ll enforce the law with courage and compassion, and work with potential victims, whānau, community organisations, iwi, businesses, and other government agencies. You’ll prevent harm and help make New Zealand even safer for us all.
How important is it to have the support of whanau and friends when applying, and as an officer?
The selection process is long and robust but worth it! During the process and throughout your career it will be important to surround yourself with the support of whānau and friends. We know not everyone will always be supportive, but having a few people you can depend on is important. Being able to maintain interests and hobbies outside a career in Policing is also great for your for your hauora. Things can get tough, but we’re here to help and support you too.
What kind of skills and life experience do you need to join Police? How does this affect my application?
Our organisation wants people with different backgrounds, experiences and interests to ensure we best understand and connect with our communities. What unites us is that we’re all working toward the same vision - we want to make New Zealand the safest country in the world. We encourage applications from anyone who’s got what it takes. We want you to bring your background, experiences and values to the job - so if this includes an understanding of different languages and cultures, we'd love to hear about this.
Working in your community, hobbies and other interest all adds to your application, and while it’s not a specific requirement, we encourage you to think about this when preparing your application. Contribution to your iwi, church or involvement in local groups are also things we want to hear about, as this often demonstrates personal attributes that would make you a great Police officer.
Ensuring we get the right people to keep our communities safe is of absolute importance to us, so our constabulary recruitment staff will look to see if you have these meaningful qualities:
- Outstanding communication skills
- Empathy for others
- Commitment
- Integrity
- Problem-solving abilities
- A sense of humour is also pretty important.
There are also literacy and phyical requirements you'll need to meet as part of the recruitment process. Learn more about this here.
How does mental health impact your application?
Each applicant is considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the unique circumstances of the individual’s health history. Look here for more information on our health checks and requirements. Operational policing is mentally challenging and can be stressful. A history of a mental health disorder or symptoms consistent with a mental health illness may exclude you until you can demonstrate full functional recovery. Each applicant is assessed on a case-by-case basis and taking anti-depressants or having taken anti-depressants doesn't mean you would be automatically declined.
If you would like to discuss this further, you are welcome to send an email directly to the medical team at recruitment.medicals@police.govt.nz.
Do I need to be fit to join Police?
You need to be physically fit as a Police officer to handle the demands of frontline Policing. It helps to be fit when you apply to join Police, so this doesn’t hold up your application. Check out the Physical Appraisal Test requirements and how to get prepared here.
How do we support our staff mental and spiritual wellbeing? What should Police do to look after their hauora?
Our focus is on ensuring our people feel empowered, supported and recognised for making safety and wellness an intrinsic part of what they do for themselves and others, and providing support for staff through internal networks, assistance programmes and advisors.
Te Whare Tapa Whā, a tikanga Māori framework that describes wellbeing as a wharenui with four walls and a foundation, all interlinked. It helps us identify where we need extra support. It is important to have support from whānau and friends, and remember that wellness is an intrinsic part of what we do for ourselves and others.
Why do we need Police that can relate to the community, or are local to the area?
Police wants recruits from all parts of the New Zealand community and we value the diversity they create in our organisation, including their experiences, cultures, languages, skillsets and community relationships. A diverse workforce helps us to better understand and connect with our communities and deliver on our mission – to prevent crime and harm through exceptional policing. We welcome people from different cultures, different backgrounds and experiences. For Māori, you may be able to go back and Police in your local community.
By living and working in your own community you will understand and relate to the people you serve. Applying a Te Ao Māori view, through the alignment of uara Māori with Our Values, help to ensure we can be culturally responsive and work to restore and strengthen the wellbeing of individuals, whānau, and communities.
How can I help my community as a Police officer?
As a Police officer you’ll make a positive difference to the lives of people around you. You’ll help keep New Zealanders safe in their homes, on the streets, and on the roads. You’ll enforce the law with courage and compassion, and work with potential victims, whānau, community organisations, iwi, businesses, and other government agencies. You’ll prevent harm and help make New Zealand even safer for us all.
How important is it to have the support of whanau and friends when applying, and as an officer?
The selection process is long and robust but worth it! During the process and throughout your career it will be important to surround yourself with the support of whānau and friends. We know not everyone will always be supportive, but having a few people you can depend on is important. Being able to maintain interests and hobbies outside a career in Policing is also great for your for your hauora. Things can get tough, but we’re here to help and support you too.
What kind of skills and life experience do you need to join Police? How does this affect my application?
