A Rewarding Career with the New Zealand Police
Every member of the New Zealand Police has a story to tell, of the challenges, experiences and opportunities a career in policing offers. Mine is not unique.
I can still remember the mixed emotions of trepidation and excitement I felt back in 1985 as I boarded a flight bound for the Royal New Zealand Police College in Porirua. Little did I know the fantastic opportunities a career in Police would afford me. I’ve held a number of roles over the last 37 years, throughout the North and South Island, including time as sole charge Constable on NZ’s southernmost station on Stewart Island.
I’ve been fortunate to be deployed overseas on two occasions. The first to the Solomon Islands in 2016, where I mentored the Deputy Commissioner of the Solomon Islands Police. Later in 2019, I led a multinational deployment to Bougainville in Papua New Guinea. I was there to support the Bougainville Police Service (BPS), to provide a safe and impartial environment for the people of Bougainville to vote in their independence referendum. The referendum was a compilation of 20 years of NZ commitment to the peace in the region and it was humbling to be part of it.
For the last five years I’ve had the privilege to lead an exceptional team, as the Area Commander for Canterbury Rural, encompassing the Hurunui, Waimakariri, Selwyn and Banks Peninsula. It is one of New Zealand’s’ largest geographic policing areas encompassing fourteen stations.
Policing is very diverse and a very human experience. We ask a lot of our teams.
The events of September 2010 and again during February 2011, are testament to their resilience, as they responded to the devastation and ultimately the loss of 185 people. This resilience was again tested on 15th March 2019, as we responded to the Al Noor and Linwood Mosques. Many of the local team were involved in a variety of roles. For my part, I had the privilege to work with the families of the victims to get through the blessing and burial processes.
Today I reflect on the COVID experience, where the North Canterbury team have been committed to navigating their way through the lockdowns, vaccine protocols, managed Isolation and the recent occupation at parliament. They have impressed with their professionalism and empathy, in an emotive and conflicted environment. As we begin to move towards the new normal, I look forward whatever new challenges arise, and remain optimistic about the future.
North Canterbury remains a fantastic place to live, and one of the safest. We do face the shared challenges of a fast-growing population, and the ongoing Family Harm, Mental Health, injuries and deaths on our roads. We are also keenly aware of keeping our communities safe and feeling that safety in their homes and on our roads.
We police in New Zealand through the consent of the community, something we don’t take for granted. We cherish our strong partnerships within the community, as keeping our families and property safe is important for us all.
Written by
Inspector Peter Cooper
