The first Police graduation for 2019 creates a new total of 1,101 frontline officers deployed around the country since the Coalition Government took office.
Police Minister Stuart Nash today presented awards to the top recruits of Wing 322, whose Patron is the former Police Minister and current High Commissioner to Australia, Dame Annette King.
"This is the fifteenth recruit wing to graduate since the government took office," Mr Nash says.
"Today's graduation will see 79 extra officers deployed across all Police districts during January, focussing on crime prevention and community safety during the busy summer months. One of our top priorities is to improve the wellbeing of New Zealanders. There has been a significant drop in the number of people who have been victims of crime during the past year.
"I am delighted with the diversity, talent and experience our new constables bring. Fifteen percent identify as Maori, nine percent as Pasifika and a further nine percent are Asian. Nineteen new officers were born overseas and share 14 foreign languages between them. The new constables range in age from 18 to 49 years.
"One of today's graduates represented New Zealand as a Kiwi Fern in the national rugby league team, another has recorded two no.1 albums with his bands Blindspott and Blacklistt, and one of the new constables has also achieved success as a fashion designer, reaching the finals of the World of Wearable Arts (WoW) Awards.
"The Coalition Agreement with New Zealand First undertakes to strive for 1800 new Police officers during our first term. In addition, there will be 485 new support staff.
"There is very strong interest from potential applicants who are keen on making a difference with a career in the Police. In the last six months of 2018 more than 2,800 people applied to join Police, an increase of 14 per cent on the same period in 2017. A new recruit wing is graduating every month, and accounting for attrition in the current workforce, we are well on the way towards our goal," Mr Nash says.