Our organisation wants people with different backgrounds, experiences and interests to ensure we best understand and connect with our communities. What unites us is that we’re all working toward the same vision - we want to make New Zealand the safest country in the world. We encourage applications from anyone who’s got what it takes. We want you to bring your background, experiences and values to the job - so if this includes an understanding of different languages and cultures, we'd love to hear about this.
Working in your community, hobbies and other interest all adds to your application, and while it’s not a specific requirement, we encourage you to think about this when preparing your application. Contribution to your iwi, church or involvement in local groups are also things we want to hear about, as this often demonstrates personal attributes that would make you a great Police officer.
Ensuring we get the right people to keep our communities safe is of absolute importance to us, so our constabulary recruitment staff will look to see if you have these meaningful qualities:
- Outstanding communication skills
- Empathy for others
- Commitment
- Integrity
- Problem-solving abilities
- A sense of humour is also pretty important.
There are also literacy and phyical requirements you'll need to meet as part of the recruitment process. Learn more about this here.
How do we support our staff mental and spiritual wellbeing? What should Police do to look after their hauora?
Our focus is on ensuring our people feel empowered, supported and recognised for making safety and wellness an intrinsic part of what they do for themselves and others, and providing support for staff through internal networks, assistance programmes and advisors.
Te Whare Tapa Whā, a tikanga Māori framework that describes wellbeing as a wharenui with four walls and a foundation, all interlinked. It helps us identify where we need extra support. It is important to have support from whānau and friends, and remember that wellness is an intrinsic part of what we do for ourselves and others.
Why do we need Police that can relate to the community, or are local to the area?
Police wants recruits from all parts of the New Zealand community and we value the diversity they create in our organisation, including their experiences, cultures, languages, skillsets and community relationships. A diverse workforce helps us to better understand and connect with our communities and deliver on our mission – to prevent crime and harm through exceptional policing. We welcome people from different cultures, different backgrounds and experiences. For Māori, you may be able to go back and Police in your local community.
By living and working in your own community you will understand and relate to the people you serve. Applying a Te Ao Māori view, through the alignment of uara Māori with Our Values, help to ensure we can be culturally responsive and work to restore and strengthen the wellbeing of individuals, whānau, and communities.
How can I help my community as a Police officer?
As a Police officer you’ll make a positive difference to the lives of people around you. You’ll help keep New Zealanders safe in their homes, on the streets, and on the roads. You’ll enforce the law with courage and compassion, and work with potential victims, whānau, community organisations, iwi, businesses, and other government agencies. You’ll prevent harm and help make New Zealand even safer for us all.
How important is it to have the support of whanau and friends when applying, and as an officer?
The selection process is long and robust but worth it! During the process and throughout your career it will be important to surround yourself with the support of whānau and friends. We know not everyone will always be supportive, but having a few people you can depend on is important. Being able to maintain interests and hobbies outside a career in Policing is also great for your for your hauora. Things can get tough, but we’re here to help and support you too.
What kind of skills and life experience do you need to join Police? How does this affect my application?
Our organisation wants people with different backgrounds, experiences and interests to ensure we best understand and connect with our communities. What unites us is that we’re all working toward the same vision - we want to make New Zealand the safest country in the world. We encourage applications from anyone who’s got what it takes. We want you to bring your background, experiences and values to the job - so if this includes an understanding of different languages and cultures, we'd love to hear about this.
Working in your community, hobbies and other interest all adds to your application, and while it’s not a specific requirement, we encourage you to think about this when preparing your application. Contribution to your iwi, church or involvement in local groups are also things we want to hear about, as this often demonstrates personal attributes that would make you a great Police officer.
Ensuring we get the right people to keep our communities safe is of absolute importance to us, so our constabulary recruitment staff will look to see if you have these meaningful qualities:
- Outstanding communication skills
- Empathy for others
- Commitment
- Integrity
- Problem-solving abilities
- A sense of humour is also pretty important.
There are also literacy and phyical requirements you'll need to meet as part of the recruitment process. Learn more about this here.
What schooling qualifications do I need to apply?
There is no minimum educational qualification to join NZ Police. Good written and verbal communication skills and proficiency in maths and English are also recommended.
If you don’t have a minimum education level of NCEA Level 2 or 3 literacy (or equivalent), University Entrance or a University Degree, you'll need to complete an additional Literacy Assessment (POST) after you’ve passed your online testing. This assesses language literacy, and the content is specifically relevant to Police Officers.
Read more about the Online Testing stage here.
