Wing 358 patron Stacey Shortall, a respected lawyer and highly regarded leader, proudly watched her wing graduate from the Royal 51½ÖÉä College last week and spoke of her pride at their remarkable accomplishment.
¡°As constables you are going to find people in the pit of darkness wondering who to trust and fighting to survive,¡± she said. ¡°Each of you will have the opportunity to help those people in the pit, help them out, to shine the light, to move them toward a more positive life.¡±
Stacey is well known for her Who Did You Help Today charitable trust, including homework clubs in primary schools and a programme connecting imprisoned mothers with their children.
¡°Take care of yourself, your colleagues, your wh¨¡nau and friends. Take care of us in our communities, especially those who need to move out of the darkness.
¡°You will give your best with integrity, courage and care and with compassion. I see in you, the very best that the country has to offer. You will be remarkable.¡±
Leadership award winner Constable Matthew Rayner Nga Puhi, Ng¨¡ti Wharara (hap¨±), Ng¨¡ti Whatua, Te Uri o Hau (hap¨±), is bound for Central District.
Stacey¡¯s wing has benefited from all the skills, experience and dedication she applies to helping others and her words rang true for Constable Matthew Rayner - Nga Puhi, Ng¨¡ti Wharara (hap¨±), Ng¨¡ti Whatua, Te Uri o Hau (hap¨±).
¡°My mission has been to help wh¨¡nau within my community to move toward Tino Rangatiratanga or having the ability for wh¨¡nau to choose their own destiny,¡± he says.
Matthew is originally from Northland but he¡¯s made Whanganui his home and is keen to police the district.
¡°I am honoured to have shared this exciting journey with you all. It feels like it¡¯s taken an age to get here but in hindsight it feels like we blinked and nearly missed it.
¡°I have often wondered whether I was too old to start this journey. However, if you are around my age or an older person thinking of joining, trust me you still have a lot you can offer the police wh¨¡nau and I implore you to start the process and get running.¡±
Top of wing, and the recipient of the Minister¡¯s prize, Constable George Littlejohn (pictured above) was previously a rifleman and then Military Police Intelligence in the New Zealand Army.
He¡¯s very keen to get back to the district he grew up in and make a difference. His passion for fitness and his previous military intelligence skills will help him in his new role.
¡°Although the police recruitment process is long, it¡¯s well worth it," he says. "College has given me life-long mates and memories. I grew up in the Wairarapa and it¡¯s given me so much, so I can¡¯t wait to get home and serve my community."
Constable Zersha Gilchrist, left, has been a mechanic, Corrections Officer, volunteer ambulance officer and Police Authorised Officer. She¡¯s deployed to Bay of Plenty District. Constable Bridget Kiddle¡¯s background in competitive sport is what steered her towards Police.
Constable Zersha Gilchrist says the reason she wanted to become a police officer was because of an interaction she had with a policewoman as a child.
"In my childhood years I didn¡¯t have any good role models or people to look up to, so I became quite lost," she says. "That policewoman had a positive and influential influence in my life. She was the role model I had been looking for.
"It was from that moment on I told myself I was going to be a police officer so that I could be that same person in someone else¡¯s life.¡±
Tasman District-bound Constable Bridget Kiddle played for the Black Sticks Women¡¯s hockey team in 2016 and played in the English Women¡¯s Premier Hockey League after that.
¡°The team and people-centric nature of policing is what makes me excited to wear the blue,¡± she says.
From left: Senior Sergeant Stu Oram, Sergeant Sam Oram, new constable Michael Oram and Senior Sergeant Johnny Oram.
It was a family affair for the Oram wh¨¡nau at the graduation. Constable Michael Oram says with his dad, brother and uncle all in the job, he had a good idea of what he was getting himself into.
¡°I had always wanted to join Police at some point, growing up hearing Dad's ¡®better work stories¡¯,¡± he says.
¡°Before joining I had spent eight years as a Mission Support Analyst in the Royal New Zealand Airforce (RNZAF). I had the opportunity to work alongside Police on several occasions, the most rewarding being the contribution our unit had to the Whakaari White Island tragedy.
"The operations and exercises where I worked alongside Police just cemented my plan of joining, further.¡±
Michael is deployed to Central District where nearly all of his wh¨¡nau are currently policing.
The newly graduated constables start their new careers in every district next week. No doubt they will be remarkable.
AWARDS
Minister¡¯s Award recognising top student: Constable George Littlejohn, Wellington District
Patron¡¯s Award for Second in Wing, recognising second top student: Constable Isaac Webb, Auckland City District
Commissioner¡¯s Award for Leadership: Constable Mathew Rayner, Central District
Physical Training and Defensive Tactics Award: Constable George Littlejohn, Wellington District.
Driver Training and Road Policing Practice Award: Constable Sam Lennox, Central District.
Firearms Award: Constable Sam Lennox, Central District.
DEPLOYMENT
The wing will disperse to the following districts: Northland ¨C 3, Waitemat¨¡ ¨C 4, Auckland City ¨C 5, Counties Manukau ¨C 9, Waikato ¨C 4, Bay of Plenty ¨C 4 , Eastern ¨C 3, Central ¨C 4, Wellington ¨C 10, Tasman ¨C 3, Canterbury ¨C 5, Southern ¨C 4.
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