How has recruitment changed since Desiree was accepted into Police?
Over the last 4 years, Police has implemented a range of changes and improvements to the selection process.
We haven’t always got it right, and we reviewed and made significant changes to our vetting standards in 2019, and have reviewed our National Selection panel and how we approach our appeals process as well. If you have previously been declined and would like to discuss your personal circumstances, please email us at newcops@police.govt.nz.
What is Police doing to remove barriers in the application process?
Police has implemented a range of changes and improvements to the selection process to support fair and equitable outcomes for applicants and to improve the recruitment experience. We recognise we have not always got this right, but are committed to ensuring our processes are fair and equitable to all.
Over the last 4 years major changes include a significant shift in vetting criteria to ensure individual circumstances are considered, changing to a fairer body mass index (BMI) based scoring system for Police’s Physical Appraisal test (PAT) which has created more equitable outcomes, changes to our National Selection Panel process, introduction of our Whānau Kaitautoko process and replaced distance learning (at cost to the applicant) with three days of paid pre-college learning.
In recent years for the first time ever Police can show that applicants making it though the selection process at the same rate regardless of gender or ethnicity.
Can I appeal a historical permanent stand down, or current stand down?
We take all applications on a case-by-case basis and it is completely dependent on specific vetting considerations. It is important that you fully disclose any previous interactions you, your partner or anyone close to you may have had with the Police when you apply. The reasoning is so that we can begin a conversation with you and ensure that we are giving you an opportunity to talk about why you want to join, and address concerns that you or we may have regarding historical incidents. Please contact us at newcops@police.govt.nz to discuss your individual circumstances.
How does familial offending and gang associations affect my application?
We live in a small country where people considering a career with Police often have wide networks across their community, families and whānau. This means when someone applies to join Police, we need to look at their close contacts to ensure applicants will be safe from any external influences that might threaten their ability to do their job fairly and professionally at all times. And of course, we want to do all we can to ensure staff safety.
Disclosing any previous interactions with police and disclosing any concerns that you may have when you submit your application allows us to have conversations with you early on in your selection process regarding how we might manage any concerns, or allow you further opportunity to add context and engage with us face to face with support persons.
We continue to review how we go about this work, to ensure the process is as fair, equitable and holistic for all applicants, including those who have very wide networks.
We take all applications on a case-by-case basis, and we welcome discussions about how we can support your application moving forward. We recommend that you email newcops@police.govt.nz so that recruitment staff can guide you through the application process.
What is being undertaken to improve the relationship Police have with Māori? What work is underway to improve outcomes for Māori?
As a Crown Agency we are required and committed to supporting Māori and the Treaty. We are also committed to acknowledging and learning from past injustices and mistakes, so that today and into the future, we can provide the best possible service for Māori, and for all New Zealanders.
In the past six years we have established 12 dedicated Māori Responsiveness Managers to guide internal Police practice and build and sustain effective partnerships with iwi/Māori leaders, elders, influencers and service providers (eg local runanga, Whanau Ora), Māori Wardens and members of the Police Māori Advisory Boards within each District. The Māori Responsiveness Managers strengthen the work of the Iwi Liaison Officers who work with Māori communities to share ownership of problems and develop effective and sustainable solutions together as well as providing professional support and development to Police staff.
We have a dedicated Deputy Chief Executive Māori position, to ensure a Māori viewpoint is present and heard as part of every Police Executive discussion and decision. We have a long-term organisational focus on increasing the bicultural compentency of our staff.
We are in the process of extending Te Pae Oranga – Community Justice Panels by 40% from their current levels. These panels are open to all New Zealanders, but because they are founded on Māori restorative justice approaches have been shown to be particularly effective at reducing reoffending amongst young Māori.
We have also established dedicated recruitment targets for Māori and so we can ensure our Police officers reflect the communities they serve, which helps to build trust and understanding and leads to better outcomes for Māori.
Our focus is on working with our partners, community leaders and iwi so we can better understand what Māori are experiencing when they engage with Police, to make sure that every community receives the fair and equitable policing they deserve.
How do we support our staff mental and spiritual wellbeing? What should Police do to look after their hauora?
Our focus is on ensuring our people feel empowered, supported and recognised for making safety and wellness an intrinsic part of what they do for themselves and others, and providing support for staff through internal networks, assistance programmes and advisors.
Te Whare Tapa Whā, a tikanga Māori framework that describes wellbeing as a wharenui with four walls and a foundation, all interlinked. It helps us identify where we need extra support. It is important to have support from whānau and friends, and remember that wellness is an intrinsic part of what we do for ourselves and others.
Why do we need Police that can relate to the community, or are local to the area?
Police wants recruits from all parts of the New Zealand community and we value the diversity they create in our organisation, including their experiences, cultures, languages, skillsets and community relationships. A diverse workforce helps us to better understand and connect with our communities and deliver on our mission – to prevent crime and harm through exceptional policing. We welcome people from different cultures, different backgrounds and experiences. For Māori, you may be able to go back and Police in your local community.
By living and working in your own community you will understand and relate to the people you serve. Applying a Te Ao Māori view, through the alignment of uara Māori with Our Values, help to ensure we can be culturally responsive and work to restore and strengthen the wellbeing of individuals, whānau, and communities.
How can I help my community as a Police officer?
As a Police officer you’ll make a positive difference to the lives of people around you. You’ll help keep New Zealanders safe in their homes, on the streets, and on the roads. You’ll enforce the law with courage and compassion, and work with potential victims, whānau, community organisations, iwi, businesses, and other government agencies. You’ll prevent harm and help make New Zealand even safer for us all.
How important is it to have the support of whanau and friends when applying, and as an officer?
The selection process is long and robust but worth it! During the process and throughout your career it will be important to surround yourself with the support of whānau and friends. We know not everyone will always be supportive, but having a few people you can depend on is important. Being able to maintain interests and hobbies outside a career in Policing is also great for your for your hauora. Things can get tough, but we’re here to help and support you too.
What kind of skills and life experience do you need to join Police? How does this affect my application?
Our organisation wants people with different backgrounds, experiences and interests to ensure we best understand and connect with our communities. What unites us is that we’re all working toward the same vision - we want to make New Zealand the safest country in the world. We encourage applications from anyone who’s got what it takes. We want you to bring your background, experiences and values to the job - so if this includes an understanding of different languages and cultures, we'd love to hear about this.
Working in your community, hobbies and other interest all adds to your application, and while it’s not a specific requirement, we encourage you to think about this when preparing your application. Contribution to your iwi, church or involvement in local groups are also things we want to hear about, as this often demonstrates personal attributes that would make you a great Police officer.
Ensuring we get the right people to keep our communities safe is of absolute importance to us, so our constabulary recruitment staff will look to see if you have these meaningful qualities:
- Outstanding communication skills
- Empathy for others
- Commitment
- Integrity
- Problem-solving abilities
- A sense of humour is also pretty important.
There are also literacy and phyical requirements you'll need to meet as part of the recruitment process. Learn more about this here.
Why does Police want a more diverse workforce?
To deliver our vision of New Zealand being the safest country, we need the support and trust of all New Zealanders. This requires Police to be reflective and responsive to the needs of all communities we serve and an important part of achieving that is building a diverse workforce. To best connect with our communities, build trust and ultimately, keep people safe we will continue to work towards a proportional workforce representation of all ethnicities in New Zealand. As a Crown Agency, we support Māori and the Treaty of Waitangi and it is essential that we have the workforce and bi-cultural competency to do this.
Why is New Zealand Police doing a campaign specific for wāhine Māori?
While the major focus of recruitment over the last five years has been attracting 1800 new staff by 2023, improving the diversity of our recruits has been equally important. We continue to work towards a proportional representation of all ethnicities in New Zealand amongst our workforce so we can best connect with our communities, build trust and ultimately, keep them safe. We are now recruiting Māori in general and wāhine Māori in particular at their rate in the population. This has led to the number of wāhine Māori Constabulary employees growing at four times the rate of the rest of the workforce. However, there is still more to do for the Police workforce to be as diverse as the community we serve.
Improving our representation of Māori amongst our staff will help us work towards better outcomes for Māori in the community, with focussed recruitment supporting other programmes of work.
What about pākehā who wish to apply to join Police?
In some in geographical areas we welcome applications from all ethnicities. However in others, to better reflect the community we serve, we need to be targeted in our recruitment, including to attract more wāhine Māori to join us.
Why have we focused on wāhine Māori vs tāne for this campaign?
Police has put significant effort into recruiting Māori in recent years and this has seen growth in representation of both tāne and wāhine Māori. Tāne Māori are now represented within the Police workforce as a higher percentage than is found in the general population. While we continue to recruit tāne Māori, we have increased our recruitment focus to attract more wāhine Māori to match the proportion of wāhine Māori in the community.